Individual, Institution, and Impact: The Untold History of the de Osma Studentship in Spanish Studies at Oxford

Abstract

Guillermo J. de Osma (1853–1922) was the first Spaniard to study at Oxford after the Universities Tests Act 1871 opened the ancient universities of England to non-Anglicans. Known in his time as a diplomat, politician, art collector, and scholar, Osma established the first Spanish studentship and modern endowment at Oxford—the de Osma Studentship—in 1920. The Studentship has been held by many distinguished Oxford-trained Hispanists over the past hundred years. 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 in the Spanish-speaking world and remains virtually unknown in Anglophone countries. This article is based on previously unseen Spanish and British archival material, interviews and correspondence with de Osma Studentship holders from several generations, and testimonies shared at the celebration of the de Osma Centenary held in Oxford, which was a direct result of the research undertaken here. Drawing on this material, the article traces some of the cultural and academic implications of the establishment of the de Osma Studentship, revealing the untold story of its origins and development.