History
Balliol MCR has a short but illustrious history. It was formally founded in 1990, seven centuries after Balliol College itself, and a long time after Balliol first took graduates.
Image: Stuart Bebb
Prior the foundation of Balliol MCR, graduates were members of a Graduate Society of the Junior Common Room (JCR). The documents from that time suggest the decision to form an independent MCR was controversial, pitching the JCR Committee against the Graduate Society Committee. Even within the Graduate Society Committee the plan was controversial. The final vote came down on the side of a slim twenty-two majority out of forty-three votes in favour of an independent MCR with the other votes split between ‘status quo’ and a simple name change.
Twenty years on, Balliol has both a strong MCR and a strong JCR. The two institutions have a close cooperative relationship, demonstrating that the 1990 decision was, undoubtedly, the right one.
The documents below were provided by Dorte Rich Jorgensen, who led the independence struggle and was the MCR's first President.
Campaign Materials from Graduate Society
Returning Officer's Count of the Ballots