Below is a partial list of fellows of the Royal Society of Arts (formally, the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce).[1] A Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts is entitled to use the post-nominal letters FRSA after his or her name.[2]
Fellowship is granted to applicants "who are aligned with the RSA's vision and share in our values."[3] Some prospective fellows are approached by the RSA and invited to join in recognition of their work; some are nominated or "fast-tracked" by existing fellows and RSA staff,[4][5][6] or by partner organisations such as the Churchill Fellowship;[7][8] others make their own applications with accompanied references, which are reviewed by a formal admissions panel consisting of RSA trustees and fellowship councillors.[9][10] As of 2022, the RSA has adopted an inclusive policy and stated that acceptance to the fellowship does not require the applicant to be "a leader in your industry or a CEO of an NGO".[3]
Since its founding in 1754, the RSA Fellowship has grown to become an international community of 30,000 achievers and influencers (as of 2020[update])[1] from a wide array of backgrounds and professions, who are distinguished by the post-nominal letters FRSA. Fellows include social entrepreneurs, scientists, community leaders, commercial innovators, artists, journalists, architects, engineers, and many other occupations.[citation needed]
Charles Dickens, Adam Smith, Benjamin Franklin, Karl Marx, Richard Attenborough, William Hogarth, John Diefenbaker, Stephen Hawking, Benson Taylor and Tim Berners-Lee are some of the notable past and present Fellows, and today it has Fellows elected from 80 countries worldwide.
Major physical meetings of Fellows are held at RSA House, an 18th-century building in London.[11] Regional meetings also take place. The RSA Fellowship maintains a collaborative online presence through the Fellowship's proprietary social network.
The following have been members of the society historically: