librarian-in-charge@oxford-union.org‘This traditional debate…has for the last 180 years maintained its status as the most influential platform outside Westminster for the discussion of the Government’s performance.’ President’s editorial, OUS Term Card MT 2004 (OUS Stack 378.425 74 OUS TER) In its first debate of each academic year, the modern Oxford Union Society always moves ‘That this … Read More
The students of the Union displayed solidarity with other students from around the world and their struggles. On 17 November 1939 (now known as International Students’ Day), the Nazis stormed Czech Universities, killing nine student leaders and sending 1500 students to concentration camps, as well as closing higher education institutions in Czechoslovakia. As a tribute … Read More
On 20th November 1908, the future Dame Millicent Fawcett (11th June 1847 – 5th August 1929) became the first woman to speak at the Oxford Union Society. The motion was ‘that in the opinion of this house the time has come when the Government should be urged to remove the electoral disabilities of women.’[1] This … Read More
History of the Oxford Union’s 1911 Extension The surviving resources regarding the Union’s 1911 extension, and in particular the building that was there before hand, are few and far between, although they are a little more complete than that of the Smoking and Writing Rooms. Thus, it is not possible to create a full and … Read More
The History of the Oxford Union Smoking Room The surviving resources for the Smoking Room are disparate and scattered across the Oxford Union Society and Oxford City in general. For example, the Union holds historic floor plans for: the ground floor, second floor and third floor of its buildings but the first floor, where the … Read More
The History of the Oxford Union Writing Room The surviving resources for this research are patchy at best: deeds, campaign pamphlets, partial floor-plans, etc, so it is not always possible to fill in the blanks in the Oxford Union Society’s history. In spite of this, this is what has been uncovered about the Oxford Union … Read More
The King and Country debate On the evening of 9 February 1933, Oxford Union members assembled for their regular Thursday night debate to consider the motion That this House will in no circumstances fight for its King and Country. The fact the motion was carried, by 275 votes to 153, caused outrage amongst some members … Read More
As She Likes It: The Woman Who Gatecrashed the Union Part 3 – After the Gatecrash Back in 1962, a few months after the gatecrash, despite the unsympathetic and the disinterested, Jenny and her supporters eventually achieved their goal. As a result of their campaign, more than two-thirds of the House voted in favour of … Read More
As She Likes It: The Woman Who Gatecrashed the Union Part 2 – NHS Wigs and the Man with Small Feet The next morning, Jenny wrote a note to Howard Preece, the Union President at that time, thanking him for his hospitality and adding that hopefully in the future women could enter the debating chamber … Read More
As She Likes It: The Woman Who Gatecrashed the Union Part 1 – Regarding the Top of the Speaker’s Head In 1959, Jenny … Read More