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Stubbs Society

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University of Oxford's student paper-reading and debating society

The Stubbs Society
The Stubbs Society logo
Named afterWilliam Stubbs
Formationc.1884
FounderSamuel A Brearley Jr
TypeStudent paper-reading and debating society
HeadquartersOxford
PatronGeneral Sir Richard Shirreff
Senior MemberLord Mendoza
PresidentJames Forsdick, New College
Websitestubbssociety.org.uk

The Stubbs Society for Foreign Affairs and Defence, commonly referred to simply as Stubbs Society, is the University of Oxford's oldest officially affiliated paper-reading and debating society (not to be confused with the unaffiliated debating society the Oxford Union). It is the university's forum for scholarship in international history, grand strategy and foreign affairs.

Named in honour of the Victorian historian, William Stubbs, in 1884, the Society has throughout its history welcomed many prominent speakers across the humanities and sciences. Its alumni includes former Home Secretaries, Lord High Chancellors, Archbishops of Canterbury, world leaders, Nobel laureate recipients, Victoria Cross holders, journalists and academics. Notable past-office holders include political theorist Sir Isaiah Berlin, socialist and second-wave feminist Sheila Rowbotham, military historian Sir Charles Oman, Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson, Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Lang and Winston Churchill's Home Secretary the Earl of Kilmuir.

Membership

Life membership of the society is available to anyone studying at the following institutions:

Shorter one-year memberships are also available to those participating in visiting study programmes at Oxford.

Discounted membership is given to those currently or formerly serving in His Majesty's Armed Forces. This includes the University Officers' Training Corps, the University Royal Naval Unit, and the University Air Squadron, which a significant proportion of members are associated with.

History

Foundation

"Dr Stubbs and his adherents of the 'Historical Society', winter of 1882-83"

When an American, Samuel A. Brearley Jr., introduced the idea of the 'seminar' to Oxford in 1882, his initiative became, first, the Oxford Historical Seminar, and then, in 1884, the Stubbs Society. Functioning as a 'proving ground for future leaders and the founders of new fields of enquiry', the Society fostered critical thinking and intellectual curiosity under the aegis of dons such as Sir Charles Oman, E. A. Freeman, and with members including such future doyens of the historical profession as James Tait, Sir Charles Harding, and Frederick York Powell.

The photo to the right shows the original members of the society in which there are at least four future Members of Parliament, an Archbishop of Canterbury and some of the greatest scholars of the historical profession.

The Society's 'Transactions', largely extant from 1894 in the Bodleian Library, reveal much about its early character; but the Society resists easy characterisation. The early model has overtones of the gentleman's club, with one blackball in six enough to prevent election as a member and the Society colours being "claret, cider and coffee – the only drinks that were permitted at its meetings." The original constitution, too, declared the Society would "honour its toast to Clio in mulled claret.".

Equally, if some of the talks and debates are replete with naivety and sui generis moral judgement, discussion has often been insightful, sophisticated, and culturally inflected: for instance, a paper on Lollardy, delivered in the 1910s, provoked suggestions that Lollardy was a rhetorically-constructed vehicle for the condemnation of the enemies of the Lancastrian regime—a thesis broadly similar to that advanced by recent historians of the Lollards such as Paul Strohm. The Stubbs Society, then, seems to have always been a vigorous intellectual space, necessarily coloured by its setting, but nonetheless (indeed, in some respects, all the more) worthy of attention.

The Society has maintained throughout its existence a lively programme of social events. Indeed records of the Society's 1903 triennial dinner talk of a 7-course meal served to members. Today, the Society continues to provide opportunities for members to engage with like-minded practitioners and students with an annual garden party and dinner.

Female membership

The Society, whilst rooted in its rich heritage, has always been open to new ideas and it is the vibrancy of its membership and events which keeps the Society alive today. It was Lord Beloff, the Conservative peer and university administrator, who first proposed the admission of women in 1939, some 30 years ahead of the Oxford Union. Female students from Somerville, Lady Margaret Hall and other new women's colleges joined eagerly, leading to the presidency of Ann Faber in 1942.

