List of presidents of the Institution of Civil Engineers


This is a list of presidents of the Institution of Civil Engineers. The president's role is to represent the institution and to promote the profession to the public. The first president was Thomas Telford who had the office bestowed upon him for life in recognition of his contributions to the civil engineering profession. It became a biennial office with the election of Sir William Cubitt in 1849 and an annual office with the election of Sir George Berkley in 1891, which it has remained since.
On 18 December 1956 Harold Gourley died just six weeks after assuming the office in November. Gourley was the first regularly elected president to die in office and the ICE council, who were authorised to fill any vacancy except that of President, were forced to call a Special General Meeting of members. As a result of this meeting, Sir Frederick Arthur Whitaker was elected to the position in February 1957 and was allowed to serve out the remainder of Gourley's term in addition to his own full term. Subsequent deaths-in-office saw Sir Herbert Manzoni succeed Arthur Hartley in February 1960; and Tony Ridley succeed Edmund Hambly in March 1995.
Current practice is for candidates to be nominated by the ICE Presidential Selection Panel. The candidate will then serve as one of several vice-presidents of the institution, becoming senior vice-president in the session preceding their term as president. The candidate is formally elected as president by the ICE council in the January of their senior vice-presidential term. The new president takes office at the start of the ICE session in November, the opening meeting being an address from the incoming president.
The first female president, Jean Venables, was elected in May 2008. The current president is Paul Sheffield.
No.ImageNameTook OfficeLeft OfficeRef
1March 1820September 1834
2January 1835January 1845
3January 1845January 1848
4January 1848December 1849
5December 1849December 1851
6December 1851December 1853
7December 1853December 1855
8December 1855December 1857
9December 1857December 1859
10December 1859December 1861
11December 1861December 1863
12December 1863December 1865
13December 1865December 1867
14December 1867December 1869
15December 1869December 1871
16December 1871December 1873
17December 1873December 1875
18December 1875December 1877
19December 1877December 1879
20December 1879December 1880
21December 1880December 1881
22December 1881December 1882
23December 1882December 1883
24December 1883December 1884
25December 1884May 1886
26May 1886June 1887
27June 1887May 1889
28May 1889May 1891
29May 1891May 1892
30May 1892May 1893
31May 1893May 1894
32May 1894May 1895
33May 1895June 1896
34June 1896April 1898
35April 1898November 1899
36November 1899November 1900
37November 1900November 1901
38November 1901November 1902
39November 1902November 1903
40November 1903November 1904
41November 1904November 1905
42November 1905November 1906
43November 1906November 1907
44November 1907November 1908
45November 1908November 1910
46November 1910November 1911
47November 1911November 1912
48November 1912November 1913
49November 1913November 1914
50November 1914November 1915
51November 1915November 1916
52November 1916November 1917
53November 1917November 1918
54November 1918November 1919
55November 1919November 1920
56November 1920November 1921
57November 1921November 1922
58November 1922November 1923
59November 1923November 1924
60November 1924November 1925
61November 1925November 1926
62November 1926November 1927
63November 1927November 1928
64November 1928November 1929
65November 1929November 1930
66November 1930November 1931
67November 1931November 1932
68November 1932November 1933
69November 1933November 1934
70November 1934November 1935
71November 1935November 1936
72November 1936November 1937
73November 1937November 1938
74November 1938November 1939
75November 1939November 1940
76November 1940November 1941
77November 1941November 1942
78November 1942November 1943
79November 1943November 1944
80November 1944November 1945
81November 1945November 1946
82November 1946November 1947
83November 1947November 1948
84November 1948November 1949
85November 1949November 1950
86November 1950November 1951
87November 1951November 1952
88November 1952November 1953
89November 1953November 1954
90November 1954November 1955
91November 1955November 1956
92November 1956January 1957
93January 1957November 1958
94November 1958November 1959
95November 1959February 1960
96February 1960November 1961
97November 1961November 1962
98November 1962November 1963
99November 1963November 1964
100November 1964November 1965
101November 1965November 1966
102November 1966November 1967
103November 1967November 1968
104November 1968November 1969
105November 1969November 1970
106November 1970November 1971
107November 1971November 1972
108November 1972November 1973
109November 1973November 1974
110November 1974November 1975
111November 1975November 1976
112November 1976November 1977
113November 1977November 1978
114November 1978November 1979
115November 1979November 1980
116November 1980November 1981
117November 1981November 1982
118November 1982November 1983
119November 1983November 1984
120November 1984November 1985
121November 1985November 1986
122November 1986November 1987
123November 1987November 1988
124November 1988November 1989
125November 1989November 1990
126November 1990November 1991
127November 1991November 1992
128November 1992November 1993
129November 1993November 1994
130November 1994March 1995
131March 1995November 1996
132November 1996November 1997
133November 1997November 1998
134November 1998November 1999
135November 1999November 2000
136November 2000November 2001
137November 2001November 2002
138November 2002November 2003
139November 2003November 2004
140November 2004November 2005
141November 2005November 2006
142November 2006November 2007
143November 2007November 2008
144November 2008November 2009
145November 2009November 2010
146November 2010November 2011
147November 2011November 2012
148November 2012November 2013
149November 2013November 2014
150November 2014November 2015
151November 2015November 2016
152November 2016November 2017
153November 2017November 2018
154November 2018November 2019
155November 2019Incumbent
156President-elect for 2020–21 session