Robert Hovenden D.D. (1544–1614) was an English academic administrator at the University of Oxford.
Hovenden was elected Warden (head) of All Souls College, Oxford in 1571, a post he held until 1614.
During his time as Warden of All Souls College, he was also Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University during 1582–3.
Hovenden was a humanist, undertook building work for All Souls College, and produced strip maps of the College estates.
Life
He was the eldest son of William Hoveden or Hovenden of Canterbury. He was educated at the University of Oxford, was elected a Fellow of All Souls' College in 1565, and graduated BA in the following year, and MA in 1570. He became chaplain to Archbishop Matthew Parker, and in 1570 or 1571 held the prebend of Clifton in Lincoln Cathedral.
On 12 November 1571, Hovenden succeeded Richard Barber as Warden of the college. In 1575 he supplicated for the degree of BD, but proceeded no further until 1580, when he performed all the exercises for the degrees of B.D. and DD, making the pretensions of the Pope the subject of his disputations. He was licensed as D.D. in 1581. In 1582, he filled the office of Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University. In 1581 he was holding, with his wardenship, the prebend of Henstridge in Wells Cathedral, and in 1589 the third prebend in Canterbury Cathedral.
