doyen

noun3

1. •
   The senior, or eldest male member of a group.

   • Every prison has its doyen, and for us politicals it was Denis Goldberg. — 2020
2. •
   A leading light, or exemplar of a particular practice or movement.

   • Unlike the latter, however, Shifu's seriousness allowed no compromise; his criticism of Zhang ji even brought him into conflict with Wu Zhihui, one of the doyens of anarchism in China. — 1991
3. •
   (no longer used) A commander in charge of ten men.