1960 University of Oxford Chancellor election

The 1960 University of Oxford election for the position of Chancellor was called upon the death of the incumbent Chancellor, Lord Halifax on 23 December 1959. It was the first election for Oxford Chancellor to be contested since 1925.

3 March 1960
 
Candidate Harold Macmillan Sir Oliver Franks
Party Conservative Independent
Popular vote 1,976 1,697
Percentage 53.8% 46.2
Chancellor before election

Edward Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax

 Elected Chancellor

Harold Macmillan

Electorate

The electorate consisted of all members of the University holding the rank of Master of Arts, of which there were around 30,000 at the time. Votes had to be cast in person at Oxford in academic dress. The election was by first past the post. To stand a candidate had to be nominated by two electors.

Candidates

At first, the university authorities came up with only one candidate, the wealthy Chairman of Lloyds Bank and former British Ambassador to Washington Sir Oliver Franks.

However, Hugh Trevor-Roper, installed less than three years earlier as Regius Professor of Modern History by the Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, proposed the Prime Minister as an alternative candidate.

Course of the election

Trevor-Roper orchestrated the Macmillan campaign, writing to graduates to encourage them to travel to Oxford to vote for Macmillan.

Result

The results were as follows:

Candidate Votes %
Harold Macmillan 1,976 53.8
Sir Oliver Franks 1,697 46.2
Turnout 3,673
Harold Macmillan elected

See also

References
  • Sisman, Adam (2010). Hugh Trevor-Roper, London: WEIDENFELD & NICOLSON, pp. 313–7. ISBN 978-0-297-85214-8
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