Stubbs Society

The Stubbs Society for Foreign Affairs and Defence, commonly referred to simply as Stubbs Society, is the University of Oxford's oldest officially affiliated paper-reading and debating society (not to be confused with the unaffiliated debating society the Oxford Union). It is the university's forum for scholarship in international history, grand strategy and foreign affairs.

Named in honour of the Victorian historian, William Stubbs, in 1884, the Society has throughout its history welcomed many prominent speakers across the humanities and sciences. Its alumni includes former Home Secretaries, Lord High Chancellors, Archbishops of Canterbury, world leaders, Nobel laureate recipients, Victoria Cross holders, journalists and academics. Notable past-office holders include political theorist Sir Isaiah Berlin, socialist and second-wave feminist Sheila Rowbotham, military historian Sir Charles Oman, Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson, Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Lang and Winston Churchill's Home Secretary the Earl of Kilmuir.

Life membership of the society is available to anyone studying at the following institutions:

Shorter one-year memberships are also available to those participating in visiting study programmes at Oxford.

Discounted membership is given to those currently or formerly serving in His Majesty's Armed Forces. This includes the University Officers' Training Corps, the University Royal Naval Unit, and the University Air Squadron, which a significant proportion of members are associated with.

When an American, Samuel A. Brearley Jr., introduced the idea of the 'seminar' to Oxford in 1882, his initiative became, first, the Oxford Historical Seminar, and then, in 1884, the Stubbs Society. Functioning as a 'proving ground for future leaders and the founders of new fields of enquiry', the Society fostered critical thinking and intellectual curiosity under the aegis of dons such as Sir Charles Oman, E. A. Freeman, and with members including such future doyens of the historical profession as James Tait, Sir Charles Harding, and Frederick York Powell.

The photo to the right shows the original members of the society in which there are at least four future Members of Parliament, an Archbishop of Canterbury and some of the greatest scholars of the historical profession.

The Society's 'Transactions', largely extant from 1894 in the Bodleian Library, reveal much about its early character; but the Society resists easy characterisation. The early model has overtones of the gentleman's club, with one blackball in six enough to prevent election as a member and the Society colours being "claret, cider and coffee – the only drinks that were permitted at its meetings." The original constitution, too, declared the Society would "honour its toast to Clio in mulled claret.".