Next to the development of natural science, the most marked feature of the last 20 years has been the growth of modern lan guage teaching. Professorships of French, Italian and Spanish have been founded by Sir B. Zaharoff, A. Serena and W. R. Morris respectively; Sir Heath Harrison has provided scholarships for undergraduate travel (1919), and Mr. Laming has founded trav elling fellowships in connection with his old college, Queen's (1924). Closely allied with this development is the increasing number of fellowships for study in the universities of the United States (e.g., the Commonwealth and the Davison fellowships), which are being founded by Americans as a counterpart to the work of Cecil Rhodes. His trustees are building, on part of what had been the garden of Wadham, a great building, designed by Sir H. Baker, to be a centre of the advanced studies, on the humanis tic side, of students from the whole English-speaking world.
The Bodleian continues to receive gifts, not only of books and pictures as in Lord Curzon's Napoleonic collection (1925), but also in cash, as Walter Morrison's i5o,000 in 192o, but its accom modation is becoming seriously inadequate, and during the next decade either great extensions must be carried out, or the policy of the library seriously changed. In any case, very large bene factions will be required. The same must be said of the Oxford Preservation Trust, founded 1927, to preserve the beauties of Oxford, both in the city itself and also in its surroundings. Men tion should also be made of Barnett house, founded in 1914 in memory of Rev. S. A. Barnett, for the promotion of social and economic studies.
Non-collegiate students were first admitted in 1863. They are known as members of St. Catherine's college. There are four women's colleges, founded—Somerville (1879), Lady Margaret Hall (1879), St. Hugh's Hall (1886) and St. Hilda's (1893) ; a certain number of women are also admitted to the university as "home students." Among the independent foundations mainly intended for teaching theology are Pusey House (1884) and Wy cliffe Hall (1878), both Church of England, and Mansfield col lege (1886) and Manchester college (1893, Nonconformist).
botanical garden by the Cherwell and the Oxford Union Society, founded 1625.
University Constitution and Art Institution.—"The chancellor, masters and scholars of the University of Oxford" form a corporate body, within which the colleges are so many individual corporations. The highest officer of the university is the chancellor, who is elected by the members of convocation, holds office for life, and is generally a distinguished member of the university. The vice-chancellor is practically the head. He is nominated annually by the chancellor, and must be the head of a college. Two proctors (q.v.) are appointed annually by two of the colleges in rotation. The university returns two members to parliament, the privilege dating from 1604, under a system of proportional representation.
The Hebdomadal (from Greek 060126s, the number seven; the Hebdomadal board instituted in 1631 was appointed to hold a weekly meeting) Council consists of the chancellor, vice-chancel lor, the ex-vice-chancellor or the next vice-chancellor, and proc tors as official members and of 18 other members (heads of houses, professors, etc.) elected for terms of six years by the congregation of the university. The council takes the initiative in promulgating, discussing and submitting to convocation all the legislation of the university, and controls its general business and its policy. The ancient house of congregation includes all col lege deans, examiners and Regent masters, i.e., M.A.'s of not more than two years' standing; it once was concerned with uni versity education and discipline, but it now has practically no func tions beyond the granting of degrees. It lost its wider powers under the act of 1854, when the congregation of the university was created. This body, which includes, besides certain officials, all members of convocation concerned in the educational and ad ministrative work of the university who have resided for a fixed period within 21 m. of Carfax, approves or amends legislation sub mitted by the Hebdomadal Council previously to its submission to convocation; it also has considerable powers in the election of the various administrative boards. The house of convocation con sists of all masters of arts and doctors of the higher faculties who have their names on the university books, and has the final control over all acts and business of the university. There are boards of curators for the Bodleian library, the chest and other institutions, delegates of the common university fund, the mu seum and the press, for extramural teaching, local examinations and other similar purposes, visitors for the Ashmolean museum and university galleries, and many other administrative bodies. There are boards for the following faculties : theology, law, medi cine, natural science and arts (including literae humaniores, orien tal languages and modern history). The general board of the faculties, elected by all the resident teachers in the university, ar ranges and controls the teaching, appoints one class of uni versity lecturers, and can make suggestions to colleges as to the appointment of the fellows as lecturers, on the recommendation of the special boards of faculty. The income assigned to it for the purpose is L10,000. Among the numerous professorships and readerships in the various subjects of study, the oldest foundation is the Margaret professorship of divinity, founded in 1502 by Margaret, countess of Richmond and mother of Henry VII. This was followed by the five Regius professorships of divinity, civil law, medicine, Hebrew and Greek, founded by Henry VIII.