One of the first female members of the Society was a young Agnes Headlam-Morley who rose later to become Montague Burton Professor of International Relations - the first woman to be appointed to a chair at Oxford. Professor Headlam-Morley spoke on "British Foreign Policy During the Last Century and that of Mr Chamberlain's".

Past speakers

Historically, individuals were invited to address members of the Stubbs Society just once in their career. It was thus well-known in the world of academia and in the corridors of Westminster as one of the most prestigious invitations anyone could receive - to turn down an invitation to speak was rare. In over a century of continual activity, the Society has been addressed by a series of eminent speakers in meetings famous, sometimes notorious, for the combative discussion that ensues after a paper has been read. Indeed, Conrad Russell recalled an occasion when Geoffrey Elton was the speaker:

The first time I met Geoffrey Elton was when I was a postgraduate in 1960. After addressing the Stubbs Society in Oxford, he faced a concerted assault, begun "while Lawrence is getting his anti-tank gun into position". I rashly wandered into the cross-fire and defended him.

The speaker lineups have been appropriately diverse, ranging from Joseph Needham on the history of Chinese science, to Christopher Andrew on MI5, to Lord Sumption on the Royal Navy during the Hundred Years' War. In one instance, the author Fernández-Armesto described how "Fatally pertinent questions reduced the excellent but academically underqualified historical writer Veronica Wedgwood to tears." He continued:

I recall an occasion when a visiting professor from Lancaster, who gave a talk on an early-18th-century Tory, wilted on being asked, "What have you added to what Macaulay has to say on the subject?" Self-destructively, he burbled, "I didn't know anyone still read Macaulay." "We do in this university," rejoined his interrogator.

Other events have been contentious in their own right. On one occasion, the controversial British politician Enoch Powell was invited to address the Society on the topic of constitutional history.

In recent years, speakers have included:

  • Lord Peter Ricketts - former National Security Advisor and Ambassador to France

    • Governance

    Elections

    Much rivalry exists for the Presidency of the "chief historical discussion club", particularly between the central colleges of the University: specifically between members from New College, Christ Church, Magdalen College and St John's College. Indeed, Paul Johnson, writing in the Spectator, recalled an episode involving Lord Dacre:

    Hugh Trevor-Roper (Lord Dacre)

    That term, in 1948, I was due to be elected secretary at the final meeting. As treasurer, I had noted that a suspicious number of extra subscriptions had been taken out in the previous fortnight but, not being a conspiracy theorist, had thought no more of it. However, when I and Karl Leyser arrived for the meeting, we found it packed with strangers, chiefly red-faced Christ Church louts, who looked as though they would have been more at home at a bump-supper or a Bullingdon Club grind. Roper, who was now Censor of Christ Church, had hustled them all together to vote us out of office, as indeed they did.

    It was the kind of plot the CP had perfected in the British trades-union movement, and Roper had clearly studied the party's methods. His delight at the success of his scheme was so transparent and schoolboyish that I had to laugh. though the rest of the Monks were very annoyed.

    Trevor-Roper later became Senior Member of the Society, but others of such diverse political persuasions as Christopher Hill have also fulfilled this role over the years.

    Through much of its history, the Stubbs Society was highly selective, with membership conditional on the support of tutors. It was designed to be "an elite from which future historians are supposed to be drawn". Indeed membership was so restrictive that future greats such as A J P Taylor were not invited to join whilst studying at Oxford. Such strict regulation ensured "meetings brought dons and undergraduates together in companionable complicity".

    Modern composition

    Today, the Society looks very different to what it once did with an open-membership to students of all disciplines. However, there continues to be just as much competition for the Presidency with internal committee elections held at the end of every term.

    Alongside the prestigious position of President there are three senior offices: Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary. In order to stand for President, candidates are expected to have held one of these three offices.

