View source for Exeter College, Oxford

{{short description|College of the University of Oxford}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}}
{{Infobox residential college
| name              = Exeter College
| university        = [[University of Oxford]]
| image             = Exeter College Quad.jpg
| image_size        = 210px
| scarf             = {{scarf|{{cell|#003}}{{cells|3|#906}}{{cells|3|#003}}{{cells|3|#906}}{{cell|#003}}}}
| full_name         = The Rector and Scholars of Exeter College in the University of Oxford
| latin_name        = Collegium Exoniense
| motto             = {{langx|la|Floreat Exon}} (Let Exeter Flourish)
| old_names         = ''Stapeldon Hall''
| named_for         = [[Walter de Stapledon]], Bishop of Exeter
| established       = {{start date and age|1314}}
| sister_college    = [[Emmanuel College, Cambridge]]
| rector            = [[Andrew Roe|Dr Andrew Roe]]
| undergraduates    = 375<ref name="Student statistics"/> (2021/2022)
| visiting_students = 25<ref name="Student statistics"/> (2021/2022)
| graduates         = 275<ref name="Student statistics">{{cite web|title=Student statistics|publisher=University of Oxford|url=https://public.tableau.com/views/UniversityofOxford-StudentStatistics/CollegeBreakdown?%3Aembed=y&%3Adisplay_count=yes&%3AshowTabs=y&%3AshowVizHome=no#3|date=2021|access-date=11 April 2023}}</ref> (2021/2022)
| endowment =  £86.7&nbsp;million <small>(2022)</small><ref name="exeter1718">{{cite web|url=https://www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/policies/Exeter_College_Financial_Statements_latest.pdf|title=Exeter College : Annual Report and Financial Statements : Year ended 31 July 2022|website=ox.ac.uk |page=32|access-date=11 April 2023}}</ref>
| location          = [[Turl Street]], [[Oxford]] OX1 3DP
| coordinates       = {{coord|51.753871|-1.256046|display=inline,title|type:edu_region:GB-OXF}}
| location_map      = Oxford (central)
| homepage          = {{URL|https://www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/}}
| boat_club         = [[Exeter College Boat Club]]
| JCR               = [http://www.exeterjcr.org/ JCR]
| shield            = Coat_of_Arms_of_Exeter_College_Oxford.svg
| shield_size       = 135px
| blazon            = ''Argent, two bends nebuly sable'' (arms of Stapledon) ''within a bordure of the last charged with eight pairs of keys, addorsed and interlaced in the rings, the wards upwards, or''.
|fellows=56<ref>{{cite web|title=Fellow numbers|publisher=Exeter College, Oxford|url=https://www.exeter.ox.ac.uk|date=2022|access-date=11 April 2023}}</ref> (2022/2023)|MCR=[https://exetermcr.org.uk/ MCR]}}

'''Exeter College''' (in full: '''The Rector and Scholars of Exeter College in the University of Oxford''') is one of the [[Colleges of the University of Oxford|constituent colleges]] of the [[University of Oxford]]<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Exeter College {{!}} University of Oxford |url=https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/colleges/college-listing/exeter-college |access-date=2022-11-01 |website=www.ox.ac.uk}}</ref> in England, and the fourth-oldest college of the university.

The college was founded in 1314 by two brothers from [[Devon]], Bishop [[Walter Stapledon]] and Sir [[Richard Stapledon]], as an institution to educate clergy, and has been located on [[Turl Street]] since 1315.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Exeter College {{!}} University of Oxford |url=https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/colleges/college-listing/exeter-college |access-date=2024-03-13 |website=www.ox.ac.uk |language=en}}</ref> At its foundation Exeter was popular with sons of the Devon gentry, though it has since become associated with a much broader range of notable alumni, including [[Raymond Raikes]], [[William Morris]], [[J. R. R. Tolkien]], [[Richard Burton]], [[Roger Bannister]], [[Alan Bennett]], and [[Philip Pullman]].

