Sir Patrick Stewart is one of the leading stage and screen actors of his generation and he also made his mark as a deeply committed and energetic Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield. He remains our Emeritus Chancellor. Sir Patrick is particularly eager to ensure that young people have the opportunity to fulfil their potential through access to Higher Education.
Huddersfield is effectively his home-town university. Sir Patrick Stewart was born in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, in 1940. His father was a regular soldier and his mother was a weaver. He left school at the age of 15 and worked briefly as a reporter on the local newspaper, but a teacher at school had inspired in him a love of Shakespeare and the stage. Acting ambitions quickly superseded journalism.
He was made OBE in 2002 and in 2010 he received a knighthood. His many involvements include Amnesty International and he is a frequent public speaker in favour of its goals in the field of human rights, as well as being an active patron for Refuge, the domestic violence and women's rights organization.