Kellogg College is born as Oxford honours donors

OXFORD dons yesterday agreed to rename one of the university's departments Kellogg College in recognition of its debt to breakfast cereals.

Members of Congregation, Oxford's 'parliament', agreed that Rewley House, which teaches adult and mature students, should be renamed from October. Dons also voted to give Nelson Mandela a degree by diploma, an honour which the university awards to heads of state.

Rewley House, which is due to become a fully independent university college shortly, has received pounds 9m from the Kellogg Foundation over the past 10 years. The foundation, which supports good causes, is separate from the cornflake company, though both were founded by Will Keith Kellogg who made his fortune out of breakfast cereals.

Kellogg's most recent donation to Oxford of pounds 4.7m will be spent on scholarships and new facilities for part-time students.

Dr Angus Hawkins, bursar of Rewley House, said the name change had not been a condition of the gift but had been proposed voluntarily by the governors. 'We are very proud of the tradition of Kellogg because it has an extraordinary record in its support of non-traditional students.'

Another Oxford college also agreed yesterday to change its name to honour a benefactor. Governors of Manchester College, which caters for mature students, voted to become Manchester Academy and Harris College, in memory of the founder of a carpet business, whose son, Sir Philip Harris, a Conservative Party fundraiser, is giving the college pounds 3.6m. Opponents of the change included members of the Unitarian church which founded the college 200 years ago.

Judith Nisbet, the college's academic administrator, said the opposition included only a very small number of governors. 'The fellows, students and council are in favour of the change,' she said.