== History ==
[[File:Exeter College from Broad Street 2.jpg|thumb|left|Exeter College's [[Broad Street, Oxford|Broad Street]] frontage]]
Exeter College was founded in 1314 by [[Walter Stapledon]], [[Bishop of Exeter]] and later treasurer to [[Edward II of England|Edward II]], and his brother, Sir [[Richard Stapledon]], judge and politician,<ref name=":3">{{Cite DNB|wstitle= Stapeldon, Walter de |last= Hingeston-Randolph  |first= Francis Charles |author-link= Francis Charles Hingeston-Randolph |volume=54 |pages=92-93 |quote= in 1314, in conjunction with his brother, Sir Richard, he founded Stapeldon Hall in Oxford (now known as Exeter College) |short=1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite EB1911 |wstitle= Stapledon, Walter de |volume= 25 |page=784 |quote= Stapledon is famous as the founder of Exeter College, Oxford, which originated in Stapledon Hall, established in 1314 by the bishop and his elder brother, Sir Richard Stapledon, a judge of the King's Bench.|short=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|page = xvii|url = https://archive.org/details/registerofwalter00exet/page/n24/mode/1up?q=1314|access-date = 14 October 2023|title = The Register of Walter de Stapledon, Bishop of Exeter (A.D. 1307-1326)|editor = Rev. [[Francis Charles Hingeston-Randolph]]|year = 1892|location = London and Exeter}} “Meanwhile, in conjunction with his brother. Sir Richard, our Bishop was engaged on another undertaking of the first importance, for which he will be had in everlasting remembrance — the foundation, in the University of Oxford, of the Hall which for a while bore his own name, and subsequently that of his Diocese — Exeter College.”</ref> as a school to educate clergy.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Exeter College {{!}} British History Online |url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/oxon/vol3/pp107-118 |access-date=2023-04-20 |website=www.british-history.ac.uk}}</ref> The college initially used [[Hart Hall]], now Hertford College, and moved to Turl Street in 1315.<ref name=":2" /> During its first century, it was known as ''Stapledon Hall'' and was significantly smaller, with just twelve to fourteen students.<ref name=":2" /> The college grew significantly from the 15th century onward, and began offering rooms to its students. The college motto is "Floreat Exon.", meaning "Let Exeter Flourish".<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2022-02-18 |title=Exeter College |url=https://www.oxfordvisit.com/university-and-colleges/exeter-college/ |access-date=2023-04-20 |website=OxfordVisit |language=en-US}}</ref>

In the 16th century, donations from Sir [[William Petre]], assumed to be an Exeter graduate, whose daughter [[Dorothy Wadham]] (1534–1618) was a co-founder with her husband [[Nicholas Wadham (1531–1609)|Nicholas Wadham]] (1531–1609) of [[Wadham College, Oxford|Wadham College]], created the eight Petrean Fellowships, and further contributions from his son [[John Petre, 1st Baron Petre]] (1549–1613) helped to expand and transform the college.<ref name=":2" />

[[John Acland (died 1620)|Sir John Acland]] (died 1620), a Devonshire gentleman, donated £800, which largely financed the building of a new dining hall, and also established two scholarships for poor students, the first to be created at the college.<ref name=":4">Acland, Anne. A Devon Family: The Story of the Aclands. London and Chichester: Phillimore, 1981, p.4</ref> In a clever move by the bursar to fill the new buildings as they were completed, a significant number of noble Roman Catholic students were invited to enrol and take classes at the enlarged college; however, they were not allowed to [[Matriculate#United Kingdom|matriculate]]. As a result, over time, Exeter College became one of the leading colleges in the university.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}

In the 18th century the college experienced declining popularity, as did all of Oxford's other colleges. University reforms in the 1850s helped to end this period of stagnation.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}

=== Women at Exeter ===
For over six centuries after its founding, women were not permitted to study at Exeter, but in 1979 it joined many other men's colleges in admitting its first female students.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Exeter College History |url=https://www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/about/history/ |access-date=11 April 2023 |website=Exeter College, Oxford}}</ref> Today it admits men and women in roughly equal numbers.<ref name=":0" /> In 1993, Exeter College became the first of the formerly all-male colleges to elect a woman, [[Marilyn Butler]], as its [[Rector (academia)|rector]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-12-01 |title=Who's Who, Butler, Prof. Marilyn Speers, (Lady Butler) |url=https://www.ukwhoswho.com/display/10.1093/ww/9780199540891.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-9677 |access-date=2023-04-20 |website=Who's Who}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1995-09-15 |title=The sociable revolutionary |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/features/the-sociable-revolutionary/95301.article |access-date=2023-04-20 |website=Times Higher Education (THE) |language=en}}</ref> When Butler's tenure expired in October 2004, the college elected another woman—[[Frances Cairncross]], former senior editor of ''[[The Economist]]''—as rector.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Who's Who, Cairncross, Dame Frances (Anne), (Dame Frances McRae) |url=https://www.ukwhoswho.com/display/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-9857|access-date=2023-04-20 |website=Who's Who}}</ref>

