Michael Ramsey
2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Religious figures and leaders
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| Denomination | Church of England |
| Senior posting | |
| See | Canterbury |
| Title | Archbishop of Canterbury |
| Period in office | 1961 — 1974 |
| Predecessor | Geoffrey Fisher |
| Successor | Donald Coggan |
| Religious career | |
| Priestly ordination | 1929 |
| Previous bishoprics | Bishop of Durham, Archbishop of York |
| Previous post | Archbishop, Bishop |
| Personal | |
| Date of birth | 14 November 1904 |
| Place of birth | Cambridge, England |
Arthur Michael Ramsey, Baron Ramsey of Canterbury ( 14 Nov 1904 – 23 April 1988) was the one hundredth Archbishop of Canterbury. He was appointed 31 May 1961, and took office from June 1961 to 1974.
Michael Ramsey was born at Cambridge, educated at Repton School (one of his tutors at Repton was his predecessor the 99th Archbishop of Canterbury, Geoffrey Francis Fisher) and Magdalene College, Cambridge, where he was President of the Cambridge Union Society. Before Canterbury, he had previously been Bishop of Durham and Archbishop of York. He was a significant academic theologian. A member of the High Church group, he was active in the ecumenical movement.
![Archbishop Ramsey (left) meets Pope Paul VI. During his visit to Rome the Pope presented him with the episcopal (bishop's) ring he had worn as Archbishop of Milan[1].](../../images/89/8987.jpg.htm)
During his visit to Rome the Pope presented him with the episcopal (bishop's) ring he had worn as Archbishop of Milan .
Like most twentieth century Archbishops of Canterbury, Michael Ramsey presided over a period of numerical decline in the Church of England. He was nonetheless liked and respected both in the church and more widely, perhaps more so than either his immediate predecessors or successors; he had the reputation of being humane, principled, and discreet. After retiring as Archbishop in 1974 he was created a life peer, as Baron Ramsey of Canterbury, of Canterbury in Kent, enabling him to remain in the House of Lords where he had previously sat as one of the Lords Spiritual.
He gave his name to Ramsey House, a residence of St Chad's College, University of Durham: he was a Governor of the college; and he regularly worshipped and presided at the college's daily Eucharist. He also gave his name to Archbishop Michael Ramsey Secondary School in Farmers Road, Camberwell, South East London .
Michael Ramsey's elder brother, Frank P. Ramsey (b.1903, d.1930) was a brilliant mathematician and philosopher.