1925 University of Oxford Chancellor election facts for kids

The 1925 University of Oxford election for the position of Chancellor was held after the death of the previous Chancellor, George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston. He passed away on March 20, 1925. The Chancellor is like the head of the university, a very important and respected role.

Who Could Vote?

Only members of the University who had a special degree called a Master of Arts (MA) could vote. They had to cast their votes in person at Oxford.

The First Election

Initially, Alfred Milner, 1st Viscount Milner was chosen without anyone else running against him. However, he sadly died on May 13, just twelve days before he was supposed to officially start his new role. This meant a new election had to be held.

The Second Election

Because of Viscount Milner's death, another election was quickly organized to find a new Chancellor.

Who Were the Candidates?

Two main candidates were nominated for this important position:

• Herbert Henry Asquith: He was a former student of Balliol College. At the time, he was the leader of the Liberal Party and had previously served as the Prime Minister of the UK.
• George Cave: He was a former student of St John's College. He was a politician from the Conservative Party and was serving as the Lord Chancellor, a top legal official.

Another important person, Viscount Grey, was first asked to run. He was a former Foreign Secretary. People thought he would have a lot of support, especially from women graduates and those who supported the League of Nations (an early international organization for peace). However, he decided not to run and supported Asquith instead.

At first, Asquith was the only candidate. George Cave was asked to run against him. Cave was not sure at first. He thought he might not win against Asquith. He also worried that losing would make the Conservative Party look bad. But after a lot of convincing, he agreed to be a candidate.

The Campaign and Debates

The election campaign was heavily influenced by political parties. Asquith's grand title, "Earl of Oxford and Asquith," was even made fun of by some. Asquith worried he might lose because many country clergy (church leaders) who voted in Oxford did not like a law he supported about the church in Wales.

A political opponent of Asquith, Lord Birkenhead, wrote to The Times newspaper on May 19. He called Asquith the "greatest living Oxonian" (meaning someone from Oxford). However, some people thought Lord Birkenhead's support might have actually hurt Asquith. This was because Lord Birkenhead was seen as controversial.

The Election Results

Here are the results of the election:

See also

• Election for the Chancellorship of the University of Oxford, 1960
• Election for the Chancellorship of the University of Oxford, 1987
• Election for the Chancellorship of the University of Oxford, 2003
• Election for the Chancellorship of the University of Cambridge, 2011
• List of chancellors of the University of Oxford