Oriel College, Oxford

Oriel College (in full: The House of Blessed Mary the Virgin in Oxford commonly called Oriel College, of the Foundation of Edward the Second of famous memory, sometime King of England) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.

History

Founded in 1324 by Adam de Brome and given its charter in 1326 by Edward II, Oriel is the fifth oldest of Oxford's colleges, and the oldest college that doesn't habitually claim it is the oldest college. Its original name was 'The House of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Oxford', the name Oriel being used from about 1349 which probably originated from a tenement known as Seneschal Hall or La Oriole granted to the college in 1327. The word oriel probably referred to either a balcony or oriel window forming a feature of the earlier property.

In the 19th century Oriel was at the centre of the Oxford Movement. In 1902, Oriel incorporated nearby St Mary's Hall, which had been a separate institution. Nowadays Oriel is known as the last all-male college to admit women in 1985. It has a reputation for its success in rowing, in particular the two college rowing events Torpids and Eights Week, and quiz.

Since 2001, Oriel College students have chosen not to be affiliated to the University-wide Students' Union, OUSU.