The title ‘Professor’ was originally of more general application, applying to any Doctor teaching in the University. A reminder of this is provided by the old title for the Doctor of Divinity: Sanctae Theologiae Professor — teacher of holy theology. From the sixteenth century, however, it was applied to those holding posts — ‘chairs’ — some endowed by benefactions, often of land, others established by the University, in specific subjects. Many of the regulations governing Professorships were drawn together in 1861 under Statute B, with, of course, subsequent amendments. Within Statute B, chapter ix dealt with regulations for election, chapter xi with the residence and duties of Professors, and chapter vi with the University’s powers to create professorships and with stipends. The statutes of 1926, which dealt with professorships under Statute D, chapters xiii to xv, standardised the stipends of professors elected after that date. Since about 1974, the University has, as the result of an annual exercise, appointed a number of its most distinguished academical officers to ‘personal professorships’ in their particular field of expertise, but several of the established University professorships, like that of chemistry, had their origins in a personal professorship which was then continued.
For a list of professors go to http://http://venn.lib.cam.ac.uk/Documents/acad/lists/index.html.
