All Souls’ association with social anthropology dates from 1937 when the first Professor of Social Anthropology, A.R. Radcliffe-Brown, became a Fellow. Some of the leading figures in the field have held the position subsequently: Sir Edward Evans-Pritchard (1946-70), Maurice Freedman (1970-75), Rodney Needham (1976-90), John Davis (1990-95)(subsequently Warden of All Souls 1995-2008), David Parkin (1996-2008), and David Gellner (2008-2024). The current holder is Professor Alpa Shah (2024- ). The College is host to the annual Evans-Pritchard Lectures which are intended to provide “an empirical analysis of social relations based on fieldwork or other indigenous primary materials concerning Africa, the Middle East or the Mediterranean”.

Current Fellows:

• Professor Cecilia Heyes
• Dr Charlotte Linton
• Professor Miriam Meyerhoff
• Professor Alpa Shah

Emeritus Fellows:

• Professor David Gellner
• Professor David Parkin