Famous Speakers
An Unparalleled Reputation
The Union attracts figures from all walks of life and continues to maintain its unparalleled reputation for international guests and speakers. Twelve British Prime Ministers have been Members or Officers of the Union: Tony Blair, Margaret Thatcher, Harold Wilson, Edward Heath, Sir Alec Douglas-Home, Harold Macmillan (Lord Stockton), Anthony Eden, Clement Attlee, H H Asquith, the Marquess of Salisbury, the Earl of Rosebery, and William Ewart Gladstone.
Many others have been Cabinet Ministers, including in recent times such figures as Lord Hailsham, Tony Benn, Gerald Kaufman, Michael (Lord) Heseltine, William Hague and Boris Johnson.
The Political World and the Internationally Famous
Guests have included the Dalai Lama, Winston Churchill, Mother Teresa, former US Presidents Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, US diplomat Henry Kissinger, former US Presidential nominee Senator John McCain, former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, former New Zealand Prime Minister David Lange, Russian politician and former finance minister Grigory Yavlinsky, notable barrister and prime-ministerial spouse Cherie Booth QC, Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams, physicist Stephen Hawking, biologist Richard Dawkins debating creationist A. E. Wilder-Smith during the Huxley Memorial Debate, savant Kim Peek, comedian and writer Stephen Fry, former US Attorney General and Senator Robert Kennedy, actors Pierce Brosnan, Clint Eastwood, Ewan McGregor and Martin Sheen, Malcolm X, O.J. Simpson, footballer Diego Maradona, rock star Jon Bon Jovi, pop star Michael Jackson, televangelist Jerry Falwell, magician David Blaine, TV talk show host Jerry Springer, singer Barry White, puppet Kermit the Frog, actress Judi Dench, singer Gerard Way, fashion journalist Anna Wintour, scientist Albert Einstein, musical humourist and conductor Gerard Hoffnung and porn star Ron Jeremy. And that's just for starters.
Leading Figures from the World of Sport
Sport is an important part of college life in Oxford, and this is reflected in the guests we invite to speak. Over the last two years alone, speakers have ranged from Diego Maradona to Graham Gooch, Sally Gunnell to Geoffrey Boycott and Steve Redgrave to Chris Eubank.
Stars from Film & Theatre
The world of film, television and theatre has always played a major role in the Union - speakers included Dianna Rigg from 'the Avengers' in the 1960s to Charlton Heston in the 1970s. Recently actors ranging from Sir Ian McKellen to Nigel Hawthorne, Peter O'Toole to Julia Ormond have addressed the Union. For the more light hearted, members have heard from Stephen Fry, Leonard 'Spock' Nimoy and John Sessions. Such events give members an opportunity to hear, question and challenge in a relaxed atmosphere. Few other places can offer students the chance to meet the real person behind the famous face.
Debating The Issues of Today
The Union was founded as a debating society, and debates are still its lifeblood. They remain at the cutting edge of contentious issues. Edward Heath & Norman Tebbit have clashed over the dispatch boxes on Europe, as have Michael Heseltine & Michael Foot on the record of the Conservatives. Last year David Cameron shared his vision for a new Britain.
Speakers from around the world
Many politicians have spoken at the Union about Ireland and its problems. In 1888, Lord Randolph Churchill spoke on the issue of Home Rule. In 1962, the Reverend Ian Paisley provoked uproar with his attack on Catholicism during a debate.
Others who have spoken on Ireland over the years include Austen Chamberlain, W.B. Yeats and Prime Minister David Lloyd George. Prominent politicans from the Irish Republic who have addressed the Union have included Prime Ministers Liam Cosgrave, Albert Reynolds, John Bruton and Bertie Ahern.
There is also a strong American tradition: Presidents Reagan, Nixon and Carter have addressed the Society. Two of the greatest figures of 1960s America spoke at the Union shortly before their tragic deaths Malcolm X in 1964, and Senator Robert Kennedy in 1967. More recently, Henry Kissinger, Vice-President Dan Quayle, the American Ambassador and Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, have visited.