University College (in full The College of the Great Hall of the University of Oxford, colloquially referred to as "Univ") is a constituent college of the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world's second-oldest university in contin ...

in England. It has a claim to being the oldest college of the university, having been founded in 1249 by William of Durham. As of 2018, the college had an estimated

financial endowment A financial endowment is a legal structure for managing, and in many cases indefinitely perpetuating, a pool of financial, real estate, or other investments for a specific purpose according to the will of its founders and donors. Endowments are o ...

of £132.7m. The college is associated with a number of influential people, including

Clement Attlee Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, (3 January 18838 October 1967) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955. He was Deputy Prime Min ...

Harold Wilson James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, (11 March 1916 – 24 May 1995) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from October 1964 to June 1970, and again from March 1974 to April 1976. He ...

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (Birth name, né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 ...

Neil Gorsuch Neil McGill Gorsuch ( ; born August 29, 1967) is an American lawyer and judge who serves as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was nominated by President Donald Trump on January 31, 2017, and has served sinc ...

, Stephen Hawking, C. S. Lewis, V. S. Naipaul, Robert Reich,

William Beveridge William Henry Beveridge, 1st Baron Beveridge, (5 March 1879 – 16 March 1963) was a British economist and Liberal politician who was a progressive and social reformer who played a central role in designing the British welfare state. His 194 ...

, Bob Hawke,

Robert Cecil Robert Cecil may refer to: * Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury (1563–1612), English administrator and politician, MP for Westminster, and for Hertfordshire * Robert Cecil (1670–1716), Member of Parliament for Castle Rising, and for Wootton Ba ...

, and

Percy Bysshe Shelley Percy Bysshe Shelley ( ; 4 August 17928 July 1822) was one of the major English Romantic poets. A radical in his poetry as well as in his political and social views, Shelley did not achieve fame during his lifetime, but recognition of his ach ...

History

A legend arose in the 14th century that the college was founded by

King Alfred Alfred the Great (alt. Ælfred 848/849 – 26 October 899) was King of the West Saxons from 871 to 886, and King of the Anglo-Saxons from 886 until his death in 899. He was the youngest son of King Æthelwulf and his first wife Osburh, who ...

in 872. This explains why the college arms are those attributed to King Alfred, why the

Visitor A visitor, in English and Welsh law and history, is an overseer of an autonomous ecclesiastical or eleemosynary institution, often a charitable institution set up for the perpetual distribution of the founder's alms and bounty, who can inter ...

is always the reigning monarch, and why the college celebrated its millennium in 1872. Most agree that in reality the college was founded in 1249 by William of Durham. He bequeathed money to support ten or twelve masters of arts studying divinity, and a property which became known as Aula Universitatis (University Hall) was bought in 1253. This later date still allows the claim that Univ is the oldest of the Oxford colleges, although this is contested by

Balliol College Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided th ...

and

Merton College Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, ...

. Univ was only open to fellows studying

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...

until the 16th century. The college acquired four properties on its current site south of the High Street in 1332 and 1336 and built a quadrangle in the 15th century. As it grew in size and wealth, its

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

buildings were replaced with the current Main Quadrangle in the 17th century. Although the foundation stone was placed on 17 April 1634, the disruption of the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians ("Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of Kingdom of England, England's governanc ...

meant it was not completed until sometime in 1676. Radcliffe Quad followed more rapidly by 1719, and the library was built in 1861. Like many of Oxford's colleges, University College accepted its first mixed-sex cohort in 1979, having previously been an institution for men only.

Buildings

The Logic Lane Bridge at University College Oxford

The main entrance to the college is on the

High Street High Street is a common street name for the primary business street of a city, town, or village, especially in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. It implies that it is the focal point for business, especially shopping. It is also a metonym ...

and its grounds are bounded by

Merton Street Merton Street is a historic and picturesque cobbled street in central Oxford, England.

and Magpie Lane. The college is divided by Logic Lane, which is owned by the college and runs through the centre. The western side of the college is occupied by the library, the hall, the chapel and the two quadrangles which house both student accommodation and college offices. The eastern side of the college is mainly devoted to student accommodation in rooms above the High Street shops, on Merton Street or in the separate Goodhart Building. This building is named after former master of the college,

Arthur Lehman Goodhart Arthur Lehman Goodhart (1 March 1891 in New York City – 10 November 1978 in Oxford) was an American-born academic jurist and lawyer; he was Professor of Jurisprudence at the University of Oxford, 1931–51, when he was also a Fellow of Un ...

