The Chancellor of the University, Lord Jenkins, has very kindly agreed to address OAANY members and the tri-state alumni on the current and future state of Oxford.

Roy Jenkins is President of the Royal Society of Literature and until 1998 was Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords. He was a founder of the Social Democratic Party and its first leader. He is a former Chancellor of the Exchequer and Home Secretary, and a former President of the European Commission. He is a frequent contributor to many British newspapers and periodicals and is the author of several books. His most recent book, The Chancellors, was published in 1998. A member of the Society of Authors, he is a former governor of the British Film Institute, and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Roy Jenkins holds honorary doctorates from Leeds, Harvard, Glasgow, Pennsylvania, Oxford, Dundee, Michigan, Loughborough, the City (of London), Keele, Bath, Essex, Georgetown and West Virginia, among others. He is an Honorary Fellow of Balliol and St. Antony's.

The setting for this historic event is special. The Century Club is a turn-of-the-century, jewel-like building designed by Stanford White. A reception will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Billiard Room followed by The Chancellor's address in the Gallery. Mr. Walter S. Isaacson, Managing Editor of Time Magazine will provide the introductory remarks. Mr. Isaacson is a Rhodes Scholar and graduate of Pembroke.

This evening is graciously being sponsored by Mr. Francis Finlay (Merton), who is a guiding hand on the Board of Advisors of the Oxford Alumni Association of New York. Consequently, there is no charge. We are most grateful for Mr. Finlay's generosity.

Due to the enthusiastic response to our recent e-mail announcement and postcard mailing, this event is currently fully booked.

Members of the OAANY are invited to join the Mid-Atlantic Club for a luncheon and talk by Robert Thomson. Mr. Thomson was appointed U.S. Managing Editor of the FT in September 1998, having previously held positions as Editor of the Weekend Financial Times and Foreign News Editor. Mr. Thomson worked in Beijing for the Sydney Morning Herald in the 1980s and wrote extensively about Chinese economic and social reform and the Tiananmen crisis.

There is a charge of $50 for the lunch, payable at the door. Please RSVP to Christine Ho by clicking here. Your message will be forwarded to her.

If you are 35 or younger, come meet other alumni for an evening of good conversation in a relaxed setting. This newly formed group is the result of suggestions from many younger graduates. Please plan to attend and come with ideas for future events.

For more information, please contact Charlie Douglas (St. Catherine's) by clicking here. Your message will be forwarded to him.

Joseph Soares, Associate Professor Sociology at Yale University and Visiting Member of the Senior Common Room at Nuffield (1989-1990), will discuss his recent book, The Decline of Privilege: The Modernization of Oxford University. This book, which is published by Stanford University Press, has been well-received. It focuses on the significant changes that Oxford has undergone since World War II, including the shift to a meritocracy and an increased commitment to the sciences. The key forces that have shaped the transformation of Oxford are also discussed: the role of government funding and the interests and activities of "reformist dons."

This event will be filmed by C-SPAN for its program, "Book TV," which is televised nationally. The talk will be followed by a reception.

There is no charge for this event, but you must reserve a place. To RSVP, contact Diane C. Dunne. Please note the number of guests you will bring. No confirmation will be made. Gentlemen are required to wear a jacket and tie.

"Oxford as a Hotbed for Entrepreneurship" will be the subject of a talk by Professor Anthony Hopwood, Acting Director of the Said Business School at the University of Oxford, American Standard Professor of Operations Management and former Director of Said's MBA program. Professor Hopwood will discuss how Oxford's research expertise is meeting the marketplace through its new business school.

This talk will be held in the New York Athletic Club's President's Room on the 10th Floor. A reception will follow.

There is no charge for this event. Please RSVP to Erin Matney, University of Oxford North American Offices, at (212) 726-6415. Club rules require business attire (jackets and ties for gentlemen).

We are pleased that John Bayley, the Former Warton Professor of English at Oxford and a Fellow of St. Catherine's, will speak with us about his wife, philosopher and novelist Dame Iris Murdoch. Dame Iris was the author of 26 novels, including The Sea, The Sea, which won the Booker Prize.

John Bayley was born in India and educated at Eton and Oxford. He has written about Tolstoy, Pushkin and Shakespeare. His book about his wife, Elegy for Iris, became a New York Times best seller. His new book, Iris and Her Friends, brings to life the remarkable story of a philosopher whose novels were celebrated.

The evening will begin at 6:15 p.m. with a BBC film of Bryan Magee's interview with Dame Iris. At 7:00 p.m., John Bayley will speak informally with us.

There is no charge for this special event. RSVP to Diane C. Dunne. Note the number of guests you will bring. No confirmation will be made. Gentlemen are required to wear a jacket and tie.

Please plan now to begin your season of holiday festivities at our annual holiday party in December. It will be held in the Library of the Cornell Club. The cost is $20 for members and $25 for guests.

This annual event is always popular, so please RSVP as soon as you can be contacting Diane C. Dunne. Please provide the names of your guests. No confirmation will be made.