The Greville Smith Circle brings together over 200 Old Members and friends of the College who have chosen to make a gift to Balliol in their will. On this page, members of the Circle share their reasons for choosing to support Balliol in this way.
Through a gift in the will of the late Mary Irvine, the Irvine family have established the James Irvine Early Career Fellowship, in memory of James Irvine (1983, Literae Humaniores). They regularly attend the Greville Smith Lunch.
My late uncle, James Irvine, was a student at Balliol in the 1980s, where he studied Classics initially at undergraduate and later at postgraduate level achieving a PhD. Balliol gave James the opportunity to reach his full academic potential and he loved being a part of College. Unfortunately, his life was cut short by illness in his early thirties, so my grandparents, Norman and Mary continued to support Balliol as a way of remembering James. This is something my family has continued to do now.
My late grandmother, Mary, chose to make a gift in her will to Balliol in lieu of any inheritance that James would have had. She decided that a gift to Balliol was the best way to keep James's legacy alive for future generations of Classics enthusiasts. After discussing this with my father (James's brother), my mother, and myself, we agreed that Mary's gift could have the most impact through supporting Early Career Fellowships at Balliol. The James Irvine Early Career Fellow in Classical Language and Literature provides talented young academics with the opportunity to research and teach at Balliol, something that James himself was able to benefit from. It was important to us that James's legacy would be honoured by providing younger academics with a route in at Balliol that they may not have previously had. We are incredibly proud of the difference that Mary's gift has made to Balliol and that James’ name and legacy lives on by inspiring new generations of students.
Being part of the Greville Smith Circle strengthens our family’s connection to Balliol and offers a way to see how Mary’s gift helps support the endeavours of Balliol and ensure it keeps thriving throughout generations. There are always really interesting people at the Greville Smith functions and the more stories you hear, the more you come to realise that Balliol is more than just a college at Oxford, it's a significant stepping stone for everyone who passes through it's doors.
Elizabeth Irvine
I came up to Balliol in 1966, and loved every minute of it, or, at least, the parts I can remember! Balliol helped me learn how to think objectively and systematically, not just how to read or to talk, and it taught me the importance of long term friendship and community. Sixty years have gone by, and I am still good friends with surviving contemporaries, and value the collegiality that Balliol gave me from the start and has nurtured ever since.
I started coming to Greville Smith Circle lunches before Covid, and enjoy them immensely, meeting old friends and making new ones. I am delighted that Balliol cares enough about legacy pledgers - of all kinds, whether of cash, property, or goods - by celebrating with us the continuity of the philanthropy on which this College was founded. I am honoured to be a small part of that tradition.
I hope the expansion of the Circle will become an increasingly important source of funding and intellectual vitality for the College, and that the example of current Circle members will inspire others to join. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we outgrew our annual lunch as a result? I would be proud to see that happen.
I earned a Bachelor of Civil Law degree at Balliol in 2003 after having been a practicing lawyer in the United States for 14 years. To say I was a non-traditional student is putting it mildly. Nevertheless, I felt very welcome and accepted by professors and classmates like. The open-minded, respectful approach to law, morality, and justice that I found here has stayed with me and has, I hope, informed the rest of my legal career.
When my late husband, John Arthur (Visiting Fellow in Philosophy 2002-2003), and I sat down many years ago to write our wills, we had no idea where to start when it came to charities. We talked about our values on the one hand, and on the other hand, the things we simply liked and enjoyed. Balliol ended up in both categories. We wanted to support an institution devoted to serious teaching and research. We also agreed that our year here was one of the happiest of our lives.
Barring some financial miracle, my bequest to Balliol will not be particularly large. Even so, I like the feeling that I can play a part – however small – in the College's 750-year-plus project of seeking truth and fostering civilised discourse. If you are considering making a gift to Balliol in your will, you might also find it a satisfying way to honour your memories of your time here, while helping ensure that Balliol remains strong and welcoming for the benefit of future generations of students, scholars, and the public that they serve.
Rosalind Slinger is the widow of Edward Slinger (1955, Jurisprudence). Edward and Rosalind have been generous supporters of the College for many years. Rosalind and her family have retained close ties to Balliol and the Greville Smith Circle.
Edward Slinger, an Accrington Grammar School boy, considered his further studies for a Law degree at Balliol to have been lifechanging.
His memories were vivid and he valued lifelong friendships with fellow students and tutors Don Harris and Maurice Keen.
He valued everyone from the welcoming staff in the Lodge, to students, tutors and the Master. Chapel evensong was a haven of peace for him and later when visiting the quad, he would always stop, look around at the trees and gardens and say “It’s so good to be back”.
When meeting past fellow students, the Balliol Rhymes were often remembered and quoted at appropriate moments. He relished discussing complex legal issues with Tom Bingham and sharing memories of triumph and disaster from various college sporting events – Iffley Road athletics, mud on the football pitch, cricket in the Parks – he and Henry Brooke would chuckle endlessly over famous run outs and dropped catches.
My first visit to Balliol was the 1961 Summer Ball, and from then I began to understand a little more of the history and ethos of the College. Edward understood the need to support programmes which gave opportunities to less fortunate, talented young students.
Father, son and now grandson continue to benefit from Balliol’s teaching in Law, PPE and Political Theory, a far cry from humble family beginnings in the farms of Cumbria and mills of Lancashire.
The Greville Smith Circle Lunch is a wonderful meeting of minds and friendships. By continuing this link, former students and families enjoy memories of the past, a thank you for their support and a reminder that they are giving hope to future students of Balliol.
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