The University Chest is a term used, with slightly varying meaning, at the
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
and the
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
. The abbreviated form ''The Chest'' is common at Cambridge.
Oxford
At Oxford the term is used in connection with the financial aspects of the University and its administration.
There has traditionally been an actual chest, an iron box that can be locked and used for storage.
[ Jan Morris, ''Oxford''. ]Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, 1987. . Page 41. The current Chest at Oxford was made in the 17th century and is officially called "The Painted Chest".
Today, the modern "Chest" is in practice the finance department of the University. The central administration is located in modern buildings in
Wellington Square Wellington Square may refer to:
* Wellington Square, North Adelaide, South Australia
* Wellington Square, Perth, in Western Australia
* A neighbourhood in Burlington, Ontario, Canada
* A square in Kolkata, India, renamed Subodh Chandra Mallik Squar ...
.
Cambridge
At Cambridge the term is used to refer to the main capital account of the University. Again, the term derives from an actual chest, which was used to secure University property from the medieval period.
See also
* ''
An Oxford University Chest'' by
John Betjeman (1938).
References
{{reflist
External links
A history of the University ChestChest, TheSources of Funds: The Chest Terminology of the University of Oxford
Terminology of the University of Cambridge
History of the University of Oxford
History of the University of Cambridge
Economy of Oxford