Director of the British Museum Information & Director of the British Museum Links at HealthHaven.com

The Director of the British Museum is the head of the British Museum in London, a post currently held by Neil MacGregor. He is responsible for that institution's general administration and reports its accounts to the British Government. The actual governance of the British Museum, however, is delegated to its Board of Trustees. [1]

At the Museum's inception its most senior member of staff was called 'Principal Librarian'. The job title became 'Director and Principal Librarian' in 1898, and 'Director' in 1973 (on the separation of the British Library from the Museum).

[edit] Principal Librarian of the British Museum (1756)

Gowin Knight, first in the role, 1756–1772
Dr Matthew Maty, 1772–1776
Dr Charles Morton, 1776–1799
Joseph Planta, 1799–1827
Henry Ellis, 1827–1856
Anthony Panizzi, 1856–1866
John Winter Jones, 1866–1873
Sir Edward Augustus Bond, 1873–1888
Sir Edward Maunde Thompson, 1888–1898

[edit] Director and Principal Librarian of the British Museum (1898)

Sir Edward Maunde Thompson until 1909
Sir Frederic (George) Kenyon, 1909–1931
Sir George Francis Hill, 1931–1936
Sir (Edgar) John Forsdyke, 1936–1950
Sir Thomas (Downing) Kendrick, 1950–1959
Sir Frank Francis, 1959–1969
John Wolfenden, 1969–1974
John Pope-Hennessy, 1974–1976

[edit] Director of the British Museum (1973)

John Pope-Hennessy until 1976
David M. Wilson, 1977–1992
Robert Anderson, 1992–2002
Neil MacGregor, 2002–present