At which Oxford college did Tolkien teach English language and literature?

Tolkien taught English language and literature at Merton College, Oxford. He became Merton Professor of English Language and Literature in 1945 and held the chair until his retirement in 1959.

Before Merton, Tolkien had been Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College. He also studied at Exeter College, so these Oxford colleges are frequent sources of confusion.

At Oxford, Tolkien’s scholarship focused on historical languages and medieval literature, including Old English, Middle English, and texts such as Beowulf. His academic expertise supplied much of the linguistic and literary foundation for his fiction.

Merton College is one of the oldest colleges at Oxford, founded in the thirteenth century. Tolkien continued to live and work in Oxford after retiring from his professorship.