Merton College Chaplain’s Post Endowed 

The post of College Chaplain has been endowed, thanks to the donation of a principal gift and a number of matching donations enabling the College to reach a £2 million target.  

The Hon Michael Huffington, a regular visitor to Merton, pledged £1 million to secure the Chaplain’s post and a campaign to complete the appeal saw more than 120 other donations, from Mertonians across the world, towards the fund. 

In recognition of his principal benefaction, the holder of the endowed post will henceforth be known as Huffington's Chaplain. 

The Warden has commented, “The Fellowship and I are indebted to Michael Huffington for his generosity in securing this important College position for the long term. As part of a wider fundraising strategy to secure key elements of College life for the future, this is a significant step towards that ambition. Religion has always been a core charitable object of the College, with public worship having been part of Merton's life for more than 760 years. With the establishment of the Merton choirs and the installation of the Dobson organ, musical life within the Chapel has flourished, creating a global audience for Merton’s world-class music. Under the guidance of the Chaplain this essential component of College life remains both vibrant and relevant. This is a key moment for our College community and one of celebration.” 

College Chaplain, the Reverend Canon Justin White, said, “I am profoundly grateful to Michael Huffington, and to all those whose generosity has made possible the permanent endowment of the Chaplaincy for the first time in Merton’s long history. There is something wonderfully fitting in this. The Chapel, and the post of Chaplain, have been central to the identity and purpose of Merton since the founding of the College in 1264. More than seven and a half centuries later, the permanent endowment of the Chaplaincy gives striking contemporary expression to that founding vision: that learning, worship and the care of a scholarly community properly belong together.”