In 2014, the author [[J. K. Rowling]] was elected an honorary fellow of the college for the "extraordinary contribution she has made to the field of literature, and in particular to children's reading and literacy".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-05-12 |title=J K Rowling elected to an Honorary Fellowship of Exeter College |url=https://www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/j-k-rowling-elected-to-an-honorary-fellowship-of-exeter-college/ |access-date=2023-05-22 |website=Exeter College |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Brewster |first=Ellen |date=2014-05-15 |title=Honorary fellowship for J.K. Rowling |url=https://www.cherwell.org/2014/05/15/honorary-fellowship-for-jk-rowling/ |access-date=2023-04-20 |website=Cherwell |language=en-GB}}</ref>

=== Adelphi Wine Club ===
Formed in the 1850s, the Adelphi Wine Club is reputed to be one of the oldest three wine clubs in Oxford. The club draws its membership from undergraduates studying at Exeter College. It has been forcibly closed down by college authorities several times throughout its tumultuous existence and is currently believed to be dormant. The club was renowned for its extravagant dinners, and for excessive gambling after each meeting. One [[Blackballing|black ball]] was sufficient to exclude an undergraduate from membership. Beginning in 1923, the college forbade any student holding an [[Exhibition (scholarship)|exhibition]] from joining the club.<ref name="Correspondence relating to the Centenary dinner">{{cite web |url=http://www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/documents/archives/clubs_societies.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=9 February 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224085434/http://www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/documents/archives/clubs_societies.pdf |archive-date=24 February 2012}}</ref>

Notable past members include Sir [[Martin Le Quesne]],<ref name="Exeter College Alumni Publications">{{cite web |url=http://www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/documents/alumni/publications/register-04.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=9 February 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121123110357/http://www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/documents/alumni/publications/register-04.pdf |archive-date=23 November 2012}}</ref> and [[John Percy Vyvian Dacre Balsdon|J.P.V.D. Balsdon]].<ref name="Correspondence relating to the Centenary dinner"/>

== Buildings ==
[[File:Exeter College Chapel & Lectern, Oxford - Diliff.jpg|thumb|left|Exeter College Chapel]]

=== Front Quadrangle ===
The Front Quadrangle sits on roughly the site of the medieval college, although of the earliest buildings, only Palmer's Tower in the north-eastern corner remains.<ref name=":2" /> Constructed in 1432, the tower, which was once the primary entrance to the college, now houses various offices and lodgings for fellows, and at its base is a memorial to members who were killed in the Second World War. The quadrangle is dominated by the chapel, designed by Sir [[George Gilbert Scott]] and constructed in 1854–1860,<ref name=":2" /> which was heavily inspired by the [[Sainte-Chapelle]] in Paris. On the opposite side stands the hall, constructed in 1618,<ref name=":2" /> notable for its vaulted ceilings and numerous fine portraits, underneath which is the college bar. Building work over the following century resulted in the quadrangle taking on its current appearance in 1710.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}} The Front Quadrangle also houses the Junior, Middle and Senior Common Rooms, as well as lodgings for fellows and undergraduates.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}

=== Margary Quadrangle ===
The Margary Quadrangle was completed in 1964 with the construction of the Thomas Wood building to commemorate the 650th anniversary of the college and named for [[Ivan Margary]], who paid for its restoration.<ref name="Ivan Margary Obituary">{{cite web|url=http://www.rh7.org/factshts/margary.pdf|title=Ivan D Margary |publisher=rh7.org|access-date=22 February 2019}}</ref> The quadrangle also incorporates the rector's lodgings, designed by Gilbert Scott and constructed in 1857, and staircases nine, ten and eleven, also erected during the 19th century.<ref name=":2" />

=== Fellows' Garden ===
[[File:Fellows' Garden panorama.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|The Fellows' Garden, looking toward Radcliffe Square]]

A passageway from the Front Quadrangle leads through to the college's Fellows' Garden, in which stands the library, designed by Gilbert Scott in the 13th-century style. The area is also bounded on the left hand side by Convocation House, the Divinity School and the Bodleian Library, and on the right by Brasenose Lane. The Mound, situated at the end of the Garden, offers views over Radcliffe Square, including All Souls' College and the Radcliffe Camera.

