Paul Warwick Thompson
Encyclopedia
Dr Paul Warwick Thompson (born Oxford 9 August 1959) is rector of the Royal College of Art
in London
, England.
He was educated at Bryanston School
, the University of Bristol
(BA) and the University of East Anglia
(MA, PhD).
He worked as a scriptwriter and researcher for the Design Council
from 1987 to 1988. He then joined the Design Museum
as Curator of Contemporary Design and from 1993 -2001 served as its Director.
From 2001 - 2009, he served as director
of the Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum
in New York City
. In 2009 he took up his current post at the Royal College of Art. He is a Trustee of the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, and on the Board of Visitors of the Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford. He is a member of the Wellcome Collection Programme Advisory Committee at the Wellcome Trust, London.
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England.
He was educated at Bryanston School
Bryanston School
Bryanston School is a co-educational independent school for both day and boarding pupils in Blandford, north Dorset, England, near the village of Bryanston. It was founded in 1928...
, the University of Bristol
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
(BA) and the University of East Anglia
University of East Anglia
The University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
(MA, PhD).
He worked as a scriptwriter and researcher for the Design Council
Design Council
The Design Council is a United Kingdom non-departmental public body incorporated by Royal Charter and registered as a charity.Registered charity number 272099.- In the beginning :The Design Council started in 1944 as the Council of Industrial Design...
from 1987 to 1988. He then joined the Design Museum
Design Museum
Design Museum is a museum by the River Thames near Tower Bridge in central London, England. The museum covers product, industrial, graphic, fashion and architectural design. It was founded in 1989 and claims to be the first museum of modern design...
as Curator of Contemporary Design and from 1993 -2001 served as its Director.
From 2001 - 2009, he served as director
Executive director
Executive director is a term sometimes applied to the chief executive officer or managing director of an organization, company, or corporation. It is widely used in North American non-profit organizations, though in recent decades many U.S. nonprofits have adopted the title "President/CEO"...
of the Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum
Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum
Cooper–Hewitt, National Design Museum, a subsidiary of the Smithsonian Institution, is the United States' national museum of design history and contemporary design and the only museum in the U.S. whose collection is solely focused on contemporary and historic design...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In 2009 he took up his current post at the Royal College of Art. He is a Trustee of the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, and on the Board of Visitors of the Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford. He is a member of the Wellcome Collection Programme Advisory Committee at the Wellcome Trust, London.