Cecil Rhodes: a controversial benefactor
Cecil Rhodes studied at Oriel College intermittently between 1873 and 1881. Soon after he completed his degree he entered politics in colonised southern Africa. From 1890 to 1896, he was the prime minister of Cape Colony. He and the British South Africa Company of which he was the manager director colonised Zimbabwe and areas to the north from 1890. Some of his actions, particularly during the conquest of Zimbabwe, led to considerable suffering and loss of life.
During his life Rhodes accrued a considerable fortune as a diamond and gold mining magnate. His business relied heavily on the land, minerals and people of southern Africa. When he died aged 49 in 1902, he left £3 million to establish a trust offering students from the British Empire, Germany and United States scholarships to study at Oxford University. The Rhodes Trust continues to offers scholarships to international students today. Rhodes also left £100,000 to Oriel College in his will, largely for constructing a new building on Oxford’s High Street. The building was completed in 1911 and incorporates a set of statues, including one of Cecil Rhodes himself.
You can read an analysis of Cecil Rhodes’s activities and impact in southern Africa by William Beinart, Emeritus Professor at the African Studies Centre, Oxford University.
You can also read a response to Professor Beinart’s analysis by Lord Biggar, Emeritus Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology.
In 2015, a student movement at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, resulted in the removal of a large statue of Cecil Rhodes from its campus. The “Rhodes Must Fall” movement soon gained solidarity in Oxford and campaigners began to call for the removal of the statue of Rhodes at Oriel College. Some critics of the campaign came to Rhodes’s defence, whereas others argued that while it is true that many his actions were reprehensible, the statue in Oxford should remain where it is.
In 2020, the debate about the statue was reignited following the murder of George Floyd in the United States and the global Black Lives Matter movement. At one point more than 1,000 protesters assembled outside Oriel College and called for the statue of Rhodes to be removed. Many public voices, including senior politicians, weighed in on the debate.
In response, Oriel College launched an independent Commission of Inquiry into the issues surrounding the statue of Cecil Rhodes and sought legal and regulatory advice, including from the Charity Commission. The Governing Body of Oriel College at the time also formally expressed a wish to see the statue removed.
In 2021, the Commission of Inquiry published its report. The report made several recommendations for Oriel College to deal with the issues relating to its association with Rhodes. These included strategies for Oriel College to support academic research into Africa, race and colonialism and to strengthen its commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. The recommendations were accepted by Oriel College. A majority of the nine members of the Commission supported the removal of the statue, but the Commission did not make such removal a specific recommendation.
You can read the Commission of Inquiry’s report into the issues surrounding the statue of Rhodes at Oriel College.
The report acknowledged that any attempt to remove the statue would face considerable challenges at the planning stage. The entire building that features the figure of Rhodes is grade II* listed, built to the designs of Basil Champneys between 1909 and 1911. The High Street elevation features seven statues by Henry Alfred Pegram, including Edward VII and George V. Any alteration to statues or the building would require formal consent. Following legal, planning, charity and political advice, it was determined that the chance of obtaining consent was very low.
In light of the estimated time and costs of navigating complex legal and planning processes, with no guarantee of success, Oriel College did not submit a formal application for consent to remove the statue of Rhodes. Instead, in line with government guidance on contested heritage, it began to explore ways to reinterpret the statue, while keeping it in situ. At the time the Provost declared related conflicts as a Commissioner of Historic England and the Commissioner of Culture at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and did not exercise his vote in relevant Governing Body decisions.
As well as explaining the context of the statue of Rhodes, Oriel College pursued a range of other strategies to build a closer relationship with southern Africa and support relevant academic research. It also provided graduates from Africa scholarships and began to support outreach programmes for young people from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds. In 2022, it instituted an annual lecture on colonialism and its legacies. Largely the approach was guided by the Commission’s work.
Contextualisation
Oriel College has installed an explanatory plaque beneath the statue of Cecil Rhodes. The plaque, visible to the public, explains the reasons for the statue’s presence and provides context about Rhodes’s activities in southern Africa. It reads:
The Rhodes Legacy
This building was constructed by Oriel College in 1909–11 with money left in the will of Cecil John Rhodes (1853–1902), a former student of the college. The college commissioned a series of statues to front the building which included Rhodes at the top.