=== Cohen Quad ===
In 2007–2008, the college purchased the main site of [[Ruskin College]] on [[Walton Street, Oxford|Walton Street]] for £7 million. The buildings were redeveloped to designs by [[Alison Brooks Architects]] to provide a range of student bedrooms, teaching rooms, and study space. In 2017 Cohen Quad was formally opened, named for the parents of [[Sir Ronald Cohen]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Enderby |first=Lucy |date=2017-03-20 |title=Exeter College's Cohen Quad formally opened |url=https://www.cherwell.org/2017/03/20/exeter-colleges-cohen-quad-formally-opened/ |access-date=2023-04-20 |website=Cherwell |language=en-GB}}</ref> The premises represent the college's largest physical expansion since the 14th century.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}} The Cohen Quad won an [[RIBA]] South Award as well as Regional Building of the Year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=RIBA South Award winners |url=https://www.architecture.com/awards-and-competitions-landing-page/awards/riba-regional-awards/riba-south-award-winners |access-date=2022-06-24 |website=www.architecture.com}}</ref>

===In literature and films===
Exeter College is the basis for the fictional [[Jordan College, Oxford|Jordan College]] in [[Philip Pullman]]'s novel trilogy ''[[His Dark Materials]]''. The 2007 film version of the first novel, ''[[The Golden Compass (film)|The Golden Compass]]'' (originally ''[[Northern Lights (Pullman novel)|Northern Lights]])'', used the college for location filming.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0385752/locations |title=Filming locations for His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass |access-date=26 April 2007 |work=[[Internet Movie Database|IMDb]] locations page}}</ref>
The final episode of ''[[Inspector Morse (TV series)|Inspector Morse]]'', based on the novel ''[[The Remorseful Day]]'', was filmed in the college chapel and Front Quadrangle, where Morse has a heart attack.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}(episode 33/ Season 8 episode 5)

== Student life ==
[[File:Exeter Dining Hall.JPG|thumb|upright=1.3|left|Dining hall]]

Exeter has a reputation for having a close-knit student body. First-year undergraduates are housed on the college's Turl Street site, and there is dedicated graduate accommodation for the college on Iffley Road.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Accommodation |url=https://www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/students/accommodation/ |access-date=2023-04-20 |website=Exeter College |language=en-GB}}</ref>

As the university's fourth oldest college,<ref>{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/about/ |access-date=2024-03-13 |website=Exeter College |language=en-GB}}</ref> a certain emphasis is placed on tradition, especially during special occasions such as the annual [[Burns Night]], a dinner in honour of the Scottish poet [[Robert Burns]], when a traditional meal of [[haggis]] is served. The college's ties with [[Williams College]] in the United States through the [[Williams-Exeter Programme at Oxford (WEPO)|Williams-Exeter Programme at Oxford]], as well as the generally international composition of the MCR, makes the annual [[Thanksgiving]] dinner a popular occasion.<ref>{{cite web|title=Exeter College Oxford|url=https://www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/applicants/student-life/mcr/|work=ox.ac.uk|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Exeter College Oxford|url=https://www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/applicants/wepo/|work=ox.ac.uk|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

=== Choir ===
Exeter has a mixed-voice choir, made up of 24 singers, which is administered, conducted and accompanied solely by the Organ Scholars. It is the only college in either Oxford or Cambridge where a choir, run entirely by the Organ Scholar, sings three services a week, and has been heard recently on a number of broadcasts for BBC Radio 4's ''[[The Daily Service]]''. The college offers Choral and [[Hubert Parry|Parry]]–Wood Organ Scholarships, and former Organ Scholars include Robert Sharpe (Director of Music, [[York Minster]]), [[Christopher Herrick]] (International Concert Organist and former Organist, [[Westminster Abbey]]), and [[David Trendell]] (Director of Music, [[King's College London]]), as well as Directors of Music at [[Rugby School|Rugby]], [[Charterhouse School|Charterhouse]], [[Sherborne School|Sherborne]], and [[Latymer Upper School|Latymer Upper]] Schools.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/about/chapel/past-organists-and-organ-scholars/ |title=Past Organists and Organ Scholars  |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Exeter College, Oxford |access-date=13 July 2019 }}</ref>

=== Sports ===
{{See also|Exeter College Boat Club}}
[[File:Oxford - Exeter College Recreation Ground Houses.JPG|thumb|Exeter Recreation Ground buildings]]
Sports at Exeter College are not directly organised by the college itself, but rather by student-run clubs. Exeter College own their own sports grounds, which can be used by these student clubs within University Parks. The sports that have active student run clubs as of October 2023 are: [[Exeter College Boat Club|boating]], [[netball]], football, cricket, badminton, hockey, rugby, ice hockey, pool, darts, croquet, and lacrosse.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}

