13 Norham Gardens

Green Templeton College’s premises include 13 Norham Gardens, a beautiful Grade II listed Victorian building which is a short walk from our main campus on Woodstock Road.

History of 13 Norham Gardens

Sir William Osler acquired the premises in 1907, two years after his appointment to the Regius Professorship of Medicine. Under Osler’s stewardship it became known as ‘The Open Arms’, because of its position as a meeting place and source of inspiration for medical students, physicians, scientists and academic visitors.

After Osler’s time, it was also occupied by two other Regius Professors: Sir George Pickering and Sir Richard Doll, first Warden of Green College, which merged with Templeton College in 2008 to form Green Templeton.

Generous contributions from friends including the McGovern Fund in Houston, Texas, Dr John P McGovern himself, and the Patrick Trust enabled the college to purchase 13 Norham Gardens.

How 13 Norham Gardens is used today

Osler-McGovern Centre

13 Norham Gardens is home to the Osler-McGovern Centre, which promotes the integration of the art and science of medicine by uniting a community of scholars through programmes involving lectures, seminars, workshops, conferences, visiting scholars and post-doctoral fellows. The Osler-McGovern Centre is available to hire.

Osler’s Library

Osler’s Library, preserved by Green Templeton, provides a living history of medical and public health studies at the University of Oxford.

Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism

13 Norham Gardens is home to the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, which engages newsroom leaders from around the world and explores the future of global journalism.