What position did Hawking hold at Cambridge from 1979 to 2009?

From 1979 to 2009, Stephen Hawking held the position of Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge.

The Lucasian Professorship is one of Cambridge’s most prestigious academic chairs. It was established in the 17th century through a bequest from Henry Lucas, and its distinguished holders have included Isaac Newton, Charles Babbage, George Stokes, Paul Dirac, and Hawking.

Hawking was elected to the chair in 1979, succeeding James Lighthill. His inaugural lecture asked, “Is the End in Sight for Theoretical Physics?” During his tenure, he became one of the world’s best-known scientists through research on general relativity, black holes, cosmology, and quantum theory, as well as through books such as A Brief History of Time.

He left the chair in 2009 under Cambridge’s retirement rules. The role was then taken by Michael Green. The title is often confused with a fellowship at Gonville and Caius College, which Hawking also held, but the question asks for his Cambridge professorship.