. A specially constructed building in the college, the Shelley Memorial, houses a statue by

Edward Onslow Ford Edward Onslow Ford (27 July 1852—23 December 1901) was an English sculptor. Much of Ford's early success came with portrait heads or busts. These were considered extremely refined, showing his subjects at their best and led to him receiving a ...

of the poet

– a former member of the college, who was sent down for writing '' The Necessity of Atheism'' (1811), along with his friend T. J. Hogg. Shelley is depicted lying dead on the Italian seashore. The college annexe on Staverton Road in North Oxford houses undergraduate students during their second year and some graduate students. The college also owns the

University College Boathouse University College Boathouse is the boathouse of University College Boat Club (UCBC) on the southern bank of the River Thames (locally known as "The Isis") in Oxford, England. It is owned by University College, Oxford. UCBC's Boathouse has bec ...

(completed in 2007 and designed by Belsize architects) and a sports ground, which is located nearby on Abingdon Road.

Student life

Univ Alternative Prospectus

The Alternative Prospectus is written and produced by current students for prospective applicants. The publication was awarded a HELOA Innovation and Best Practice Award in 2011. The Univ Alternative Prospectus offers student written advice and guidance to potential Oxford applicants. The award recognises the engagement of the college community, unique newspaper format, forward-thinking use of social media and the collaborative working between staff and students.

Grace

University has the longest

grace Grace may refer to: Places United States * Grace, Idaho, a city * Grace (CTA station), Chicago Transit Authority's Howard Line, Illinois * Little Goose Creek (Kentucky), location of Grace post office * Grace, Carroll County, Missouri, an uninc ...

of any Oxford (and perhaps Cambridge) college. It is read before every

Formal Hall Formal hall or formal meal is a meal held at some of the oldest universities in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland (as well as some other Commonwealth countries) at which students usually dress in formal attire and often gowns ...

, which is held on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. The reading is performed by a

Scholar A scholar is a person who pursues academic and intellectual activities, particularly academics who apply their intellectualism into expertise in an area of study. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or research ...

of the college and whoever is sitting at the head of High Table (typically the Master, or the most senior

Fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

at the table if the Master is not dining).

Original version

SCHOLAR – ''Benedictus sit Deus in donis suis.''

RESPONSE Response may refer to: *Call and response (music), musical structure *Reaction (disambiguation) *Request–response **Output (computing), Output or response, the result of telecommunications input *Response (liturgy), a line answering a versicle ...

– ''Et sanctus in omnibus operibus suis.''
SCHOLAR – ''Adiutorium nostrum in Nomine Domini.''
RESPONSE – ''Qui fecit coelum et terram.''
SCHOLAR – ''Sit Nomen Domini benedictum.''
RESPONSE – ''Ab hoc tempore usque in saecula.''
SCHOLAR – ''Domine Deus, Resurrectio et Vita credentium, Qui semper es laudandus tam in viventibus quam in defunctis, gratias Tibi agimus pro omnibus Fundatoribus caeterisque Benefactoribus nostris, quorum beneficiis hic ad pietatem et ad studia literarum alimur: Te rogantes ut nos, hisce Tuis donis ad Tuam gloriam recte utentes, una cum iis ad vitam immortalem perducamur. Per Jesum Christum Dominum nostrum.''
RESPONSE - ''Amen.''
SCHOLAR — ''Deus det vivis gratiam, defunctis requiem: Ecclesiae, Regi, Regnoque nostro, pacem et concordiam: et nobis peccatoribus vitam aeternam.''
RESPONSE - ''Amen.''

