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This podcast series celebrates the centenary of the de Osma Studentship, founded in 1920 by Guillermo de Osma, the first Spaniard to graduate from Oxford after the Universities Tests Act in 1871 opened the ancient universities of England to non-Anglicans. The studentship was from its creation open to both men and women, which was most unusual at the time, and continues to be under the exclusive remit of the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford. On the anniversary of Osma’s death, 7 February 2020, Spanish Studies at Oxford organized the de Osma Centenary, held at the Bodleian Libraries, which brought together de Osma Students from across countries and generations.
Known in his time as a diplomat, politician, art collector and scholar, Osma was the first president of the Board of Trustees of the Alhambra, served as Spain’s Minister of Finance and president of the Council of State, and founded the Instituto Valencia de Don Juan (IVDJ) in Madrid, a research centre and cultural treasure trove housed in his former home and showcasing items from his art collection. Yet, despite his active role in Spanish public and cultural life, his unique links with Oxford and his contribution to twentieth-century British–Spanish relations, today, Osma is a little-known figure that deserves renewed recognition.
| # | Episode Title | Description | People | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | An archival apprenticeship experience and a biographical profile of Guillermo de Osma | Introduced by Bodley’s Librarian Richard Ovenden, Prof Duncan Wheeler speaks on his experience as a studentship holder in 2009, and art historian Guillermo de Osma shares a biographical profile of his great-granduncle. | Richard Ovenden, Duncan Wheeler, Guillermo de Osma | 02 Jun 2020 | |
| 3 | Stories of past de Osma Students and a journey through the Bodleian Archives exploring the history of the studentship | Osma Student ‘93–94 Dr Bruce Taylor speaks on his experiences in Madrid and predecessors who have passed, and centenary-organiser Dr Marina Pérez de Arcos shares her archival research on the history of the first modern Spanish endowment at Oxford. | Bruce Taylor, Marina Perez de Arcos | 02 Jun 2020 | |
| 2 | Osma Students from the past: The stories of British novelist Inez Pearn, first woman to hold the studentship ‘35–36, and Dr Alan Forey, Osma Student ‘56–57 and '57–58 | Simon Deefholts and Louisa Long, grand-daughter of Inez Pearn, talk about her time in Madrid before the Civil War as a source of inspiration for her novels. Dr Alan Forey, reader emeritus at the University of Durham, recalls his studentship in the 1950s. | Simon Deefholts, Alan Forey, Louisa Long | 02 Jun 2020 | |
| 1 | Looking forward to the next 100 years of the Osma Studentship | Dr Mariam Rosser-Owen, Osma Student ‘99–00, head curator of the Arab World collections at the V&A, traces with a specialist eye the collection at the Instituto and her research there, followed by an expert roundtable on the future of the Studentship. | Mariam Rosser-Owen, Carole Souter, Miriam Ali de Unzaga, Xenia Elsaesser | 02 Jun 2020 |