Oriel is the fifth oldest of Oxford's colleges, founded in 1324 by King Edward II and is beautifully situated in the city centre. Oriel and University College have both claimed to be Oxford's oldest royal foundation, although King Alfred's involvement in the University is based on centuries of hearsay and unconvincing evidence. Oriel purposely has a smaller student body than most, which is selected from a wide variety of backgrounds. It has 182 graduate and 306 undergraduate students with a more or less even gender gap. Oriel cares about individuality and diversity and is committed to creating a supportive environment for all of its students. It believes that anyone with talent and potential should not be prevented from attending due to cost, and to that end, it has a generous scholarship program for high-achieving students from low-income families. All undergraduate students can be accommodated by the college, with all first years and many of the remainder living on the main site. The formal room is served six days a week. An active and resourceful student body provides all the usual clubs and societies, including an annual Shakespeare play performed outdoors on the Front Quad. Oriel has its own sports field and boathouse. The ever-expanding library has over 100,000 volumes and is open 24 hours a day. A rehearsal room is available for musicians. Hall of the Blessed Mary Adam de Brome, rector of the university church under the patronage of the king, was the main driving force behind the original medieval foundation, called the Hall of the Blessed Mary in Oxford. Brome had the king's blessing to divert University Church funds into the project. The college retained royal favor after Edward II's disposition by his emerging son Edward III and was endowed... chartered... Church of England and allowed a return to Catholicism. Oriel Prevost Edward Hawkins was a passionate opponent of the movement and so internal arguments broke out, which in the college's long history, is something that happens on a regular basis. Various disputes have led to adjudication demands from high-ranking churchmen and even lawsuits. The Ladies of Somerville Although the last Oxford men's college to admit women (1984), Oriel previously hosted the refined young ladies of Somerville while their college was requisitioned as a military hospital during the First World War. This move involved the construction of a dividing wall between the second and third quadrangles to reduce interaction between the sexes. The few remaining male college students not called back into service soon blew a hole in the gap that had to be guarded night and day until repaired..