John Cater

John Charles Cater (born 3 February 1953) served as vice-chancellor of Edge Hill University from 1993 to 2025. He is the longest-serving head of a United Kingdom higher education institution and is the chair of the Universities UK Teacher Education Advisory Group. on 3 February 1953, the eldest of four children. His paternal grandfather was a tied railwayman and his maternal grandparents were travellers and smallholders. He was brought up in Towcester, Northamptonshire, and has described himself as 'that year's kid from the council estate to go to grammar school'. He has published a range of articles and book chapters on the above, and jointly authored a text on Social Geography with Trevor Jones.

Edge Hill University

After a brief spell in a policy unit in London, Cater joined Edge Hill University in 1979, where he remained for 42 years before retiring in January 2025.

Initially appointed to a lecturing post in Geography, he became Head of Urban Policy and Race Relations in 1983 and sub-Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Environmental and Social Sciences in 1986. He took institution-wide responsibility for Policy, Planning and Development in 1990 and was appointed Director of Resources in 1992. In June 1993 he succeeded Ruth Gee as Director and Chief executive. He was also appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire in 2019.

Cater's paper 'Whither teacher education and training? ' was published by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) in April 2017.

Cater retired as Vice-Chancellor on 31 January 2025. His successor has yet to be appointed.