Famous Scholars who Called Oxford University Home

Oxford: That great old town in England and the setting for the mystery series Inspector Morse. But most people when they hear Oxford mentioned will automatically think of Oxford University. Oxford University actually comprises of 39 colleges, all of which are independent and self-governing, but all form the core element of the university.

Oxford was in fact the first university in the English speaking world and has now been around for at least nine centuries. There is no clear date of when it actually started but Oxford University came into its own and grew with great speed once Henry II banned English students from attending the University of Paris.

Naturally enough Oxford was just for the male species to start with but in 1878 academic halls were established for women and from 1920 women were allowed to become members of Oxford University.

Today, all but one of the colleges that make up Oxford University are attended by both men and women. St Hilda's is the only college left that will only admit women but this will change in October 2008.

Oxford University has a long history of educating and producing some truly gifted and women. Today it can boast of having educated 25 British Prime Ministers, 25 International leaders, 47 Nobel prize winners, 6 current holders of the order of merit, 6 kings, 12 saints, 20 Archbishops of Canterbury and 9 Olympic medal winners.

There are 107 Oxford graduates sitting in the UK's House of Commons and more than 140 that sit in the House of Lords. Now, add to these impressive figures at least 5 members of the US House of Representatives, and $

4 members of the Senate we can see why Oxford can stand proud.

Listed below are just a smattering of some famous 20^th century Oxonians:

King Abdullah of Jordan

Rowan Atkinson - comedian

Kingsley Amis - author

Clement Attlee - UK Prime minister 1945-1951

Sir Roger Bannister - neurosurgeon and athlete

Sir John Betjeman - poet

Benazir Bhutto - former Prime Minister of Pakistan

Tony Blair - UK Prime Minister 1997-2007

Justice Stephen Breyer - Associate Justice, Supreme Court of the United States

Bill Clinton - President of the United States 1992-2000