List of Keele University people

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

This is a list of notable people related to Keele University and its predecessor, the University College of North Staffordshire.

Presidents and Chancellors

Sir Jonathon Porritt

• John Herbert Dudley Ryder, 5th Earl of Harrowby (1949–55)
• Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (1956–86)
• Claus Moser, Baron Moser (1986–2002)
• Sir David Weatherall (2002–2012)
• Sir Jonathon Porritt (2012–2022)
• James Timpson (2022-2024)

Principals and Vice-Chancellors

• Alexander Dunlop Lindsay, 1st Baron Lindsay of Birker (1949–52)
• Sir John Lennard-Jones (1953–54)
• Sir George Barnes (1956–60)
• Harold McCarter Taylor (1961–67)
• W. A. Campbell Stewart (1967–79)
• Sir David Harrison (1979–84)
• Sir Brian Fender (1985–95)
• Dame Janet Finch (1995–2010)
• Nick Foskett (2010–2015)
• Trevor McMillan (2015–2025)

Academics

See also: Category:Academics of Keele University

• Tony Barrand – Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, Boston University
• Patricia Clavin - historian
• Jonathan Dollimore – English sociologist
• Richard English – historian
• Roy Fisher – American Studies lecturer and poet
• Mark Galeotti – historian and expert on modern Russia
• Jill Gibbon – graphic artist^[1]
• Oliver Harris – professor of American literature and expert in the works of William Burroughs
• Sir Nick Partridge – British health care specialist
• Dame Joan Kathleen Stringer – British political scientist

Alumni

See also: Category:Alumni of Keele University

Academia and Science

• Eliathamby Ambikairajah – engineer^[2]
• Stan Beckensall – expert on prehistoric rock art^[2]
• Dame Sandra Dawson – organisational theorist^[2]
• Jonathan Dollimore – sociologist; cultural and literary theorist^[2]
• Richard English – political historian^[2]
• Charles Iain Hamilton – historian^[2]
• Pradeep Mathur – educationalist^[2]
• Des MacHale - Mathematics emeritus professor -University College Cork
• Sam Nolutshungu – political scientist^[2]
• David Richardson – Vice-Chancellor of the University of East Anglia
• Beverley Skeggs – sociologist^[2]
• Dame Joan Stringer – political scientist^[2]
• John Thompson – sociologist^[2]

Arts and Literature

• John Abram – composer^[2]
• Mark Ayres – musician, composer and audio engineer^[3]
• Tony Barrand – anthropologist and folk musician^[2]
• Francis Beckett – English author
• Carol Birch – English novelist
• Joe Beverley – English-Canadian writer
• Peter Child – composer^[2]
• Alys Clare – novelist^[2]
• Paul Darke – academic, artist and disability rights activist
• Jem Finer – founding member of The Pogues
• Janet Fitch – author^[2]
• Helen Sarah Thomas- British poet and writer
• Zulfikar Ghose – novelist, poet and essayist
• Jon Haylett – novelist^[2]
• Giles Hooper – author, lecturer and musicologist
• Liz Kessler – author^[2]
• Marina Lewycka – novelist
• Bernard Lloyd – actor^[2]
• Andy McDermott – British thriller author
• Marina Oliver – British romance novelist
• Keith Ovenden – English novelist and biographer^[4]
• Adrian Pang – Singaporean actor
• David Pownall – playwright and author^[2]
• Andy Quin – composer and jazz pianist
• Ken Rattenbury – musician^[2]
• Davide Rossi – musician, Goldfrapp; composer^[2]
• Antti Sakari Saario – composer, lecturer^[2]
• Peter Whelan – playwright^[2]

Diplomacy

• Emran bin Bahar – ambassador for Brunei Darussalam^[2]
• David Cooney – Irish ambassador to the UK^[2]
• Stephen Cutts – UN Assistant Secretary-General^[2][5]
• John Duncan – diplomat^[2]
• Peter Mond, 4th Baron Melchett – patron of Prisoners Abroad
• Jim Moran – EU ambassador^[2]
• Sir Richard Mottram – chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee
• Dame Jo Williams – Chief Executive MENCAP
• Hso Khan Pha – Burmese prince also known as Tiger

Law

• Sir Peter Coulson – Lord Justice of Appeal, and Deputy Head of Civil Justice^[6]
• Michael Mansfield KC – human rights lawyer
• Malcolm Shaw – legal scholar^[2]
• John Taylor, Baron Taylor of Warwick – Member of the House of Lords and ex-Deputy District Judge
• Dame Fiona Woolf – Lord Mayor of London and ex-President of the Law Society

Politics

• Abd Dhiyab al-Ajili – Iraqi minister
• Judin Asar – Clerk of the Legislative Council of Brunei
• Jack Brereton – Conservative MP for Stoke-on-Trent South
• Phillida Bunkle – New Zealand MP^[2]
• Professor John Clancy – Former Leader, Birmingham City Council^[7]
• Paul Clark – MP for Gillingham from 1997 to 2010^[2]
• Ash Denham – MSP for Edinburgh Eastern in the Scottish Parliament
• Don Foster, Baron Foster of Bath – MP for Bath 1992 to 2015, Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Development 2012 to 2013
• John Golding – MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme from 1969 to 1986^[2]
• Eric Joyce – MP for Falkirk from 2000 to 2015
• Claire Kober – Labour Council leader for the London Borough of Haringey
• Alun Michael – ex-Labour MP for Cardiff South Penarth and Minister of State for Home Affairs
• Madeleine Moon – Labour MP for Bridgend
• Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah – Namibian politician^[2]
• Dame Priti Patel – Conservative MP for Witham in Essex and former Home Secretary
• Rosmawatty Abdul Mumin – Member of the Legislative Council of Brunei
• Clare Short – ex-Labour MP for Birmingham Ladywood and Secretary of State for International Development
• Gareth Snell - Labour MP for Stoke on Trent Central
• Adelaide Tambo – anti-apartheid activist South African MP^[2][5]
• Ian Taylor – MP for Esher from 1987 to 2010^[2]
• Sir John Vereker – ex-Permanent Secretary for International Development and Governor of Bermuda
• Lynda Waltho – Labour MP for Stourbridge
• Sufian Sabtu – Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister's Office of Brunei

TV and journalism

• Phil Avery – BBC weather presenter^[2]
• Wayne Clarke – radio presenter^[2]
• Tony Elliott, founder of Time Out
• Jack Emery, British director, writer and producer for stage, TV and radio
• Terry Milewski – Canadian broadcaster and journalist^[2]
• Gerry Northam – BBC investigative journalist
• AJ Odudu – television presenter^[8]

Other

• Kojo Annan – businessman; son of former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
• Maggie Atkinson – Children's Commissioner, England^[2][5]
• Yvette Baker – champion orienteer^[2]
• Stephen Benn, 3rd Viscount Stansgate – Director of Parliamentary Affairs, Society of Biology
• Nataliey Bitature- social entrepreneur, Forbes 30 Under 30 entrepreneur^[9]
• Robert Cooling – Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff^[2]
• David Edwards – second person to win Who Wants to be a Millionaire?^[2]
• Jonathan Gledhill – Bishop of Lichfield^[2]
• Steve Jackson – Game designer, co-founder of Games Workshop and Lionhead Studios^[2][5]
• Peter Moore – business executive^[2]
• Sir Nick Partridge – chief executive, Terence Higgins Trust^[2][5]
• Derek Tidball – theologian
• Sir Chris Woodhead – chief inspector of schools^[2][5]