User:Cecil R. Humphery-Smith

Named “the Father of Family History,” Cecil Humphery-Smith brought the concept to the world of genealogy with his pioneer lecture in 1957, "Introducing Family History" (copies available on request). He founded the School that year and The Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies in Canterbury, UK, in 1961. He has edited its journal "FAMILY HISTORY" since 1962.

Apart from lecturing for London and other universities for some 50 years, he has had visiting professorships in Italy and Portugal and, from 1986-1990. and was President of the International Confederation of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences, an affiliate of UNESCO. He has also lectured and broadcast on radio and TV widely abroad in North America and in Europe.

He was made an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours list, 2004 for “Services to Education in Heraldry and Genealogy.”

He has long been the only British member of Council of L'Académie Internationale d’Héraldique and is a patron of l'Académie Internationale de Généalogie and has received several other academic and literary honours and awards from around the world.