In 1948, Harlaxton was purchased by The Society of Jesus, who used it as a novitiate. Stanford University leased Harlaxton Manor from the Jesuits in 1965, and with only 80 students its first year, it was the first American university in Great Britain. Students attended classes from Monday to Thursday often travelling on the weekends, similar to the Harlaxton schedule today. Until 1969, Stanford used the Manor as part of its British study abroad program, instructing students in British traditions, history, and culture. But the location was a problem. “We were too remote, too far from London, and it was just too expensive to get to London," so the program relocated to Cliveden, Berkshire, between Oxford and London.