The Oxford Union

In the center of Oxford, just off Cornmarket, is the Oxford Union.  Like so many buildings in Oxford, it is one of a kind with a fascinating history and layers of tradition. It is also one of the world's most prestigious debating societies.  Last week I had a chance to take a tour of the Union with one of the officers.  Here’s what I learned.

The Oxford Union was founded in 1823 as a forum for discussion and debate, at a time when the free exchange of ideas was not tolerated much by University authorities. It soon became the only place for students to discuss political topics while at Oxford. The Union is independent of the University. As an educational charity, it relies on membership fees and commercial sponsorship. The Union is a non-profit - it is collectively ‘owned’ and run by and for its members.

Over the years the Union has hosted world leaders in virtually every field. These have included U.S. Presidents Nixon, Carter and Reagan; Michael Jackson, Clint Eastwood, the Dalai Lama, Benazir Bhutto and Mother Teresa. More recently the membership has been honored by visits from speakers as varied as Shakira, Tony Bennett, Martin Sheen, David Cameron, Sir Ian McKellen, General Petraeus, and Johnny Depp. 

The most famous rooms in the Union are the debating chamber and the "Old Library". The Old Library is best known for its Pre-Raphaelite paintings by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Edward Burne-Jones and WIlliam Morris, known as the Oxford murals.  They are stunning.  

This building hosts the bar, several meeting rooms, a dining hall, snookers room, and a lending library

Looking across the court at the Debating Chamber

The Proposition sits on one side, the Opposition on the other while the speaker stands in the middle.

At the end of the debate, the audience votes by leaving through one of these doors

The Old Library with the murals above the stacks

The ceiling and beams were designed by William Morris

The colors of the beams and murals were once very vibrant but have faded with time

The murals are about the English King Arthur legends from Le Morte d'Arthur

The ceiling is spectacular!

This is the dining hall where the guests eat before each debate

The walls of the bar and the whole place are lined with photos of Union guests

Look who is front row, second to the left  -- Albert Einstein  himself

The members, mostly students, ask whoever they want to come and lecture or debate. Hence, Shakira's photo is just above Pierce Brosnan

All the halls and staircases are lined with photos of all kinds of famous people who are either Union members or have been guests. It's like a visual who's who in the world.

Here's the programme from the debate that was held the evening I was there.  There is a formal debate held at the Union every Thursday evening during term.  

  Event name: Israel Debate

This House Believes That Israel is a Force For Good in the Middle East

Speakers in Proposition:

·       Lord David Trimble - Co-founder of Friends of Israel Initiative; awarded Nobel Peace Prize for helping secure peace in N Ireland

·       Richard Perle - Assistant Sec of Defense under Pres. Reagan; Specialist in US-Israel relations

·       Alan Mendoza - Co-Founder & Exec-Dir. of Henry Jackson Soc promoting liberty & human rights worldwide

  

Speakers in Opposition:

·       Peter Tatchell - Leading British political campaigner and supporter of an independent Palestinian state

·       Baroness Jenny Tonge - Former LibDem MP now a member of the House of Lords

·       Anna Baltzer - National organiser of US Campaign to End Israeli Occupation

·       Ghada Karmi - Frequent contributor to The Guardian and The Nation