English translation

SCHOLAR — ''Let God be blessed in his gifts.''
RESPONSE — ''And holy in all his works.''
SCHOLAR — ''Our help is in the Name of the Lord.''
RESPONSE — ''Who has made heaven and earth.''
SCHOLAR — '' May the Name of the Lord be blessed.''
RESPONSE — ''From this time for evermore.''
SCHOLAR — ''Lord God, the resurrection and the life of them that believe, who is always to be praised both among the living and among the dead, we give You thanks for all our founders and other benefactors, by whose gifts we are nourished here for piety and the study of learning; asking You that we, using these Your gifts rightly to Your glory, may be led together with them into eternal life. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.''
RESPONSE — ''Amen.''
SCHOLAR — ''May God grant to the living grace, and to the dead rest; to the Church, the King, and our realm, peace and concord; and to us sinners everlasting life.''
RESPONSE — ''Amen.''

People associated with the college

Government and politics

File:Clement Attlee.png,

, former

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As moder ...

File:Sir W.H. Beveridge, head-and-shoulders portrait, facing left.jpg,

, economist File:Harold Wilson (1967).jpg,

, former

File:EWhitehead.jpg, Edgar Whitehead, former Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia File:Portrait of Count Felix Sumarokov-Elston.jpg, Felix Yusupov, Russian aristocrat File:John Scott, 1st Earl of Eldon by Sir Thomas Lawrence.jpg,

John Scott, 1st Earl of Eldon John Scott, 1st Earl of Eldon, (4 June 1751 – 13 January 1838) was a British barrister and politician. He served as Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain between 1801 and 1806 and again between 1807 and 1827. Background and education Eldon ...

, former

Lord Chancellor The lord chancellor, formally the lord high chancellor of Great Britain, is the highest-ranking traditional minister among the Great Officers of State in Scotland and England in the United Kingdom, nominally outranking the prime minister. T ...

File:Edgar Algernon Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 1st Viscount Cecil of Chelwood by Sir William Orpen.jpg, The Viscount Cecil of Chelwood, politician and recipient of the

Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiolog ...

File:Bill Clinton.jpg,

, former

President of the United States of America The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United State ...

''(did not graduate)'' File:Robert Reich.jpg, Robert Reich, economic advisor, former U.S. Secretary of Labor, and author File:Bernard W. Rogers.jpg,

Bernard W. Rogers Bernard William Rogers (July 16, 1921 – October 27, 2008) was a United States Army general who served as the 28th Chief of Staff of the United States Army, and later as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, Europe and Commander in Chief, United Sta ...

, former

Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army The chief of staff of the Army (CSA) is a statutory position in the United States Army held by a general officer. As the highest-ranking officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Army, the chief is the principal military advisor and a ...

File:WilliamWeld.jpg,

William Weld William is a masculine given name of Norman French origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conq ...

, former

Governor of Massachusetts The governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the chief executive officer of the government of Massachusetts. The governor is the head of the state cabinet and the commander-in-chief of the commonwealth's military forces. Massachuse ...

and U.S. presidential candidate File:Hawke Bob BANNER.jpg, Bob Hawke, former Prime Minister of Australia File:Philip Hammond, Secretary of State for Defence.jpg, Philip Hammond, former Chancellor of the Exchequer File:Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch Official Portrait.jpg,

, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States File:Festus Mogae 2009-06-23.jpg, Festus Mogae, 3rd President of Botswana File:Chelsea Clinton (cropped).jpg,

Chelsea Clinton Chelsea Victoria Clinton (born February 27, 1980) is an American writer and global health advocate. She is the only child of former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former U.S. Secretary of State and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clint ...

, lead at the

Clinton Foundation The Clinton Foundation (founded in 2001 as the William J. Clinton Presidential Foundation, and renamed in 2013 as the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation) is a nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code. It was e ...

and Clinton Global Initiative, daughter of Bill and

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States senat ...

Many influential politicians are associated with the college, including the social reformer and author of the Beveridge Report

(who was a master of University College) and two UK Prime Ministers:

and

(a Univ

fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

). US President

(though he did not graduate) and Prime Minister of Australia, Bob Hawke were also students. Other heads of state and government to have attended Univ include Edgar Whitehead (Rhodesia), Kofi Abrefa Busia (Ghana), and Festus Mogae (Botswana).

