Donor Recognition

Recognising your Support

To recognise our most loyal donors, all those who make a regular gift to the Aularian Fund or support the Hall over a number of years will be invited to join the Aularian Societies and receive an exclusive pin badge, by way of our thanks.

The Aularian Societies are named after past Principals whose contributions established St Edmund Hall as we know it today. Throughout the Hall’s history, Aularian generosity has been the cornerstone of its development and we can trace a culture of philanthropy back to the 17th Century with Principal Tullie (1658-76) who invited all graduating students to make a gift of £5 towards the Hall (the equivalent of £570 today). Since then there have been many generous gifts to make the Hall the large and vibrant college that it is today.

Find out more about the contribution of Principals Tullie, Penton and Moore below.

Regular Giving Societies

Aularian Society Pin Badge

The Aularian Society

Recognising all regular donors to the Hall.

Tullie Society Pin Badge

The Tullie Society

Recognising regular donors giving at least £240 a year
(£20 a month / USD $300)

Penton Society Pin Badge

The Penton Society

Recognising regular donors giving £1,000 a year
(£83.33 a month / USD $1240)

Moore Society Pin Badge

The Moore Society

Recognising regular donors giving £5,000 a year
(£416.67 a month / USD $6200)

Thomas Tullie, 1659-76 The Principalship of Thomas Tullie was seen as somewhat of a golden age for the Hall, with the Hall expanding both in terms of students and buildings after the hardships and repercussions of Oxford’s support for King Charles I during the civil war.

In this year Tullie began construction of the Old Dining Hall, contributing £200 of his own money. It is possible to consider Tullie as the first fundraiser for the Hall, as he initiated a programme whereby graduating students left £5 to the Hall, a programme which funded the expansion of the library. In todays money this would equate to a gift of £320 from each Aularian.

It seems fitting therefore that our regular giving society bears his name.

Stephen Penton (1676-84) Penton followed Tullie and was a similarly enterprising if overly experimental Principal. Under his leadership the Hall continued its fundraising activities and was able to construct the Chapel and what is now the Old Library. Donations amounted to £366 5s, with individual donations ranging from £1-£40.

Edward Moore (1864-1913) Moore enjoyed a long and successful Principalship at the Hall, and was fundamental in ensuring its survival to this day. Under Moore, the reputation of the hall as a home of ‘true religion and sound learning’ was greatly increased, the numbers were more than doubled, and it was represented in almost every honours list.

The university commission of 1877 prepared a new scheme for St Edmund Hall, which would have brought it under the control of Queen’s College and ended its separate existence, to take effect on the retirement or death of the existing head. Moore made it his object to defeat this scheme. In 1903, on Moore being nominated to a canonry at Canterbury, J. R. Magrath, the provost of Queen’s, carried through the university’s hebdomadal council a statute which would have resulted in the absorption of the hall by Queen’s college. Moore successfully opposed the statute in congregation, and, retaining the headship with the sanction of the prime minister, A. J. Balfour, set himself to preserve the independence of the hall. After a prolonged struggle, a statute was passed in 1913 preserving St Edmund Hall as an independent institution. At last Moore felt able to resign, having secured the future of the Hall as an independent institution.

Making your gift

Make your regular gift to the Aularian Fund today.

Gifts can be made on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis and can be amended by you at any time.

Aularians in the USA can make a tax efficient regular gift via Americans for Oxford.