Oliver St Clair Franklin OBE came to Balliol in 1967 to do his Philosophy and Economics BPhil. An Honorary Fellow of Balliol and a long-time donor and volunteer, Oliver supports students through the Area of Greatest Need Fund.
I came to Balliol after attending the oldest black college in America. The transition was seamless in many ways: the culture in my college was one where speaking and oratory were paramount, and the same was true at Balliol. The difference was that at Balliol, this happened on a global platform. I found it exhilarating to be part of such an international community – as I still do today.
Once I left Balliol, I kept in touch with students through the Coolidge programme, greatly enjoying hosting many of them over the years, including Matthew Westerman (1983), who went on to develop the scheme further in honour of his father, William Westerman (1946): it is now named the William Westerman Pathfinders programme. Keeping those connections between Old Members around the globe and current students is part of what makes the Balliol community so special.
I support Balliol students because I want to ensure that they are able to experience the open, welcoming community that I found when I was here. My mantra is: give what you can, and give it regularly. It is so powerful when we all come together to do that. It is especially important to help our students during times of unexpected difficulty, as so many of them have found recently.
Supporting the current generation of Balliol students is my part in the continuum of philanthropy that dates back to Lady Dervorguilla. When you contribute to the College, in whatever way you can, you are part of a vital tradition, which has been going for over 750 years.
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