Harry Surtees Altham CBE DSO MC (30 November 1888 – 11 March 1965) was an English first-class cricketer who became an important figure in the game as an administrator, historian and coach. Altham was born in Camberley in November 1888. Shortly after completing his education in 1908, Altham played first-class cricket for Surrey, prior to his matriculation to Trinity College, Oxford. There, he played first-class for Oxford University Cricket Club from 1909 to 1912, gaining two blues. After graduating from Oxford, he became a schoolmaster at Winchester College, where he would remain employed for over 30 years. Altham served with distinction in the First World War with the King's Royal Rifle Corps, being awarded both the Military Cross and the Distinguished Service Order. Following the war, he played county cricket for Hampshire, and after retiring from playing he became a noted administrator and historian. As a historian, he is best known for publishing four editions of A History of Cricket between 1926 and 1962. In an administrative capacity, he held the presidencies of both Hampshire and the Marylebone Cricket Club, in addition to being a Test selector for the England cricket team in 1954. Altham died from a heart attack two-hours after addressing a cricket society in Sheffield on 11 March 1965. Wisden posthumously described him as "among the best known personalities in the world of cricket".

The son of the British Army officer Edward Altham Altham and his Scottish wife, Georgina Emily Nicol, he was born on 30 November 1888 in Yorktown in Camberley. He was educated at Repton School, where he captained the cricket eleven. A member of what was considered the best English school eleven of all time, Wisden described his schoolboy abilities as "more the made than the natural cricketer". A month after completing his final year at Repton, Altham made his debut in first-class cricket for Surrey, playing a single match against Leicestershire at in the County Championship. From Repton, he matriculated to Trinity College, Oxford. The following season, he featured in a County Championship match for Surrey in May 1909, before proceeding to make two first-class appearances for Oxford University Cricket Club in June, the same month that he also played against Oxford for Surrey. He made four first-class appearances for Oxford in 1910, and played once for Surrey against Oxford at The Oval, scoring a maiden half century (51 runs).

Altham made six first-class appearances for Oxford in 1911, including gaining a blue by playing in The University Match against Cambridge at Lord's, having missed out playing in the match in the preceding two seasons. He played his final season for Oxford in 1912, making a further six first-class appearances and gaining a second blue by making consecutive appearances in The University Match. After completing his studies at Oxford and graduating with a second class degree in literae humaniores, Altham played six matches for Surrey in the latter half of the 1912 County Championship. In May 1913, he was appointed a master and cricket coach at Winchester College. He made just one appearance in first-class cricket in 1913, playing for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) against Yorkshire in the season-ending Scarborough Festival. He did not play first-class cricket in 1914, a season which was curtailed due to the outbreak of the First World War.

Altham enlisted in the British Army in August 1914, being commissioned as a second lieutenant on probation in the 5th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps. Serving on the Western Front, his probationary period finished in January 1915, with promotion to lieutenant following a fortnight later. He was seconded to the staff in March 1915, during which he was promoted to captain in May 1915. Altham was awarded the Military Cross in December 1916. He was made a temporary major in February 1918, before being appointed a Companion to the Distinguished Service Order in May 1918. He was mentioned in despatches on three occasions during the war. Following the cessation of hostilities in November 1918, Altham was made a temporary lieutenant colonel in January 1919, an appointment he relinquished the following month. He resigned his commission in January 1920, at which point he was granted the rank of major.

Altham resumed playing first-class cricket in August 1919, when he played as an amateur for Hampshire against Middlesex in the 1919 County Championship; he had qualified to play for Hampshire having been resident at Winchester since taking up his appointment at Winchester College. Later in the season at Lord's, he played for team of Demobilised Officers against a combined Army and Navy team. A two-year hiatus would follow, during which he played no first-class cricket. In May 1921, he became available to play for Hampshire in the 1921 County Championship, making nine appearances in the latter half of the season. Against Kent at Canterbury, he scored an "aggresive and faultless" century, making 141 runs, having been one of five Hampshire batsmen to have been dismissed without scoring in their first innings. His innings helped to save Hampshire from an innings defeat, and was later described by Gerry Weigall as "The finest innings ever played at Canterbury except Bradman's 205". His teaching commitments at Winchester restricted Altham to playing until August in the 1922 season, with him making eight appearances in the County Championship. He played a further season for Hampshire in 1923, making six appearances in latter part of the County Championship, with his teaching commitments once again restricting his avaliability. Eight years later, Altham returned to first-class cricket when he played for the Gentlemen of England against the touring New Zealanders.

Altham made 55 appearances in first-class cricket, scoring 1,537 runs at an average of 19.70, with one century and four half centuries. In the field, he took 26 catches. For Hampshire, he made 24 appearances and scored 713 runs at an average of 22.28

Alongside coaching at Winchester College, Altham was a prominent figure in nationwide youth coaching. He was a founding member of the English Schools Cricket Association, serving as its president, and of the MCC Youth Cricket Association, serving as its first chairman. He was the co-author and editor of the MCC Cricket Coaching Book, published in 1952. Altham spent much time popularising the game among the youth, making efforts to ensure that cricket grounds were made available to boys to practice on, who might otherwise have had to practice on the streets. He would also coach youth cricket at the MCC coaching classes at Lilleshall Hall in Shropshire. He was appointed Chairman of a Special Committee to inquire into the future welfare of English cricket in 1949, saying, "If only we can get enough boys playing this game in England, and playing it right, it is quite certain that from the mass will be thrown up in some year or another a new Compton, a new Tate, a new Jack Hobbs, and, when that happens, we need not worry anymore about our meetings with Australia."

Altham served on the MCC Committee from 1941 until his death in 1965. He was its treasurer from 1950 until 1963 and president in 1959–60. He was a member of the Hampshire Committee for over forty years and was elected the president of the club in 1946, succeeding J. G. Greig; he remained president until his death. Hubert Doggart would credit, in-part, Hampshire's maiden County Championship title in 1961 to his inspiration as president. Altham was also Chairman of the English Test selectors in 1954, and was a strong supporter of Len Hutton's captaincy.