University College (Oxford)

University College (The Master and Fellows of the College of the Great Hall of the University of Oxford)
founding	1249
Sponsorship	University of Oxford
place	Oxford
country	United Kingdom
master	Ivor Crewe
Students	638 (2019) Undergraduates : 410 Postgraduates : 227
Foundation assets	£ 211.7 million (2018)
Website	Homepage

University College (legally: The Master and Fellows of the College of the Great Hall of the University of Oxford ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford .

Despite a legend that the college was founded as early as 872, its origins lie in the 13th century. University College, often colloquially referred to as "Univ", is fighting with Merton College and Balliol College for the honor of being the oldest college in Oxford.

The college is associated with a number of influential people. Notable alumni include Clement Attlee , Harold Wilson , Bill Clinton , Neil Gorsuch , Stephen Hawking , CS Lewis , VS Naipaul, and Percy Bysshe Shelley .

history

University College Engraving

In the 14th century, the legend arose that the college was founded in 872 by Alfred the Great . This explains why the college guns are attributed to those of Alfred the Great and why the college celebrated its millennium in 1872. Most agree that the college was founded in 1249 by William of Durham. He bequeathed money to the college to fund ten or twelve Masters of Arts in theology and in 1253 to buy a property known as the Aula Universitatis (university hall). That later date still allows the claim that Univ is the oldest of the Oxford colleges, though this is contested by Balliol College and Merton College . Univ was only open to theology students until the 16th century.

The college purchased four lots at its current location south of High Street in 1332 and 1336 and built a square in the 15th century . As it grew in size and wealth, its medieval buildings were replaced by today's buildings in the 17th century. Although the foundation stone was laid on April 17, 1634, the outbreak of the English Civil War meant that construction could not be completed until 1676. The Radcliffe Square followed in 1719 and the library was built in 1861.

Like many colleges in Oxford, University College accepted its first female students in 1979 because the college was previously only geared towards men.

building

University College (Front Quad)

University College Chapel

The main entrance to the college is on the High Street. The site is bounded by Merton Street and Magpie Lane. The college is divided by Logic Lane, which is owned and centralized by the college. On the west side of the college are the library, the dining room, the chapel and the two quads (German: Gevierte ), in which both student accommodation and offices are housed. The east side of the college consists mostly of student accommodation above the high street shops on Merton Street or in the separate Goodhart building. This building is named after the college's former Masters, Arthur Lehman Goodhart.

A specially constructed building on the college, the Shelley Memorial, houses a statue of the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley - a former member of the college. The college outbuilding on Staverton Road in North Oxford is home to sophomores.

The college also has a boathouse, which was completed in 2007 and designed by Belsize Architects, and a sports field located near Abingdon Road.

Publications

The college publishes a number of publications, particularly for its alumni.

University College Record

The University College Record is the annual magazine sent out to college alumni each fall. The magazine provides news on clubs and societies such as the University College Players and the Devas Club, as well as academic achievements and awards. You can find obituaries and messages about former students at the bottom of each issue.

The Martlet

The Martlet is a magazine for members and friends of college, available in print and online.

Personalities

• 

  George Abbot , Archbishop of Canterbury

• 

  Percy Bysshe Shelley , English writer

• 

  Clement Attlee , British Prime Minister (1945-1951)

• 

  Stephen Hawking , British theoretical physicist

• 

  Bill Clinton , 42nd President of the United States of America

• 

  Neil Gorsuch , American lawyer and federal judge

The alumni include politicians, lawyers, bishops, poets and scientists. These include two British Prime Ministers: Clement Attlee and Harold Wilson (a Univ scholarship holder), as well as numerous heads of state and government. The overwhelming masculinity of these personalities can be explained in part by the fact that women were banned from university college for more than 95% of the college's history (from 1249 to 1979).

• George Abbot (1562–1633), Archbishop of Canterbury
• Clement Attlee (1883-1967), Prime Minister of Great Britain (1945-1951)
• Harold Wilson (1916–1995), Prime Minister of Great Britain (1964–1970 and 1974–1976)
• Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822), English writer
• Bill Clinton (born 1946), 42nd President of the United States of America (1993–2001)
• Bob Hawke (1929-2019), 23rd Prime Minister of Australia (1983-1991)
• John David Hawkins (* 1940), British Hittite scientist and archaeologist
• VS Naipaul (1932–2018), British writer and Nobel Prize for Literature
• Stephen Hawking (1942–2018), British theoretical physicist and author
• CS Lewis (1898–1963), Irish writer and literary scholar
• Neil Gorsuch (* 1967), American lawyer and federal judge
• Edgar Whitehead (1905–1971), Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia

Web links

Commons : University College  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Official website (English)

Individual evidence

1. ^ Student Statistics - College Breakdown. University of Oxford , 2019, accessed June 22, 2020 (UK English). 
2. ↑ University College Oxford: Annual Report and Financial Statements: Year ended 31 July 2019 (PDF)
3. ^ ^{A b} Robin Darwall-Smith: A History of University College, Oxford . Ed .: Oxford University Press . Oxford 2008, ISBN 0-19-928429-6 (English, 640 pages, google.co.uk ).
4. ↑ ^{a b c} History. University College, archived from the original on May 17, 2013 ; Retrieved July 20, 2020 (UK English). 
5. ^ University College. In: Oxford History: The High. Archived from the original on January 29, 2019 ; accessed on July 20, 2020 (English). 
6. ↑ Isabelle Lomholt: University College Oxford Boathouse. In: e-architect. January 21, 2008, archived from the original on November 22, 2018 ; accessed on July 20, 2020 (English). 
7. ↑ ^{a b} Publications. University College, archived from the original on April 23, 2020 ; Retrieved July 20, 2020 (UK English). 

Coordinates: 51 ° 45 ′ 9 ″  N , 1 ° 15 ′ 7 ″  W.