Laureate

studied law at the college, similarly U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice

received a DPhil in law as a Marshall Scholar, while former

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

Supreme Allied Commander

read Philosophy, Politics and Economics as a

Rhodes Scholar The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom. Established in 1902, it is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is considered among the world' ...

, and former Court of Justice of the European Communities Judge Sir David Edward read Classics.Famous Univites

Literature and arts

File:Percy Bysshe Shelley by Alfred Clint crop.jpg,

, Romantic poet File:George Abbot from NPG.jpg, George Abbot, former archbishop of Canterbury File:Statue of C.S. Lewis, Belfast.jpg, C. S. Lewis, author of the '' Chronicles of Narnia'' File:Dornford Yates (Cecil William Mercer) by George Charles Beresford (1909).jpg,

Cecil William Mercer Cecil William Mercer (7 August 1885 – 5 March 1960), known by his pen name Dornford Yates, was an English writer and novelist whose novels and short stories, some humorous (the ''Berry'' books), some thrillers (the ''Chandos'' books), were be ...

, novelist File:Andrew Motion, April 2009.jpg,

Andrew Motion Sir Andrew Motion (born 26 October 1952) is an English poet, novelist, and biographer, who was Poet Laureate from 1999 to 2009. During the period of his laureateship, Motion founded the Poetry Archive, an online resource of poems and audio re ...

, former

Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom The British Poet Laureate is an honorary position appointed by the monarch of the United Kingdom, currently on the advice of the prime minister. The role does not entail any specific duties, but there is an expectation that the holder will write ...

File:Sir Max Hugh Macdonald Hastings.jpg, Max Hastings, historian and journalist File:Nick Robinson.jpg, Nick Robinson, journalist In the arts, people associated with the college include poet

(expelled for writing '' The Necessity of Atheism''), for whom there is a memorial in college; Poet Laureate

; author of the ''Narnia'' books C. S. Lewis; and a Nobel Prize for Literature winner, Sir V. S. Naipaul. One of the translators of the

King James Bible The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version, is an English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England, which was commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611, by sponsorship of K ...

, George Abbot, was a master of the college. The actors

Michael York Michael York OBE (born Michael Hugh Johnson; 27 March 1942) is an English film, television and stage actor. After performing on-stage with the Royal National Theatre, he had a breakthrough in films by playing Tybalt in Franco Zeffirelli's ''R ...

and Warren Mitchell attended Univ, as well as broadcaster Paul Gambaccini.

Science and innovation

File:Stephen Hawking.StarChild.jpg, Stephen Hawking, theoretical physicist and cosmologist File:Sir William Jones.jpg, William Jones, philologist File:Dr. John Radcliffe Wellcome L0002868EA.jpg, John Radcliffe, physician and academic File:Prof. Dr. Rudolph A. Marcus (cropped).jpg, Rudolph A. Marcus,

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfre ...

-winning chemist It was due to the college's lack of a mathematics fellow (this is no longer the case) that Stephen Hawking read a natural sciences degree and ended up specialising in physics. Other former students include John Radcliffe (physician), William Jones (philologist), and Edmund Cartwright (inventor). Rudolph A. Marcus, a Canadian-born chemist who received the 1992

Nobel Prize in Chemistry ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , alt = A golden medallion with an embossed image of a bearded man facing left in profile. To the left of the man is the text "ALFR•" then "NOBEL", and on the right, the text (smaller) "NAT•" then "M ...

, received a Professorial Fellowship at Univ from 1975 to 1976. A perhaps more unusual alumnus is Prince Felix Yusupov, the assassin of Rasputin.The History of Univ
, University College, Oxford. Univ had the highest proportion of old members offering financial support to the college of any Oxbridge college with 28% in 2007.Lord Adonis, Education Minister, 2008

Other connections

Boyle-Hooke plaque, University College, Oxford

Although not members of University College, the scientists

Robert Boyle Robert Boyle (; 25 January 1627 – 31 December 1691) was an Anglo-Irish natural philosopher, chemist, physicist, alchemist and inventor. Boyle is largely regarded today as the first modern chemist, and therefore one of the founders of ...

