Vincent's Club
Private members' club in Oxford
Vincent's Club , popularly known as Vinnie's , is a private members' club in Oxford . The club's membership consists predominantly, but not exclusively, of sporting blues of the University of Oxford .[ 1]
History
Vincent's Club was founded in 1863 by oarsman Walter Bradford Woodgate [ 2] of Brasenose College, Oxford , who became the first president of the club.[ 3] Dissatisfied with the permissive admission policies and lack of refreshments at the Oxford Union ,[ 3] [ 4] Woodgate established his own club and stated that it "should consist of the picked hundred of the University, selected for all-round qualities; social, physical and intellectual qualities being duly considered."[ 5]
Vincent's Club quickly gained considerable prestige, which it enjoys to this day.[ 6] J.S.G. Pemberton regarded it as "the premier Social Club of the University",[ 7] while in 1894 The Isis could describe Vincent's as "a sacred Temple ... to those whom, by virtue of themselves, their athletic powers, and their social and general good-fellowship, a grateful University delighteth to honour", with membership considered to be "the diploma which the University of Undergraduates grants in due season to her most successful and deserving sons".[ 8]
Roger Bannister , president of the club in 1950, celebrated at Vincent's after running the world's first sub-four-minute mile at the Iffley Road track in 1954.[ 9] The Beatles visited the club in 1964.[ 10] [ 11]
Membership
From the club's foundation, influenced by Woodgate's own sporting interests, the membership has been dominated by sportspeople. However, there has never been a sporting qualification for membership and membership does not accompany a Blue .[ 12] The club was originally limited to only 100 resident members, but as the university has expanded, so too has the club.[ 13]
Members must be enrolled at the University of Oxford at the time of their election, but remain members for life.[ 13] The club's constitution was amended to enable the admission of women as members on 9 March 2016.[ 14]
Clubhouse
The club was originally located in the old reading rooms which J. H. Vincent, a printer, had previously kept at 90 High Street .[ 15] Between 1894 and 1931, the club occupied premises at 6-7 High Street.[ 16]
Since 1931, the club has been located at 1A King Edward Street, in upstairs premises above Shepherd & Woodward on the High Street in central Oxford. Completely refurbished in 2014,[ 17] the club's facilities include a bar, lounge area, dining room, conference room, kitchen and administrative offices.[ 18]
Club regalia
Vincent’s members are entitled to wear the club tie, which is dark blue with a white crown motif, or a silver crown lapel pin. The club tie, adopted in 1926,[ 4] is particularly renowned and was regarded by J.C. Masterman as "a sort of passport all over the English-speaking world".[ 13]
Royalty:
Politics & Law:
Tony Abbott , Prime Minister of Australia
Sir George Abell , civil servant
Sir Anthony Acland , British diplomat and Provost of Eton College
Michael Beloff KC , barrister and President of Trinity College, Oxford
Bill Bradley , NBA player and US Senator , Olympic Gold 1964
Sir Robin Butler , Cabinet Secretary and Master of University College, Oxford
Bill Cash , MP
Randolph Churchill , MP and son of Winston Churchill
Lord Desborough , MP, President of the Amateur Fencing Association , President of Marylebone Cricket Club and President of the Lawn Tennis Association
Lord Curzon , Viceroy of India , Foreign Secretary and Chancellor of Oxford University
Alec Douglas-Home , Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Bob Hawke , Prime Minister of Australia
John Gorton , Prime Minister of Australia
Roger Gifford , Lord Mayor of London
Sir Jeremy Greenstock , diplomat
Sir Edward Grey , UK Foreign Secretary and Chancellor of Oxford University
Melville Guest , diplomat
Harold Macmillan , Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (Honorary Member)
Sir John Masterman , spymaster, Provost of Worcester College, Oxford and Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University
