Oxford Inscriptions: Benefactors of the University
Open this link and then enlarge the image to read the names more easily
This list of about 280 donors to the University is on the left-hand wall as you pass through the Clarendon Arch into the Schools Quadrangle of the Bodleian Library. It starts with Thomas Cobham (Bishop of Worcester from 1317 to 1327) who founded the first library at the University, and includes monarchs from King Henry VII to Queen Elizabeth II.
There are many people in the first two columns who have given their name to older well-known Oxford buildings, including Sir Thomas Bodley, John Ruskin, and Augustus Henry Lane-Fox-Pitt-Rivers.
The third column lists more recent benefactors, including:
The Weston family (Weston Library)
Lord Rothermere and his sister Lady Cromer (Rothermere American Institute)
Wafic and Rosemary Saïd (Saïd Business School)
Lief Dov Rosenblatt (Rosenblatt Swimming Pool, Iffley Road)
James Martin (Oxford Martin School)
Professor Nasser D. Khalili (Khalili Research Centre)
Leonard Blavatnik (Blavatnik School of Government)
Ellie Steliou Ioannou (Stelios Ioannou Centre for Classical and Byzantine Studies)
Mica and Ahmet Ertegun (Ertegun House for the Study of the Humanities, St Giles' Street)
Christopher Gradel (Gradel Institute of Charity, Savile Road)
Adrian Beecroft (Beecroft Building, Department of Physics, Parks Road)
Stephen A. Schwarzman (Schwarzman Centre)
Simon, Joyce, David, Debra Reuben and family (donation to the University to build Reuben College)
Dr Cyrus Poonawalla (Cyrus Poonawalla Vaccines Research Building, Headington)
“Mortimer D. Sackler M.D. family” is in the list of benefactors, but the Sackler Library was renamed after the family's association with the opioid crisis was revealed.
There are also numerous benefactors to colleges but these are not listed at the Clarendon Arch (although some of the people listed on it also gave money to colleges).
Oxford Clarion