Exeter College, Oxford University

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exeter_College_,_Oxford_University

Exeter college , University of Oxford Turl Street, Oxford

Founded by Walter de Stapledon Bishop of Exeter & Treasurer of England under Edward Il Still situated in its original location in Turl Street, Exeter College was founded in 1314 by Walter de Stapeldon of Devon, Bishop of Exeter and later treasurer to Edward II, as a school to educate clergy. During its first century, it was known as Stapeldon Hall and was significantly smaller, with just twelve to fourteen students. The college grew significantly from the 15th century onward, and began offering rooms to its students. The College motto is "Floreat Exon.", meaning "Let Exeter Flourish".

In the 16th century, donations from Sir William Petre (whose daughter Dorothy Wadham (1534–1618) co-founded Wadham College, Oxford), assumed to be an Exeter graduate, helped to expand and transform the college. Sir John Acland (d.1620), a Devonshire gentleman, donated £800 which largely financed the building of a new dining hall, and also established two scholarships for poor students, the first to be created at the college.[3] In a clever move by the bursar to fill the new buildings as they were completed, a significant number of noble Roman Catholic students were invited to enrol and take classes at the enlarged college; however, they were not allowed to matriculate. As a result, over time, Exeter College became one of the leading colleges in the University.

In the 18th century the college experienced declining popularity, as did all of Oxford's other colleges. University reforms in the 1850s helped to end this period of stagnation.

Until 1979 the college did not allow women students, but in 1993 Exeter College became the first of the former all-male colleges to elect a woman, Marilyn Butler, as its Rector. When Butler's tenure expired in October 2004, the college elected another woman – Frances Cairncross, former Senior Editor of The Economist – as Rector.