Lord Milligan , Scottish judge and politician
Colin Moynihan , Olympic Silver 1980, MP and Olympic administrator
Viscount Monckton , lawyer and Defence Secretary
Philip Moore , Private Secretary to Queen Elizabeth II and England rugby international
Airey Neave , MP and soldier
Ossie Newton-Thompson , member of the South African parliament , England rugby international and winner of the Distinguished Flying Cross
Lord Oaksey , main British judge at the Nuremberg trials
Katsuhiko Oku , diplomat
Lord Porritt , Olympic Bronze 1924, military surgeon and Governor-General of New Zealand
Cecil Rhodes , Prime Minister of the Cape Colony and mining magnate
Sir Ivor Roberts , UK Ambassador to Yugoslavia , Ireland, and Italy and President of Trinity College, Oxford
Earl of Roseberry , Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Sir Mark Sedwill , Cabinet Secretary and United Kingdom National Security Adviser
Edwyn Scudamore-Stanhope , peer and courtier
Montague Shearman , judge and co-founder of the Amateur Athletics Association
Whitney Shepardson , head of the Secret Intelligence Branch of the Office of Strategic Services
William Stevenson , Olympic Gold 1924, founding partner of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP , president of Oberlin College and US ambassador to the Philippines
Frederic Thesiger , Viceroy of India, Governor of New South Wales , Governor of Queensland , First Lord of the Admiralty and Warden of All Souls College, Oxford
Sir John Weston , diplomat
Military:
Sir Brian Burnett , Royal Air Force air chief marshal and Chairman of the All England Lawn Tennis Club
Robin Bourne-Taylor , British Olympic rower, Life Guards officer and winner of the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross
Noel Chavasse VC & Bar, Olympic athlete and twice winner of the Victoria Cross
David Craig , Marshal of the Royal Air Force and Chief of the Defence Staff
Pete Dawkins , Rhodes Scholar , Heisman Trophy winner, US Army brigadier general and business executive
James Glancy , Royal Marines and Special Boat Service (SBS) officer, winner of the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross, wildlife conservationist, film maker and Member of the European Parliament
Sir Edmund Herring , senior Australian Army officer, Lieutenant Governor of Victoria and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria
Roger Kimpton , winner of the Distinguished Flying Cross
Jock Lewes , co-founder of the Special Air Service (SAS) and Welsh Guards officer
Sir Tommy Macpherson , winner of three Military Crosses
Robert Nairac , Grenadier Guards and military intelligence officer
Sir John Rawlins , Royal Navy Surgeon Vice Admiral
Arnold Strode-Jackson , Olympic Gold 1912 and British Army general officer
Wilfred Thesiger , military officer, explorer and writer
Richard Wakeford VC, winner of the Victoria Cross
Geoffrey Woolley VC, infantry officer, military chaplain and winner of the Victoria Cross
Melvin "Dinghy" Young , twice winner of the Distinguished Flying Cross and second in command of Operation Chastise
Academic:
Sir John Bell , Regius Professor of Medicine at the University of Oxford
Lord Blake , historian and Provost of The Queen's College, Oxford
Lord Butterfield , Regius Professor of Physic at the University of Cambridge , Master of Downing College, Cambridge and Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University
John Dossetor , pioneering physician and bioethicist
Sir Keith Feiling , Chichele Professor of Modern History at All Souls College, Oxford
Robin Fletcher , Olympic Bronze 1952, Fellow of Trinity College, Oxford and Warden of Rhodes House , Oxford
Gathorne Robert Girdlestone , pioneering orthopaedic surgeon
Sir John Hood , businessman and Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University
Frederick L. Hovde , president of Purdue University
Arthur Johnson , Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford and FA Cup winner
Sir Colin Lucas , Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University and Chair of the Board of the British Library
