What is "chancellor"

Chancellor \Chan"cel*lor\, n. [OE. canceler, chaunceler, F. chancelier, LL. cancellarius chancellor, a director of chancery, fr. L. cancelli lattices, crossbars, which surrounded the seat of judgment. See Chancel.] A judicial court of chancery, which in England and in the United States is distinctively a court with equity jurisdiction.

Note: The chancellor was originally a chief scribe or secretary under the Roman emperors, but afterward was invested with judicial powers, and had superintendence over the other officers of the empire. From the Roman empire this office passed to the church, and every bishop has his chancellor, the principal judge of his consistory. In later times, in most countries of Europe, the chancellor was a high officer of state, keeper of the great seal of the kingdom, and having the supervision of all charters, and like public instruments of the crown, which were authenticated in the most solemn manner. In France a secretary is in some cases called a chancellor. In Scotland, the appellation is given to the foreman of a jury, or assize. In the present German empire, the chancellor is the president of the federal council and the head of the imperial administration. In the United States, the title is given to certain judges of courts of chancery or equity, established by the statutes of separate States.
--Blackstone. Wharton.

Chancellor of a bishop or Chancellor of a diocese (R. C. Ch. & ch. of Eng.), a law officer appointed to hold the bishop's court in his diocese, and to assist him in matter of ecclesiastical law.

Chancellor of a cathedral, one of the four chief dignitaries of the cathedrals of the old foundation, and an officer whose duties are chiefly educational, with special reference to the cultivation of theology.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, an officer before whom, or his deputy, the court of the duchy chamber of Lancaster is held. This is a special jurisdiction.

Chancellor of a university, the chief officer of a collegiate body. In Oxford, he is elected for life; in Cambridge, for a term of years; and his office is honorary, the chief duties of it devolving on the vice chancellor.

Chancellor of the exchequer, a member of the British cabinet upon whom devolves the charge of the public income and expenditure as the highest finance minister of the government.

Chancellor of the order of the Garter (or other military orders), an officer who seals the commissions and mandates of the chapter and assembly of the knights, keeps the register of their proceedings, and delivers their acts under the seal of their order.

Lord high chancellor of England, the presiding judge in the court of chancery, the highest judicial officer of the crown, and the first lay person of the state after the blood royal. He is created chancellor by the delivery into his custody of the great seal, of which he becomes keeper. He is privy counselor by his office, and prolocutor of the House of Lords by prescription.

early 12c., from Old French chancelier (12c.), from Late Latin cancellarius "keeper of the barrier, secretary, usher of a law court," so called because he worked behind a lattice (Latin cancellus) at a basilica or law court (see chancel). In the Roman Empire, a sort of court usher; the post gradually gained importance in the Western kingdoms. A variant form, canceler, existed in Old English, from Old North French, but was replaced by this central French form.

n. 1 A judicial court of chancery, which in England and in the United States is distinctively a court with equity jurisdiction. 2 Head of a chancery. 3 An important notary; a person in charge of some area of government, often justice or finance. 4 The head of a university, sometimes purely ceremonial. 5 The head of parliamentary government in some German speaking countries. 6 A record keeper for a diocese or equivalent religious area. 7 (context Scotland English) foreman of a jury. 8 (context UK English) Chancellor of the Exchequer.

1. n. the person who is head of state (in several countries) [syn: premier, prime minister]

2. the honorary or titular head of a university

Chancellor is a hybrid wine grape variety produced by Albert Seibel c. 1860. It is also known as Seibel 7053 and is a cross of Seibel 5163 and Seibel 880.

The grape produces a fruity red wine. It is susceptible to both downy and powdery mildew.

Chancellor is a historic canal tugboat located at Fulton in Oswego County, New York. It was built in 1938 by the Ira S. Bushey & Sons Shipyard of Brooklyn, New York. She measures in length, in beam, and depth of hold. She was designed for use on the New York State Barge Canal.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

The Tug Chancellor is owned and operated by the Waterford Maritime Historical Society, based in Waterford, New York.

Chancellor is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the audience. A chancellor's office is called a chancellery or chancery. The word is now used in the titles of many various officers in all kinds of settings (government, education, religion, etc.). Nowadays the term is most often used to describe:

• The head of the government
• A person in charge of foreign affairs
• A person with duties related to justice
• A person in charge of financial and economic issues
• The head of a university

Chancellor of Poland ( - , from ) was one of the highest officials in the historic Poland. This office functioned from the early Polish kingdom of the 12th century until the end of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795. A respective office also existed in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since the 16th century.

