On Wednesday 4 November Valerie Amos, Master of Univ, was joined in Hall by Adam Smith, Edward Orsborn Professor of US Politics and Political History, for a US Election breakfast conversation. With 24 socially distanced members in the audience and a much larger number joining online, the Q&A and analysis was both lively and informative (if, at the time, understandably inconclusive.)

Amongst our virtual guests was Elizabeth Crawford, Univ’s Domestic Bursar from 1986 to 2015, who had been in post at the time of OM Bill Clinton’s (1968, Politics) election. She shared the following anecdote with us:

“I recall the breakfast we had in the Alington Room on 4 November 1992. I had a huge tussle with the then Head Porter to get the American flag flying over Univ on the day. If you have ever seen the route up to the tower and the flag staff in the Main Quad you will know what’s involved. It’s vertical.

“The Head Porter was extremely traditional and difficult about flying a flag that was not on the permitted list, but it seemed too good an opportunity to miss… I had to grab the Stars and Stripes to put it up myself on a very frosty morning. But our lovely electrician at the time also climbed up to the top of the Kitchen staircase and took a great photo which Clinton had framed and displayed in the Oval Office. The photo was shared worldwide on the day.”

Published: 10 November 2020

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