In March 2014 Exeter College Association Football Club defeated [[St Catherine's College, Oxford|St Catherine's College]] 2–1 in the final of the [[Cuppers]] tournament to lift the trophy for the first time in over 40 years.<ref>{{cite web|title=Exeter College Oxford|url=https://www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/exeter-college-afc-wins-cuppers-final/|work=ox.ac.uk|date=10 March 2014 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> In May 2019 Turl Street Rugby, made up of students from Exeter College, [[Jesus College, Oxford|Jesus College]] and [[Lincoln College, Oxford|Lincoln College]], won Oxford's inaugural 15-a-side Women's Rugby Union Cuppers tournament.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-05-13 |title=Exeter students win first ever women's rugby cuppers |url=https://www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/exeter-students-win-first-ever-womens-rugby-cuppers/ |access-date=2023-04-20 |website=Exeter College |language=en-GB}}</ref>
In May 2024, Exeter College Rugby Football Club secured the Cuppers Bowl Trophy with a narrow victory, defeating a combined team from St Catherine's, Mansfield, Corpus Christi, Somerville, and Merton Colleges by a score of 17-15.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=IanKench |date=2024-05-09 |title=Cuppers Finals Day Round Up |url=https://www.ourfc.org/post/cuppers-finals-day-round-up |access-date=2024-08-18 |website=OURFC |language=en}}</ref>


== People associated with Exeter ==

=== Former students ===
{{Main|List of alumni of Exeter College, Oxford}}

Amongst Exeter's alumni are many writers, including [[J. R. R. Tolkien]], [[Alan Bennett]], [[Martin Amis]] and [[Philip Pullman]]; [[Roger Bannister]], the first man to run a mile in under four minutes; the actors [[Richard Burton]] and [[Imogen Stubbs]]; [[Liaquat Ali Khan]], the first prime minister of Pakistan, [[John Kufuor]], the former President of Ghana and [[Pedro Pablo Kuczynski]], former president of Peru.

=== Academics and tutors ===
{{See also|Category:Fellows of Exeter College, Oxford|List of Honorary Fellows of Exeter College, Oxford}}
* [[Basil Allchin]], organist
* [[C.T. Atkinson]], Fellow and tutor in military history, 1898–1955.
* [[Frank Close]]
* [[Cornelia Druțu]]
* [[Raymond Dwek]]
* [[Sandra Fredman]]
* [[William Gould (naturalist)|William Gould]]
* [[Catherine M. Green]]
* [[Michael Hart (political scientist)|Michael Hart]]
* [[Elizabeth Jeffreys]]
* [[Eric Waldram Kemp]] – Fellow, tutor, and chaplain 1946–1969, later bishop of Chichester
* [[Jacob Klein (chemist)|Jacob Klein]]
* [[George Alfred Kolkhorst]] – Reader in Spanish 1931–1958
* [[John Maddicott]] – [[History]] fellow
* [[Michael Osborne (academic)]]
* [[George Rawlinson]]
* [[Andrew Steane]]
* [[Magdi Wahba]] – Egyptian academic and lexicographer
* [[Helen Watanabe-O'Kelly]] – Official fellow and tutor in [[German literature|German]]

=== Rectors ===
{{Main|List of Rectors of Exeter College, Oxford}}
On 1 October 2024, [[Andrew Roe]] was sworn in as the next rector of the college.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-27 |title=Exeter College announces its next Rector |url=https://www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/exeter-college-announces-its-next-rector/ |access-date=2023-06-27 |website=Exeter College |language=en-GB}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

{{Commons category|Exeter College, Oxford}}

* [https://www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/ College website]
* [http://www.exeterjcr.org/ JCR website]
* [http://www.exetermcr.org.uk/ MCR website]
* [http://www.chem.ox.ac.uk/oxfordtour/exetercollege/ Virtual Tour of Exeter College] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140325114739/http://www.chem.ox.ac.uk/oxfordtour/exetercollege/ |date=25 March 2014 }}

{{University of Oxford}}
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{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Exeter College, Oxford| ]]
[[Category:1314 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Colleges of the University of Oxford]]
[[Category:Educational institutions established in the 14th century]]
[[Category:George Gilbert Scott buildings]]
[[Category:Grade I listed buildings in Oxford]]
[[Category:Grade I listed educational buildings]]