(sometimes described as the "first modern chemist") and his assistant (

Robert Hooke Robert Hooke FRS (; 18 July 16353 March 1703) was an English polymath active as a scientist, natural philosopher and architect, who is credited to be one of two scientists to discover microorganisms in 1665 using a compound microscope that h ...

, architect, biologist, discoverer of cells) lived in Deep Hall (then owned by Christ Church and now the site of the Shelley Memorial). The former made a contribution to the completion of University College's current Hall in the mid-17th Century.

Samuel Johnson Samuel Johnson (18 September 1709 – 13 December 1784), often called Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. The ''Oxford D ...

(author of ''

A Dictionary of the English Language ''A Dictionary of the English Language'', sometimes published as ''Johnson's Dictionary'', was published on 15 April 1755 and written by Samuel Johnson. It is among the most influential dictionaries in the history of the English language. Th ...

'' and a member of Pembroke College) was a frequent visitor to the Senior Common Room at University College during the 18th Century.

Publications

The college produces a number of regular publications, especially for alumni.

''University College Record''

The ''University College Record'' is the annual magazine sent to

alumni Alumni (singular: alumnus (masculine) or alumna (feminine)) are former students of a school, college, or university who have either attended or graduated in some fashion from the institution. The feminine plural alumnae is sometimes used for grou ...

of the college each autumn. The magazine provides college news on clubs and societies such as the University College Players and the

Devas Club The Devas Club for Young People (the Devas Institute until 1970) is a youth club in Battersea, south London, England, which provides sporting, educational and creative opportunities for disadvantaged youth. History The Devas Institute was fou ...

, as well as academic performance and prizes. News about and obituaries of former students are included at the end of each issue. Editors have included Peter Bayley and Leslie Mitchell.

''The Martlet''

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

Gallery

File:University_College_front_to_the_High_Street_Oxford.jpg, University College, on the south side of the

. File:University_College,_Oxford;_aerial_view_with_key_and_scale._Wellcome_V0014175.jpg, University College, Oxford: aerial view with key and scale. UK-2014-Oxford-University College 01.jpg, Main Quadrangle of the college. File:UK-2014-Oxford-University College 02 (Shelley Memorial).jpg, The Shelley Memorial at University College, Oxford. File:University_College_Chapel,_Oxford,_UK_-_Diliff.jpg, The interior of the

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common typ ...

of University College, Oxford. File:University_College,_Oxford;_the_library._Line_engraving_by_J_Wellcome_V0014178.jpg, University College, Oxford: the library. Line engraving by J.H. Le Keux, 1861, after himself. File:University_College_Oxford02.jpg,

Courtyard A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky. Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary ...

of University College Oxford. File:University_College_Oxford_Boat_Club_Boathouse.JPG, The new

Boathouse A boathouse (or a boat house) is a building especially designed for the storage of boats, normally smaller craft for sports or leisure use. describing the facilities These are typically located on open water, such as on a river. Often the boats ...

for the University College Oxford Boat Club. File:Dr_Bowen%27s_Room,_University_College,_Oxford.JPG, Dr Bowen's Room, University College, Oxford. File:University_College_Oxford_Logic_Lane.jpg, A view of Logic Lane toward the High Street from within University College, Oxford.

References

External links

University College official website

University College JCR website

University College WCR website
{{Authority control 1249 establishments in England Colleges of the University of Oxford Educational institutions established in the 13th century Grade I listed buildings in Oxford Grade I listed educational buildings Organisations based in Oxford with royal patronage Buildings and structures of the University of Oxford

History

Buildings

Student life

Univ Alternative Prospectus

Grace

Original version

English translation

People associated with the college

Government and politics

Literature and arts

Science and innovation

Other connections

Publications

''University College Record''

''The Martlet''

Gallery

See also

References

External links