Rhodes, a committed British colonialist, obtained his fortune through the exploitation of minerals, land, and peoples of southern Africa. Some of his activities led to great loss of life and attracted criticism in his day and ever since.
In recent years, the statue has become a focus for public debate on racism and the legacy of colonialism. In June 2020, Oriel College declared its wish to remove the statue but is not doing so following legal and regulatory advice.
A QR code on the sign leads to this webpage explaining Rhodes’s legacy and the history of the Rhodes Must Fall campaign in Oxford.
Exhibition on Cecil Rhodes
In October 2025, Oriel College will be the first institution to host an exhibition on Cecil Rhodes featuring four artworks by Zimbabwean sculptors. The exhibition discusses the colonial campaign led by Rhodes in Zimbabwe, charts the history of the Rhodes Must Fall campaign in Oxford and shines a light on the tradition of Zimbabwean stone sculpture.
Made out of Zimbabwean serpentine and springstone, the four sculptures offer a unique artistic perspective on Rhodes’s impact on the people of Zimbabwe. They were chosen by a panel of judges from more than a hundred submitted to a competition organised by Oxford Zimbabwe Arts Partnership and funded by Oriel College for sculptors at Chitungwiza Arts Centre, near Harare.
One of the four sculptures is the winning submission, ‘Blindfolded justice’ by Wallace Mkankha, a 34-year-old artist from Chitungwiza.
Academic research
Oriel College has worked to expand its academic coverage of Africa, race and colonialism and to increase its support for academics from Africa.
Examples of work in this area include:
- Establishing the Kelleher Fellowship in French, which is combined with an associate professorship in Francophone Post-Colonial Literatures
- Appointing a Turpin Junior Research Fellow with a focus on Black History after 1800 for fixed-term three-year contract
- Providing graduate students from sub-Saharan Africa scholarships, either partially of fully covering tuition fees
- Partnering with Bodleian Libraries and Rhodes Trust to establish the Sub-Saharan African Visiting Fellowship
- Hosting the executive committee of the Britain Zimbabwe Society which connects Zimbabwean diaspora in the UK and promotes research on Zimbabwe
- Collaborating with the Africa–Oxford Initiative (AfOx) to award full scholarships to students from Africa enrolling on one-year master’s courses
Rex Nettleford Lecture and Essay Prize
Ralston “Rex” Nettleford was one of the Caribbean’s most influential figures. He was a scholar, social critic, choreographer and an activist. Born in Falmouth, Jamaica, he studied for a master’s degree at Oriel College on a Rhodes scholarship starting in 1957 and then went on to have a distinguished academic career at the University of the West Indies, including serving as Vice-Chancellor.
In recognition of Nettleford’s contributions as both an intellectual and cultural figure, Oriel College holds an annual lecture on colonialism and its legacies. Previous speakers include Professor Nandini Chatterjee, Ekow Eshun, Professor Paul Gilroy and Gary Younge.
The lecture accompanies the Rex Nettleford Essay Prize, which invites students in year 12 to submit essays on colonialism and its legacies. You can read information about the essay prize.
Equality and diversity
Equality and diversity are at the centre of Oriel College’s ethos and academic mission as an educational institution. You can read more about how it supports equality, diversity and inclusion.
Initiatives to support students, academics and professional staff from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds include:
- Introducing a Student Concerns Form allowing students to report concerns or instances of harassment relating to race or racial identity
- Mandatory Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training for professional staff
- Racial Awareness workshops organised by the Junior Common Room at the start of each academic year
Oriel College also demonstrates its commitment to equality and diversity through its outreach programmes. Through a long-term partnership with Generating Genius, the College delivers sustained programmes for young people from Black, African Caribbean, and low socio-economic backgrounds, supporting them to develop the skills and confidence needed to pursue STEM courses at leading universities.
Oriel has also partnered with Oxford University to award scholarships to graduate students from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds. These include a DPhil scholarship in History offered as part of the Black Academic Futures programme and a DPhil scholarship in Law offered in partnership with the Faculty of Law.