Looking back on the St Antony’s 75th anniversary year
Over the past academic year, St Antony’s College has celebrated its 75th anniversary through a programme of events and initiatives that brought together generations of Antonians across the world, honoured our Founder’s vision, and looked confidently towards the future.
The anniversary year began with a special launch dinner in June 2025, attended by 42 members of the extended Besse family, which was the largest meeting of members of the family on College grounds since the official founding by Antonin Besse. Their presence was a powerful reminder of the generosity and vision that made St Antony’s possible 75 years ago. The four youngest members of the Besse family cut a cake of the Hilda Besse Building – and were requested to return to do the same in 25, 50 and 75 years, thereby in one evening forging a 150-year link between the past, the present and the future.
That evening set the tone for a year of celebration centred not only on reflecting on our history, but on recognising the vibrant international community that continues to define St Antony’s today.
One of the year’s most enduring legacies has been the 75th Anniversary Collection, which has grown into a vibrant digital showcase of more than 100 contributions from Antonians around the world. From treasured photographs and handwritten postcards to reflections on lifelong friendships and unforgettable moments, the Collection tells the story of St Antony’s through the experiences of its community. Every submission will also be preserved in the College Archive, creating a lasting record of the people whose lives have shaped the College over the past 75 years.
A remarkable set of essays form the core of this Collection, updating Christine Nichol’s 50th anniversary history of the College. These essays give an unparalleled insight into the development of our Research Centres and the College’s relationship with the University of Oxford – particularly two key departments: the Oxford Department of International Development and the Oxford School of Global Area Studies.
And of course, with St Antony’s being St Antony’s, anniversary celebrations extended far beyond Oxford. On 20 June, nearly forty Antonian gatherings took place across the globe, from Buenos Aires to Tokyo, Cape Town to Warsaw, demonstrating that while St Antony’s may be a small College, it is home to a truly global community. Organised by our dedicated network of Liaison Officers, these celebrations reflected the international outlook that has defined the College since its foundation and reinforced the lifelong connections that unite Antonians wherever they are in the world.
The anniversary year also provided an opportunity to invest in the College’s future. In October 2025, we launched The Besse Society, our new recognition society for those who choose to leave a gift to St Antony’s in their Will. Named in honour of our Founder, the Society looks to the next generation by helping to secure the future of the College’s teaching, research and student support. Fittingly, its patrons are two of Antonin Besse’s grandchildren, continuing the family’s close association with the College and reinforcing the link between the vision that founded St Antony’s and the generations who will shape its future.
As the anniversary year drew to a close, members of the College community gathered once again for the annual Governing Body and Honorary Fellows’ Dinner. Held almost exactly one year after the anniversary launch dinner, the occasion welcomed our newly elected 75th Anniversary Honorary Fellows into the College community: Professor Sir Richard Evans, The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Baroness Dambisa Moyo and Dr Jin Park. Their distinguished achievements across academia, public service, diplomacy and business reflect the breadth of St Antony’s influence around the world and the values that have guided the College throughout its history.
Taken together, this anniversary year has celebrated far more than a milestone. It has highlighted the people who have shaped St Antony’s over the past 75 years – students, academics, staff, alumni, benefactors and friends – and reaffirmed the founding purpose that continues to define the College: promoting international understanding in a complex world.
While our 75th anniversary celebrations have now drawn to a close, the story of St Antony’s is still being written. The memories shared through the Anniversary Collection, the friendships renewed across the globe, the generosity recognised through The Besse Society, and the inspiration of our newest Honorary Fellows all point towards a future built on the same curiosity, openness, inclusivity and international outlook that have characterised the College since 1950.
Happy 75th anniversary, St Antony’s!
