Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-07
A COLLEGE REPUBLIC
How the University of Oxford is
Governed.
STORY OF ITS GROWTH
Groups of Students Who Lived Like
Monks.
FIRST CHARTER DATED 1919
Chancellor a Man Of Political Infiu-
ence, Vice Chancellor the Actual
Head of Affairs.
FIRST CHARTER DATED 1919
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.


Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
1 am asked how oxford University Is
governed. 1t is a federal republic Of col
leges, a corporate body resembling our
states in their relation to the federal gov
eminent, which at Oxford is the university.
AS every citizen of the United States is a
citizen of a sovereign state, so every Ok
ford man is a member of some independ-
ent college; but all undergraduates and
alumni are under the general jurisdiction
of the university, which only has power to
grant degrees, just the federal govern
ment is the only authority that can natu-
ralize an alien. The university supports
and controls the Bodleian Library. the
Radcliffe Library. the Sheldonian Theater,
the Taylor Institute for Modern Languages,
the Ashmolean and Pltts-Rivers museums,
the University Museum, the observatory,
the Indian Institute, the University Caller
les, the Clarendon Press, the Oxford Press
and the botanical gardens.
The university corporation Is described
in the statutes as The chancellor, masters
and scholars of Oxford" and consists Of
about 10000 men. who have taken degrees
at one of the twenty-three colleges. Its
executive power is intrusted to a chancellor
chosen by the convocation for life. This
official however, never appears except on
occasions of great ceremony. He delegates
his powers to a vice chancellor who resides
at Oxford and performs the functions usu
ally devoving upon the president of our
educational institutions. The office Of
chancellor was established in the charter of
1914. and he was originally elected by the
doctors and masters of the university.
During the first two centuries he was a
resident official, but, in the fifteenth CEN
fury it was considered expedient to elect
a powerful parsonage who might be able,
by his wealth and influence. to protect the
institution and to promote the interests of
its graduates Such a one was George
Neville, brother of the Earl of Warwick.
known as 1.-The king maker" and he was
elected chancellor in 1853, when he was only
twenty years of age, Immediately after
taking a degree of MA. from BalioI Col
lege 1t Is unnecessary to say that his ap-
pointment was due to his pull rather
than to his learning his dignity or his other
qualifications.
Since that date the precedent has been
followed and the chancellor has been a
man of political influence rather than of
learning. so that he may promote the ma
terial interests of the institution, leaving its
scholastic affairs to the care of the vice
chancellor The present chancellor is the
Right Honorable Viscount Goschen.
Vice Chancellor's Functions.
The vice chancellor is appointed annually
by the chancellor and is the head of one of
the colleges, the senior in length Of ser
vice. The present incumbent is DIR. w
w. Merry, rector Of Lincoln College He
may serve four terms In succession but
no longer, and DR.. Merry, who was ap-
pointed in 1904. will probably retire in 1908
in favor of DR.. Warren. president of Mag
dalen College, who stands next to him in
length of service. The vice chancellor has
all the powers of the chancellor except
when the latter visits Oxford. and then
for the time being he drops into the posi-
ton Of an ordinary head of a college
There is always an appeal from the vice
chancellor to the chancellor In case any
person connected with the university COM
plains Of having suffered injustice. but this
privilege has seldom been resorted to. One
of the most notable appeals was in the
case of the famous DR.. Fell dean Of Christ
Church. who. when vice chancellor, was
accused of intruding upon examinations
for degrees, of interfering with the exam
liners and overruling their decisions con-
corning candidates. 1t was he Of whom
was written the lines
do not like thee, DR.. Fell
The reason why cannot tell