Sir Terence Morrison-Scott , zoologist, Director of the Science Museum and the British Museum (Natural History)
Francis Pember , Warden of All Souls College, Oxford and Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University
Professor Graham Richards , head of the Department of Chemistry at Oxford University
Felix Stephens , Benedictine monk and Master of St Benet's Hall, Oxford
Sir Harold Thompson , Fellow of St John's College, Oxford and chairman of The FA
Alan Valentine , Olympic Gold 1924, academic, president of the University of Rochester and Marshall Plan official
Hugh Ward , bacteriologist and winner of the Military Cross
Sir Francis Wylie , the first Warden of Rhodes House, Oxford
Religion:
Business:
Arts:
Media:
James Allen , Formula 1 journalist
Sir Christopher Bland , businessman and Chairman of the Board of Governors of the BBC
John Bryant , editor of The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph
Tim Hetherington , photojournalist
Marmaduke Hussey , Chairman of the Board of Governors of the BBC
Walter Isaacson , author, professor, CEO of the Aspen Institute , chair of CNN and editor of Time
Norris McWhirter , co-founder of Guinness World Records and The Freedom Association
Ross McWhirter , co-founder of Guinness World Records
Dan Snow , historian and broadcaster
John Woodcock , cricket writer
Sportspeople:
A. G. G. Asher , Scottish rugby and cricket international
Jimmy Allan , Scottish cricket international
David McLaren Bain , Scotland rugby captain
Sir Roger Bannister , first to run the sub-4-minute mile , neurologist and Master of Pembroke College, Oxford
Stuart Barnes , England rugby international and commentator
Tommy Bedford , South Africa rugby captain
Robin Benson , FA Cup winner, merchant banker and art collector
Bernard Bosanquet , international cricketer and inventor of the googly
Marshall Brooks , England rugby international and world record holder for the high jump
Charles Burnell , Olympic Gold 1908
Richard Burnell , Olympic Gold 1948
Donald Carr , England cricket international and cricket administrator
Herbert Hayton Castens , captained South Africa at both rugby and cricket
Christopher Chataway , athlete and politician
Troy Coker , Australian rugby international and winner of the 1991 Rugby World Cup
Oliver Cook , world champion rower
Jerry Cornes , Olympic Silver 1932
Colin Cowdrey , England cricket international
Phillip Crowe , Australian rugby international
Phil de Glanville , England rugby captain
Barnabé Delarze , Swiss Olympic rower
Peter Dixon , England rugby international
Sandy Duncan , Olympic administrator
Hugh "Jumbo" Edwards , two Olympic Golds 1932 and Royal Air Force group captain
Mark Evans , Olympic Gold 1984
Mike Evans , Olympic Gold 1984
Jonathan Fellows-Smith , South African cricket international
R. E. Foster , England cricket and football captain
C. B. Fry , England cricket and football international, world record holder for the long jump
Angus Groom , Olympic Silver 2020
Simon Halliday , England rugby international
David Hemery , Olympic Gold 1968
Bob Hiller , England rugby international
Ewart Horsfall , Olympic Gold 1912, winner of the Military Cross and Distinguished Flying Cross
Malcolm Howard , Olympic Gold 2008
Andrew "Sandy" Irvine , mountaineer
Douglas Jardine , England cricket captain
Manon Johnes , Wales women's rugby international
Derek Johnson , Olympic Silver 1956
Abdul Kardar , first Pakistan cricket captain
F. S. Kelly , Olympic Gold 1908, musician and composer
Alister Kirby , Olympic Gold 1912
David Kirk , All Blacks captain and winner of the 1987 Rugby World Cup
Ronald Lagden , England rugby international
Chris Laidlaw , All Blacks international and politician
H. D. G. Leveson Gower , England cricket captain
Constantine Louloudis , Olympic Gold 2016
Jack Lovelock , Olympic Gold 1936
Donald MacDonald , Scottish rugby international
Dugald MacDonald , Springboks rugby international
Hugo MacNeill , Irish rugby international
Phil Macpherson , Scottish rugby international
Selwyn Maister , Olympic Gold 1976
Nick Mallett , South African rugby international and coach
