1925 University of Oxford Chancellor election

The 1925 University of Oxford election for the position of Chancellor was called upon the death of the incumbent Chancellor, George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston on 20 March 1925.

Electorate

The electorate consisted of all members of the University holding the rank of MA. Votes had to be cast in person at Oxford.

First election

Initially Alfred Milner, 1st Viscount Milner was elected unopposed. However he died on 13 May, twelve days before he was due to be installed.[1][2]

Second election

A further election was held.[2]

Candidates

The following candidates were nominated:

Former Foreign Secretary Viscount Grey, who was to be elected unopposed to the post a few years later, was initially approached to stand. He was thought to have support in Balliol (despite his undistinguished academic record), amongst League of Nations supporters and amongst women graduates, but withdrew in Asquith's favour.[3]

Initially Asquith was the only candidate and Cave was approached to stand. He was reluctant to stand, believing he stood little chance in an election against Asquith and that losing would reflect badly on the Conservative Party, but after considerable persuasion he agreed to be nominated.[4]

The election was dominated by party feeling. Asquith's grandiose title of Earl of Oxford and Asquith was held up to some ridicule. He suspected he might lose because of the hostility of the country clergy, who still made up a significant bloc of Oxford electors, to Welsh Disestablishment. Asquith's political opponent Lord Birkenhead wrote to The Times on 19 May, describing Asquith as the "greatest living Oxonian", but his support may have done more harm than good, as Birkenhead was seen as morally dubious, having been a leading member of the discredited Lloyd George Coalition which had fallen from power in October 1922, and was also openly sceptical both of religion and of the League of Nations. It was quipped that Asquith was "a warming-pan" for Birkenhead's views (a learned Oxford joke, referring to the legend that the Old Pretender had been an impostor baby rather than a rightful heir to the throne).[5]

Result

The results were as follows:[2]

Candidate Votes %
Viscount Cave 987 69.1
Earl of Oxford and Asquith 441 30.9
Turnout 1428
Viscount Cave elected

See also

Book used for citation
  • Koss, Stephen (1985). Asquith. London: Hamish Hamilton. ISBN 978-0-231-06155-1.

Notes
  1. Colin Newbury, 'Milner, Alfred, Viscount Milner (1854–1925)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, September 2004; online edn, October 2006 http://0-www.oxforddnb.com.catalogue.ulrls.lon.ac.uk:80/view/article/32329 accessed 13 August 2007
  2. "Oxford's Chancellorship". TIME. 13 July 2007. Retrieved 30 July 2007.
  3. Koss 1985, pp. 274–5
  4. Thomas S. Legg and Marie-Louise Legg, 'Cave, George, Viscount Cave (1856–1928)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, September 2004; online edn, October 2006 http://0-www.oxforddnb.com.catalogue.ulrls.lon.ac.uk:80/view/article/32329 accessed 30 July 2007
  5. Koss 1985, pp. 274-275
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