This is a list of chairmen of The Kennel Club, starting from the club's founding in 1873. The Kennel Club dates from the first organised dog show in UK on the 28/29 June 1859, following this in 1870 it was decided that a governing body was required to govern such shows. Sewallis Shirley called together a meeting of the National Dog Club Committee on 4 April 1873, where the Kennel Club was founded. Shirley was named as the first Chairman, and would go on to become the President of the society in 1899.