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Chairman Lord Ballantrae with staff at Yaba, Nigeria

Who

Read about some of the people who have shaped our organisation over the years   

Founder Sir Reginald 'Rex' Leeper

of the Foreign Office founded the British Council in 1934   
Sir Reginald Leeper, Founder of British Council.    

Chairs and Chief Executive

Who was head of the British Council in which year?  Find out from our lists of chairs and Chief Executive   
Lord Lloyd, Chairman 1937-41    

British Council people

Read about some of our most influential figures of the 1940s: Nancy Parkinson, who enabled us to welcome visitors to the UK, Lilian Somerville, promoter of contemporary British art, and Harry Harvey Wood, who brought the Edinburgh Festival to Edinburgh   
Nancy Parkinson