Craig Masback , American middle distance runner, commentator and business executive
Alan Melville , South African cricket international
Adrian Metcalfe , Olympic Silver 1964 and commentator
Brendan Mullin , Irish rugby international
Patrick Munro , Scottish rugby international and politician
Thomas Nelson , Scottish rugby international
Charles Nepean , FA Cup winner
Guy Nickalls , Olympic Gold 1908
Prince Alexander Obolensky , England rugby international
Anton Oliver , All Blacks international
Tiger Pataudi , India cricket captain
Tony Pawson , cricketer, football and leading fly fisherman
Malcolm Phillips , England rugby international and President of the Rugby Football Union
Sir Matthew Pinsent , Olympic Golds 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004
Rosemary Popa , Olympic Gold 2020
William Rawson , England football international and FA Cup winner
Pete Reed , Olympic Golds 2008, 2012, 2016 and Royal Navy officer
Brett Robinson , Australian rugby international and Chair of World Rugby
Joe Roff , Australian rugby international and 1991 Rugby World Cup winner
Alan Rotherham , England rugby captain and member of the IRB Hall of Fame
Bevil Rudd , Olympic Gold 1920 and winner of the Military Cross
Richard Sharp , England rugby captain
G. O. Smith , England football captain
Brian Smith , Australia and Ireland rugby international
M. J. K. Smith , England cricket captain and rugby international
Peter Stagg , Scotland and Zambia rugby international
Nigel Starmer-Smith , England rugby international
Davis Tarwater , Olympic Gold 2012
Cyril Tolley , British amateur golf champion
Daniel Topolski , rowing world champion, coach and commentator
Victor Ubogu , England rugby international
Pieter van der Bijl , South African cricket international
Clive van Ryneveld , South Africa cricket and England rugby international
Harry Vassall , England rugby international
Walpole Vidal , England football international, played in the first ever international football match and FA Cup winner
Michael Walford , Olympic Silver 1948
Frank Willan , rower and co-founder of the Royal Yachting Association
John Young , England rugby international
See also
References
^ Lack, Alastair. "'Once a member, always a member' ". Oxford Mail , 11th December 2009
^ Michael G. Brock and M. C. Curthoys, The History of the University of Oxford, Volume 7, Part 2 . Oxford University Press , 2000. ISBN 978-0-19-951017-7 . Page 536 .
^ a b W. B. Woodgate, Reminiscences of an old sportsman , Vincent's Club, Oxford, UK.
^ a b A Happy Breed of Men , Oxford Mail
^ Hibbert, Christopher (1988). "Vincent's Club" . The Encyclopaedia of Oxford . London: Macmillan. pp. 483−484. ISBN 978-0-333-39917-0 .
^ Lack, Alastair. "'Once a member, always a member' ". Oxford Mail , 11th December 2009
^ J. S. G. Pemberton, 'The social life', in J. Wells (ed.), Oxford and Oxford Life (1892), 91
^ M. C. Curthoys, M. G. Brock (eds.). The History of the University of Oxford: Volume VII: Nineteenth-Century Oxford, Part 2. (2000). United Kingdom: Clarendon Press. 536.
^ Bannister, Roger (2015). Twin Tracks: The Autobiography . The Robson Press. ISBN 9781849548366 .
^ Razzall, Tim (2014). Chance Encounters: Tales from a Varied Life . Biteback Publishing. ISBN 9781849548205 .
^ "BBC - Oxford Features - Secret Oxford" . www.bbc.co.uk . Retrieved 14 May 2024 .
^ E. W. Swanton, An Oxford Institution , Vincent's Club, Oxford, UK.
^ a b c J. C. Masterman, Vincent's Club , Vincent's Club, Oxford, UK.
^ Kodsi, Daniel (18 March 2016). "Vincent's Club ends gender exclusivity" . Cherwell . Retrieved 12 April 2020 .
^ "The High, Oxford: No 90" . www.oxfordhistory.org.uk . Retrieved 8 September 2023 .
^ "The High, Oxford: 6-7" . www.oxfordhistory.org.uk . Retrieved 8 September 2023 .
^ "Club Refurbishments" . Vincent's Club . 30 September 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2023 .
^ "Vincent's Club | Conference Oxford" . conference-oxford.com . Retrieved 7 September 2023 .
^ Lee, Simon (2014). Vincent's 1863-2013 . London: Third Millennium Information. ISBN 978 1 908990 33 4 .
External links