Oriel College, Oxford

Oriel College
University of Oxford
East range of First Quad
Arms: Gules, three lions passant guardant in pale or, a bordure engrailed argent
                     
LocationOriel Square, Oxford OX1 4EW
Coordinates51°45′07″N 1°15′14″W / 51.7519°N 1.2538°W / 51.7519; -1.2538
Full nameThe Provost and Scholars of the House of the Blessed Mary the Virgin in Oxford, commonly called Oriel College, of the Foundation of Edward the Second of famous memory, sometime King of England[1]
Latin nameCollegium Orielense[2]
Prepositus et Scholares domus beate Marie Virginis in Oxonia vulgariter vocata Oriell Colledge de fundatione inclite memorie Edwardi quondam Regis Anglie secundi[2]
Founders
Established1324; 700 years ago (1324)
Founded1326; 698 years ago (1326)
Named forBlessed Virgin Mary; oriel window
Sister colleges
ProvostThe Lord Mendoza
Undergraduates340 (2023–24)[3]
Postgraduates245 (2023–24)[3]
Endowment£96.6 million (2022)[4]
VisitorCharles III (The Crown ex officio)[5]
WebsiteOfficial website
Boat clubOriel College Boat Club
Map
Oriel College, Oxford is located in Oxford city centre
Oriel College, Oxford
Location in Oxford city centre

Oriel College[6] (/ˈɔːriəl/) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England.[7] Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title formerly claimed by University College, whose claim of being founded by King Alfred is no longer promoted). In recognition of this royal connection, the college has also been historically known as King's College and King's Hall.[8] The reigning monarch of the United Kingdom (since 2022, Charles III) is the official visitor of the college.[9]

The original medieval foundation established in 1324 by Adam de Brome, under the patronage of King Edward II of England, was the House of the Blessed Mary at Oxford, and the college received a royal charter in 1326.[10]: 1  In 1329, an additional royal grant of a manor house, La Oriole, eventually gave rise to its common name. The first design allowed for a provost and ten fellows, called "scholars", and the college remained a small body of graduate fellows until the 16th century, when it started to admit undergraduates.[11] During the English Civil War, Oriel played host to high-ranking members of the king's Oxford Parliament.[12]

The main site of the college incorporates four medieval halls: Bedel Hall, St Mary Hall, St Martin Hall, and Tackley's Inn, the last being the oldest standing medieval hall in Oxford.[13]: 2  The college has nearly 40 fellows, about 300 undergraduates and some 250 graduates. Oriel was the last of Oxford's men's colleges to admit women, doing so in 1985 after more than six centuries as an all-male institution.[14] Today, however, the student body has almost equal numbers of men and women.[11] Oriel's notable alumni include two Nobel laureates; prominent fellows have included founders of the Oxford Movement. Among Oriel's more notable possessions are a painting by Bernard van Orley and three pieces of medieval silver plate. As of the 2020–21 academic year, the college was ranked twentieth in academic performance out of thirty colleges in the Norrington Table,[15] having topped the table in 2015–16.[16]

  1. ^ "Who We Are and What We Do". Oriel College. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  2. ^ a b Oriel College (23 April 2024). "Latin Name of the House of the Blessed Mary the Virgin in Oxford". WhatDoTheyKnow. Collegium Orielense; Prepositus et Scholares domus beate Marie Virginis in Oxonia vulgariter vocata Oriell Colledge de fundatione inclite memorie Edwardi quondam Regis Anglie secundi
  3. ^ a b "Oriel College". University of Oxford.
  4. ^ "Oriel College: Trustees' Annual Report & Financial Statements: Year ended 31 July 2022" (PDF). Oriel College. p. 11. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference statutes was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Oxford University Calendar 2005–2006. Oxford University Calendar Series. Oxford University Press. 2005. pp. 323–324. ISBN 9780199283705.
  7. ^ "Oriel College | University of Oxford". www.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  8. ^ Watt, D. E. (editor), Oriel College, Oxford (Trinity term, 1953) — Oxford University Archaeological Society, uses material collected by C. R. Jones, R. J. Brenato, D. K. Garnier, W. J. Frampton and N. Covington, under advice from W. A. Pantin, particularly in respect of the architecture and treasures (manuscripts, printed books and silver plate) sections. 16 page publication, produced in association with the Ashmolean Museum as part of a college guide series.
  9. ^ Fantato, Damian (29 March 2013). "Queen's visit: Special lunch fit for a Queen". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  10. ^ Rannie, David (1900). Oriel College. University of Oxford College Histories. London: F. E. Robinson & Co.
  11. ^ a b Oriel College Oxford, A short guide. Oriel College Development Trust on behalf of Oriel College, Oxford.
  12. ^ "The Oxford Parliament". British Civil Wars, Commonwealth and Protectorate 1638–60. Archived from the original on 2 October 2008. Retrieved 3 September 2006.
  13. ^ Oriel College Memorandum (2003–04).
  14. ^ "College History". Oriel College. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  15. ^ "Undergraduate Degree Classifications". University of Oxford. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  16. ^ Sutton, Daniel (22 August 2016). "Breaking: Oriel tops 2015/16 Norrington Table". Cherwell. Retrieved 22 July 2023.