Chancellors' powers rose together with the increasing importance of written documents. In the 14th century the office of Chancellor of Kraków evolved into the Chancellor of the Crown and from that period the chancellor powers were greatly increased, as they became responsible for the foreign policy of the entire Kingdom (later, the Commonwealth). The Chancellor was also supposed to ensure the legality of monarch's actions, especially whether or not they could be considered illegal in the context of pacta conventa (an early set of documents containing important laws, in some aspects resembling today's constitutions). Finally, the Chancellor was also responsible for his office, the chancellery . A 16th-century Polish lawyer, Jakub Przybylski, described the Chancellor as the king's hand, eye and ear, translator of his thoughts and will.

From 15th century onward there were two separate Chancellor offices, none of them subordinate to each other: Great Chancellor and Deputy Chancellor . In the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, there were four Chancellors: Great Chancellor of the Crown , Great Chancellor of Lithuania , Deputy Chancellor of the Crown , and Deputy Chancellor of Lithuania .

A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus.

In most Commonwealth (or former Commonwealth) nations, the chancellor is usually a titular (ceremonial figurehead) non-resident head of the university. In such institutions, the chief executive of a university is the vice-chancellor, who may also carry a title such as the alternates listed above (such as "president & vice-chancellor"). The chancellor may serve as chairman of the governing body (the council or board of governors); if not, this duty is often held by a chairman who may be known as a pro-chancellor.

In many countries, the administrative and educational head of the university is known as the president, principal or rector. In the United States, the head of a university is most commonly a university president. In U.S. university systems that have more than one affiliated university or campus, the executive head of a specific campus may have the title of chancellor and report to the overall system's president, or vice versa.

In some Latin American universities, the Chancellor is the Chief Academic Officer (equivalent to a Provost in the US system).

Chancellor is a political title.

Chancellor may also refer to:

• Chancellor (chess), a fairy chess piece
• Chancellor (ecclesiastical), a church official
• Chancellor (education), a university official
• Chancellor (grape), a hybrid grape variety
• Chancellor (surname), a surname
• Chancellor (Masonic), an officer in some lodges of Freemasons
• Chancellor, Alabama
• Chancellor, South Dakota
• Chancellor, Virginia
• Chancellor Records, a record label
• Cessna Model 414 Chancellor
• Chancellor, a Presiding Judge in a Court of Chancery in the United States
• Chancellor Media Corporation, a media company acquired by Clear Channel Communications in 2000

Several quite distinct officials of some Christian churches have the title Chancellor.

• In some churches, the Chancellor of a diocese is a lawyer who represents the church in legal matters. In the Church of England, the office technically combines that of Official Principal (who presides over, and represents the bishop in, the consistory court) with that of Vicar General (who acts as the bishop’s deputy in non-judicial legal and administrative affairs). The office was also known historically in some dioceses as Commissary or Commissary General, and Commissary General remains the usual title in the Diocese of Canterbury.
• In Church of England cathedrals, the Canon Chancellor (more usually known simply as the Chancellor) is one of the canons of the cathedral who has a particular responsibility for matters of education and scholarship, often acting as the cathedral librarian and archivist. The Chancellor is generally one of four chief dignitaries in the cathedral chapter, the others being the Dean, the Precentor and the Treasurer.
• In the Roman Catholic Church a chancellor is the chief record-keeper of a diocese or eparchy or their equivalent. Normally a priest, sometimes a deacon or layperson, the chancellor keeps the official archives of the diocese, as a notary certifies documents, and generally manages the administrative offices (and sometimes finances and personnel) of a diocese. He may be assisted by vice-chancellors. Though he manages the paperwork and office (called the " chancery"), has no actual jurisdictional authority: the bishop of the diocese exercises decision-making authority through his judicial vicar, in judicial matters, and the vicar general for administrative matters.
• In the United Methodist Church, each Annual Conference has a Conference Chancellor, who is either an active or retired lawyer or judge who serves as the Annual Conference's legal adviser and representative. While the Annual Conference will usually hire outside professional counsel in legal matters requiring legal representation, that hiring and representation is done under the supervision, and with the consent, of the Conference Chancellor.

Chancellor is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:

• Anna Chancellor (born 1965), British actress
• Edward Chancellor, financial historian and investment strategist
• John Chancellor (1927–1996), American journalist
• John Chancellor (British administrator) (1870–1952)
• Justin Chancellor, bassist for Tool
• Kam Chancellor (born 1988), American football player
• Richard Chancellor (died 1556), English explorer and navigator

Fictional characters:

• Katherine Chancellor, character on The Young and the Restless