William Whyte appointed General Editor of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, a research project of the University of Oxford published by Oxford University Press, is a large collection of short biographies of notable people connected to the United Kingdom and the British Isles from earliest times to the recent past. It has its origins in the Dictionary of National Biography, published from 1885 onwards, with a complete revision of the dictionary between 1992 and 2004.
During his twelve years as General Editor of the ODNB, Professor Cannadine has overseen the continued updating and expansion of the Dictionary, including the addition of 4,000 new entries and 1,000 new images, corrections or amendments to around 12,000 entries, and the move from thrice-yearly to monthly publication. The ODNB now includes more than 65,000 articles, in which are told the life stories of around 63,000 people. Professor Cannadine also wrote biographies for some of the most notable figures of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, including Margaret Thatcher, Prince Philip, and Queen Elizabeth II.
Professor Cannadine will be succeeded as General Editor by William Whyte, Professor of Social and Architectural History at the University of Oxford and Tutorial Fellow in History at St John’s College. Professor Whyte brings to the role a long and intimate knowledge of the Dictionary as an author, adviser, member of the academic advisory board, and frequent user of the Dictionary; a wide-ranging interest and expertise in modern British history and heritage matters; and a proven ability to manage large and complex projects. Speaking of his appointment, he said:
" It is the honour of my life to be asked to serve as General Editor of the ODNB. A fundamental resource for both scholars and the wider public, it has shaped my own research in all manner of ways. I look forward to working with OUP, with a brilliant team of research editors, with the advisory board, and with thousands of contributors as we think about how the Dictionary should evolve in the future without losing any of the authority it has gained in the past. To succeed Sir David Cannadine is, of course, a daunting prospect. His twelve years at the helm have been a glittering success, and his biographies—including the lives of Queen Elizabeth II and Margaret Thatcher—are unsurpassable. But I know that we can count on his support as I seek to emulate his example. " The Revd Canon Professor William Whyte
Speaking of his successor, Professor Cannadine said: “William Whyte is a most distinguished historian, a fellow collegian and a major figure in the broader life of Oxford University and the wider cultural world beyond. He will, I am sure, be a brilliant General Editor of the Dictionary, leading it to new heights of achievement, accomplishment, and acclaim. I wish him every success, and I can't wait for him to get started”.
Read more about William Whyte's appointment on the OUP website here.