Balliol College, Oxford, one of the
constituent colleges of the
University of Oxford, is governed by the
Master and
Fellows of the college. The Master, when elected, must be "the person who is, in their [the Fellows'] judgement, most fit for the government of the College as a place of religion, learning, and education".[1] Although the rules in no way suggest a preference for an alumnus/alumna or Fellow of the college to be chosen, there have been few who were not: only one Master in the 20th century had no previous connection with the college (
David Lindsay Keir 1946-1964) and the previous non-member to hold the post before that was
Theophilus Leigh, elected in 1726. However, the current Master of Balliol,
Helen Ghosh, studied at
St Hugh's and
Hertford colleges.
^S. M. den Otter, ‘Caird, Edward (1835–1908)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2012
accessed 16 July 2013
^H. W. C. Davis, ‘Davidson, James Leigh Strachan- (1843–1916)’, rev. Richard Smail, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004
accessed 16 July 2013
^R. L. Patterson, ‘Smith, Arthur Lionel (1850–1924)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008
accessed 16 July 2013
^Gary McCulloch, ‘Lindsay, Alexander Dunlop, first Baron Lindsay of Birker (1879–1952)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004
accessed 16 July 2013
^M. H. Keen, ‘Keir, Sir David Lindsay (1895–1973)’, rev. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Oct 2009
accessed 16 July 2013