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Anthony Seldon
Sir Anthony Francis Seldon (born 2 August 1953) is a British contemporary historian and educator. As an author, he is known for his political biographies of consecutive British Prime Ministers, John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, and Liz Truss, and as an educator, the Master of Wellington College, in Berkshire. Seldon is the author or editor of more than 50 books on contemporary history, politics, and education.
He has been headmaster of independent schools Wellington College, Epsom College and Brighton College. In 2009, he set up The Wellington Academy, the first state school to carry the name of its founding independent school. He was vice-chancellor of the University of Buckingham from 2015 to 2020, when he was succeeded by James Tooley. In 2024, he returned to Wellington College as the Founding Director of Wellington College Education, and is the devisor of AI in Education, the Museum of the Prime Minister and the Western Front Way.
He was the co-founder and first director of the Institute for Contemporary British History, is the co-founder of Action for Happiness, is a governor of the Royal Shakespeare Company, was the Founding Chair of the National Archives Trust and is on the boards of a number of charities and educational bodies.
He is honorary historical adviser to 10 Downing Street and was a member of the First World War Centenary Culture Committee. Seldon was knighted in the 2014 Birthday Honours for services to education and modern political history.
Seldon was born in Stepney, the youngest son of economist Arthur Seldon (born Abraham Margolis), who helped develop the Institute of Economic Affairs and directed academic affairs at the think tank for 30 years. His father was the child of Jewish immigrants who fled antisemitic pogroms in Russia.
Seldon was educated first at Dulwich College Preparatory School, and Bickley Park School, and then Tonbridge School, followed by Worcester College, Oxford, where he took a BA in PPE. In 1981, he gained a PhD in Economics at the London School of Economics. He has an MBA from the Polytechnic of Central London. He obtained a PGCE from King's College London.[citation needed]
Seldon's first teaching appointment was at Whitgift School in Croydon in 1983; he became head of Politics. In 1989 he returned to his old school, Tonbridge, and became head of History and General Studies. In 1993 he was appointed deputy headmaster and, ultimately, acting headmaster of St. Dunstan's College in London. He then became headmaster of Brighton College from September 1997 until he joined Wellington College in January 2006 as its 13th Master. He became executive principal at The Wellington Academy (a separate school) in 2013.[citation needed]
He took a three-month sabbatical from January to March 2014 (leaving Wellington to be run in the interim by his second master, Robin Dyer, who as acting master, stated it would be "business as usual"). Seldon announced on 23 April 2014 that he would be leaving Wellington College in the summer of 2015, after nearly ten years as the 13th master.
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Anthony Seldon
Sir Anthony Francis Seldon (born 2 August 1953) is a British contemporary historian and educator. As an author, he is known for his political biographies of consecutive British Prime Ministers, John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, and Liz Truss, and as an educator, the Master of Wellington College, in Berkshire. Seldon is the author or editor of more than 50 books on contemporary history, politics, and education.
He has been headmaster of independent schools Wellington College, Epsom College and Brighton College. In 2009, he set up The Wellington Academy, the first state school to carry the name of its founding independent school. He was vice-chancellor of the University of Buckingham from 2015 to 2020, when he was succeeded by James Tooley. In 2024, he returned to Wellington College as the Founding Director of Wellington College Education, and is the devisor of AI in Education, the Museum of the Prime Minister and the Western Front Way.
He was the co-founder and first director of the Institute for Contemporary British History, is the co-founder of Action for Happiness, is a governor of the Royal Shakespeare Company, was the Founding Chair of the National Archives Trust and is on the boards of a number of charities and educational bodies.
He is honorary historical adviser to 10 Downing Street and was a member of the First World War Centenary Culture Committee. Seldon was knighted in the 2014 Birthday Honours for services to education and modern political history.
Seldon was born in Stepney, the youngest son of economist Arthur Seldon (born Abraham Margolis), who helped develop the Institute of Economic Affairs and directed academic affairs at the think tank for 30 years. His father was the child of Jewish immigrants who fled antisemitic pogroms in Russia.
Seldon was educated first at Dulwich College Preparatory School, and Bickley Park School, and then Tonbridge School, followed by Worcester College, Oxford, where he took a BA in PPE. In 1981, he gained a PhD in Economics at the London School of Economics. He has an MBA from the Polytechnic of Central London. He obtained a PGCE from King's College London.[citation needed]
Seldon's first teaching appointment was at Whitgift School in Croydon in 1983; he became head of Politics. In 1989 he returned to his old school, Tonbridge, and became head of History and General Studies. In 1993 he was appointed deputy headmaster and, ultimately, acting headmaster of St. Dunstan's College in London. He then became headmaster of Brighton College from September 1997 until he joined Wellington College in January 2006 as its 13th Master. He became executive principal at The Wellington Academy (a separate school) in 2013.[citation needed]
He took a three-month sabbatical from January to March 2014 (leaving Wellington to be run in the interim by his second master, Robin Dyer, who as acting master, stated it would be "business as usual"). Seldon announced on 23 April 2014 that he would be leaving Wellington College in the summer of 2015, after nearly ten years as the 13th master.