The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-02-29
College founded A. D. 509)
 showing of St Mary-the Virgins

OXI0ru kEnglanuJ OHiFeTSity, Dh
 showing the spire of St. Maj The following letter recently received by MT. and Mrs. Hubert Scruggs from their cousin, Rev Hiram K. Douglass of Oxford University, will be of inter est to a large circle of friends who re member with appreciation the few months his brilliant young rector ministered to St. Mary's parish, when Dr. Claybrook was spending the summer away.
 Rev. Mir. Douglass is a native Ala oamian, the son of MT. and Mrs. Sese Douglass of Florence. His pastorate dur .ng one summer in Birmingham followed four years work at Columbia University. From the halls of this, his alma mater, and previously from Sewanee, he has gone to Oxford, England, where he will remain one year longer in preparation for the ministerial work he will enter when he returns to Alabama.
 Those who know MT Douglass per sonally, who have enjoyed the privilege of his genial friendship, and who have been inspired by the spiritual messages of his sermons, will rejoice that he is one of the recognized leaders of the stu dent body at Oxford
 Of the "City of Spires and off the changes taking place in the convention aities of the historic Oxford College since the war. he writes as follows:
 ARRIVES AT OXFORD
 "An American arriving at Oxford for the first time does not have to be told he has reached his destination-for two reasons. First, being an American, he would have his eyes open for new sights, drinking in the beauties of the play ground of England, as the south is Just IlyA called: he would enjoy countryside not American, in that it. IS flnlshed product, while that he remembers oaciS home is still in the making. when ne sees spire after spire, towers and domes, in numbers and beauty not to be found anywhere else in the world. he knows he has reached the City of Spires,' and this is the second reason for getting out of he train without waiting for the DOT fer to call out the station; this IS fortu- nate because they don't call out stations over here.
 several weeks ago I happened upon man in our uniform who had come 10 Oxford to spend the afternoon, to go out to the university. as he said lie was surprised when I told him that he was in the confines already-the Corn market and High street are as truly university boulevards as commercial highways; the former being attested by men in gowns and the latter prop ably by flock of sheep or a herd oI cattle. This unique condition is De- cause of the age of the university population of over 5O0o0 has hter- ally built up around>a university now consisting of over twenty colleges which are, for the most part. adjoining or very near together. We should consider them crowded. We might consider it detrimental to the archi- tectural beauty but it so happens that | in the university there is harmony i and unity-bu. not uniformity. Each college has it's distinctive features-as well as traditions. To illustrate-tnls harmony in diversity I can think oi nothing better than the dome Of the Bodleian Camera (reading room to thls famous library) and the spirit of the University Church. Saint Mary-the- Virgin: here we have masterpiece side by side wit ha medieval.
 i HISTORICAL INTEREST
 "So to compensate for the superla. lives of America-the highest build !ings the lafgest hotels. two wei known to every Englishman, and one not SO we'll known. the most importan financial center (Wall street taking 1 the place formerly held by Canno1 street. Iondon), England has, righ l here Tn ON1OrQ enOuSl III tiS hAoeo' I of the unicversity to last long after oul tales are told. What can compare witt From Quad, Christ Church from whici nine prime ministers have gone! Th' greatest men of England have walked these streets and many of them al undergraduates In real sense, OK ford is the soul of England.
 | But, for Oxford, after five year of war Just as our own universities | lnow about 5000 enrolled, whereas tn normal enrolment is $500. and tn lsecond largest was in the sixteentl century, a result of the Renaissance.
 There are three sets or classes o linen. Those who would naturally com
 to college this year, having just fin ished school-they are about lS an under 20; the men who were here be fore the war or were about to come and the men able to come because O government grants to ex-service men n should say the second class give tn tone to Oxford today. and their atti l tude is, Get down to work. No time t Il lose, but don't sacrifice the high stand ard of the sports As a consequence you see thirty=year men Gncludin' even the Americans who brought thei families with them, going out regu larly for football and hockey. but tu
  II cipline is responsible for punctualit, and regularity at lectures and worl required by them.. In a way the olde
 men are holding down gaietes tha
 would have been seen among tn younger members.
 A NEW ERA AT OXFORD
 'Tt has been said that this is tn first year of a new era at Oxford
 The university is far more democrati and as a result many old customs hay faded away For instance. all meal are served i'm hall rather than onl dinner. which was the only meal me lhad together: breakfast and lunch be fore the war were served in students rooms. Men are even seen carryini small packages. And certainly ever, corner of the globe was never so wei irepresented as now; of course. whel lBritishers from various parts com T homo to college they represent ever, quarter. but now. among other for eigners here in increased number lare customers of various sorts. Wher else Is there for men studying fo the ministry of the eastern church t,