Keble College, Oxford

The best-known of Keble's Victorian founders was Edward Pusey, after whom parts of the College are named. The College itself is named after John Keble, one of Pusey's colleagues in the Oxford Movement, who died four years before its foundation in 1870. William Butterfield was appointed architect, and produced a masterpiece of Victorian Gothic. The College is built of red, blue, and white bricks; the main structure is of red brick, with white and blue patterned banding.

Senior Common Room

On its construction, Keble was not widely admired within the University, particularly by the undergraduate population of nearby St John's College (from which Keble had purchased their land). A secret society was founded, entrance to which depended upon removing one brick from the College and presenting it to the society's elders. Some accounts specify that one of the commonest red bricks was necessary for ordinary membership, a rarer white brick for higher-level membership, and one of the rarest blue bricks for chairmanship. The hope was that eventually Keble would be completely demolished.

Keble is mentioned in John Betjeman's poem "Myfanwy at Oxford", as well as in the writings of John Ruskin and John Cleese.

The late Ronald Reagan, former President of the United States of America (1981-89) was an Honorary Fellow of the College.

[edit] College life

The College publishes a termly magazine called The Brick which is sent to Keble alumni to update them on College life. Students publish an irreverent spoof version on the last Friday of each term, also named The Brick, recording college gossip. Recently the College reported selling its stock of local houses to fund the acquisition of a new building to provide accommodation for a greater number of students. This reverses a trend of the early 1990s when the number of rooms on campus was reduced in order to make conversions into en suite rooms, making them more attractive to conference delegates. Like many colleges, Keble receives most of its income not from student fees, but as a venue for conferences during the vacations.

Keble students enjoy a vibrant social life, with a wide range of student run societies. Keble fields a number of sports teams and has flourishing choral and dramatic societies. Furthermore, Keble has a large Dancesport contingent and performs highly against other colleges at Cuppers. The College's reputation has thus been secured as one of the most welcoming and encouraging institutions in the University with the undergraduate body consisting of students from all walks of life.

Keble houses the original of William Holman Hunt's painting, The Light of the World in a side room off the large chapel. The version in St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a later copy.

In 2005, Keble College featured in the national UK press when its bursar, Roger Boden, was found guilty of racial discrimination by an employment tribunal. ([1]). An appeal was launched by the College and Mr Boden against the tribunal's judgement, resulting in a financial out-of-court settlement with the aggrieved employee ([2]).

The current Warden of Keble College, Professor Averil Cameron, M.A., Ph. D., F.S.A., F.B.A., has been appointed a Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

[edit] Notable Keblites

Andrew Adonis, Baron Adonis
William Davison, 1st Baron Broughshane
David Wilson, Baron Wilson of Tillyorn
George F.G. Stanley, Canadian historian, designer of Canadian flag, Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick
Ed Balls. Former PPE student.
Tim Besley, Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics and Member of the Monetary Policy Committee at the Bank of England. Former PPE student.
Giles Coren
Imran Khan former PPE student
Qyum Noor
Robert Steadman
Ralph Townsend Headmaster of Winchester College
Chad Varah
Andreas Whittam Smith
James Martin, known as the "Guru of the Information Age"
Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Carnegie Medal- winning children's author and screenwriter

See also Former students of Keble College.

[edit] External links

Permanent Private Halls at the University of Oxford
Colleges of the University of Oxford
All Souls \| Balliol \| Brasenose \| Christ Church \| Corpus Christi \| Exeter \| Green \| Harris Manchester \| Hertford \| Jesus \| Keble \| Kellogg \| Lady Margaret Hall \| Linacre \| Lincoln \| Magdalen \| Mansfield \| Merton \| New College \| Nuffield \| Oriel \| Pembroke \| Queen's \| St Anne's \| St Antony's \| St Catherine's \| St Cross \| St Edmund Hall \| St Hilda's \| St Hugh's \| St John's \| St Peter's \| Somerville \| Templeton \| Trinity \| University \| Wadham \| Wolfson \| Worcester
Blackfriars \| Campion Hall \| Greyfriars \| Regent's Park College \| St Benet's Hall \| St Stephen's House \| Wycliffe Hall