    Past officers

    A list of past officers of the Stubbs Society includes:

    Academia

    Politics and government

    Religion

    Broadcasting and journalism

    Business

    Past Presidents

    Key

    Presidents 1907-1919

    Year Michaelmas Hilary Trinity
    1907-1908 W. E. Drury C. E. Bax Reverend H. Hill
    1908-1909 Reverend H. Hill G. D. Macleon Captain L. Fullbrook-Leggatt MC
    1909-1910 Captain L. Fullbrook-Leggatt MC Captain L. Fullbrook-Leggatt MC Reverend E. N. Moore MC
    1910-1911 Reverend E. N. Moore MC R. H. Atkinson R. A. Edwards
    1911-1912 G. R. Hunter Captain N. Johnstone Sievers H. G. Evans
    1912-1913 F. H. Brabat Reverend H. Chamberlain W. R. Smale
    1913-1914 A. N. Carew Hunt A. N. Carew Hunt A. R. Herron
    1914-1915 N. E. Field Jones P. Hactill E. W. B. Pim
    1915-1916 Reverend E. H. Fendrick Reverend L. J. a'Andria G. S. Gregern
    1916-1917 R. F. Butler Reverend L. J. a'Andria D. T. Nelson
    1917-1918 F. S. Cameron-Head F. S. Cameron-Head C. R. S. Yavis
    1918-1919 J. L. C. Rodrigo R. D. Wormald

    Presidents 1983-1993

    Year Michaelmas Hilary Trinity
    1983-1984 Dora Thornton Richard Harris Roderick Macpherson
    1985-1986 Guy Browning and Frances Barr Roger Wood Charles Lonsdale
    1986-1987 Mark Muldowney Philip Murphy Simon Manley
    1987-1988 Susan Holliday Matthew d'Ancona David Moody
    1988-1989 Jane Whewell Carolyn Fooks Andrew Howard
    1989-1990 Maria Quantrill David Rundle Philip Sellars
    1991-1992 Toby Purser Simon Taylor
    1992-1993 Jonathan Dawson Jeremy Goldring Eleanor Brown

    Presidents 2018-Today

    Year Michaelmas Hilary Trinity
    2017-2018 N/A Arun Dawson Arun Dawson
    2018-2019 Arun Dawson Arun Dawson Madeleine Moore
    2019-2020 Madeleine Moore Madeleine Moore Joe Davies
    2020-2021 Joe Davies Joe Davies Johnny Sturgeon
    2021-2022 Johnny Sturgeon Jack Stacey Jack Stacey
    2022-2023 Isaaq Tomkins Isaaq Tomkins Joe Bradshaw
    2023-2024 Adam Tomkinson Becky Collett and Minh Tran Rosanna Carrick-Daly
    2024-2025 James Forsdick

    In popular culture

    In the Village Tales series by GMW Wemyss, the Duchess of Taunton is described as a former member of the Stubbs Society.

    See also

    References

    1. Transactions of the Stubbs Society, Bodleian Library, Oxford
    2. "Membership".
    3. ^ Brock & Curthoys (eds.), The History of the University of Oxford, Oxford University Press (2000), vol. vii, p. 380.
    4. Saravanamuttu, M., (1970), The Sara Saga, p. 28
    5. Fernández-Armesto, F. (2009), History, tragedy, farce, Times Higher Education, London
    6. See Strohm, England's Empty Throne: Usurpation and the Language of Legitimation, 1399-1422, Yale University Press (1998).
    7. The Independent, Monday, 19 December 1994, further to the obituary by Patrick Collinson and Tam Dalyell, 9 December.
    8. Fernández-Armesto 2009
    9. Rowse, A. L., (1989), Friends and Contemporaries
    10. Johnson P., (2003), Hugh Trevor-Roper and the Monks of Magdalen, The Spectator, 8 February 2003, p. 21
    11. Sisman, A., (1994), AJP Taylor - A Biography, Sinclair-Stevenson
    12. See Felipe Fernández-Armesto in the Times Literary Supplement, 26 February 2009, for a distinctive perspective.

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