Worcester College, Oxford
College name	Worcester College
	Collegium Vigorniense
Named after	Sir Thomas Cookes, Worcestershire
Established	1714
Sister College	St Catharine's College
Provost	Richard Smethurst
JCR President	Minesh Tanna
Undergraduates	408
MCR President	Tom Marshall
Graduates	167
Homepage

Worcester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its predecessor was an institution of learning since the late thirteenth century, even though the current college was founded only in the eighteenth century. Image File history File linksMetadata MKung_WorcQuad. ... Worcestershire (pronounced ; abbreviated Worcs) is a county located in the West Midlands region of central England. ... Battle of Gangut, by Maurice Baquoi, 1724-27. ... Most of the colleges of the University of Cambridge have sister colleges in the University of Oxford (and vice versa). ... Full name Collegium sive aula D. Catharinæ in Universitate Cantabrigiensi Motto   For the wheel! (unofficial) Named after St Catharine of Alexandria Previous names Katharine Hall (1473-1860) Established 1473 Sister College(s) Worcester College Master (From 1st January, 2007) Prof. ... The term Junior Combination Room or Junior Common Room (JCR) is used in many British universities (as well as at Harvard College in the United States) to refer to the collective of students (similar to a students union) at a constituent part of a university, typically a college or a... The term Middle Common Room (MCR) is used in some British universities, especially Oxford, Cambridge and Durham, to refer to the body of postgraduate students (similar to a students union) at a constituent college. ... The University of Oxford (usually abbreviated as Oxon. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London (de facto) Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2006 est. ... (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ...

History

The buildings are diverse – especially in the main quad, to the right an imposing eighteenth century building in the neo-classical style; and to the left a row of mediæval cottages which are among the oldest residential buildings in Oxford. These cottages are the most substantial surviving part of Gloucester College, Worcester's predecessor on the same site: this was a college for Benedictine monks, founded in 1283 and dissolved with the Dissolution of the Monasteries in about 1539. Neoclassicism (sometimes rendered as Neo-Classicism or Neo-classicism) is the name given to quite distinct movements in the visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Oxford is a city and local government district in Oxfordshire, England, with a population of 134,248 (2001 census). ... Gloucester College, Oxford was a Benedictine institution of the University of Oxford, from the late thirteenth century until the Dissolution of the monasteries in the sixteenth century. ... The longest lasting of the western Catholic monastic orders, the Benedictine Order traces its origins to the adoption of the monastic life by St. ... The Dissolution of the Monasteries, referred to by Roman Catholic writers as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the formal process during the English Reformation by which King Henry VIII confiscated the property of the monastic institutions in England between 1538 and 1541. ...

Backs of the mediæval cottages

After a lapse of twenty years, the buildings of the old Gloucester College were used in the foundation of Gloucester Hall, in around 1560. In 1714, thanks to a fortunate benefaction from a Worcestershire baronet, Sir Thomas Cookes, Gloucester Hall was transformed into Worcester College. Even then, there were only sufficient funds to rebuild the Chapel, Hall and Library and the north side of the Front Quad, known as the Terrace. Image File history File linksMetadata Worc_College_-_MKung_Personal. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Worc_College_-_MKung_Personal. ... Gloucester College, Oxford was a Benedictine institution of the University of Oxford, from the late thirteenth century until the Dissolution of the monasteries in the sixteenth century. ... Look up sir in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

In 1736, Sir George Clarke generously left to the College his great collection of books and manuscripts. These include the papers of his father William Clarke (which are of crucial importance for the history of England during the period of the Commonwealth and Protectorate) and a large proportion of the surviving drawings of Inigo Jones. George Clarke enrolled at Brasenose College, Oxford in 1676. ... Sir William Clarke (died 1666) was an English politician. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London (de facto) Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2006 est. ... Motto: PAX QUÆRITUR BELLO (English: Peace is sought through war) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Language(s) English Government Republic Lord Protector  - 1649-1658 Oliver Cromwell Legislature Rump Parliament Barebones Parliament History  - Declaration of Commonwealth May 19, 1649  - Declaration of Breda April 4, 1660 Area 130,395... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Inigo Jones, by Sir Anthony van Dyck Inigo Jones (July 15, 1573–June 21, 1652) is regarded as the first significant English architect. ...

Owing to lack of funds, Worcester's eighteenth century building programme proceeded by fits and starts. The mediæval cottages were to have been replaced by a further classical range, but survived because money for this purpose was never available; the Hall and Chapel, by James Wyatt, were not completed until the 1770s. The Chapel was extensively redecorated and refurbished by William Burges in 1864. Fonthill Abbey. ... William Burges William Burges (1827-1881) was an English architect and designer with influences which continue today. ...

On the South side of the Quad, the mediæval cottages remain from the period, as does the Pump Quad, leaving a charming mixture of architecture. The gardens are the most extensive and among the most beautiful of any Oxford college, and contain not only the college's playing fields, making it the only college to have them on site, but also a lake. The Chapel, redesigned in the Victorian period by William Burges, is highly unusual and decorative; being predominantly pink (the College colours are pink and black), the pews are decorated with carved animals, including kangaroos and whales, and the walls are riotously colourful, and include frescoes of dodos and peacocks. A playing field is a field used for playing sports or games. ... Queen Victoria (shown here on the morning of her Accession to the Throne, June 20, 1837) gave her name to the historic era. ...

One of Worcester's distinctions is that it brings together on a single site the work of three major architects: Hawksmoor's in the Library, Wyatt's in the Hall, and Burges's in the Chapel. In more recent years several new residential blocks for undergraduates and graduates have been added, thanks in part to a series of generous benefactions. The latest of these include the Sainsbury Building, Linbury Building and Canal Building (for undergraduates), and the Franks Building (for graduates). The career of Nicholas Hawksmoor (probably 1661 - 25 March 1736) formed the brilliant middle link in Britains trio of great baroque architects. ... A modern-style library in Chambéry A library is a collection of information resources and services, organized for use, and maintained by a public body, institution, or private individual. ... Wyatt is a city located in Mississippi County, Missouri. ... A hallway at the Royal York Hotel Look up Hall, hall in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Burges may refer to: Lockier Burges (Australian politician), 1814–1886, Australian politician William Burges (architect), 1827–1881, English architect William Burges (Australian politician), 1806 or 1808–1876, Australian politician Category: ... A chapel is a private church, usually small and often attached to a larger institution such as a college, a hospital, a palace, or a prison. ...

Worcester College in the early 19th century.

A modern addition to Worcester College, the Canal Building sits next to the north entrance to the college and, as the name suggests, besides the Oxford Canal. It houses fifty students in large en-suite single rooms. The accommodation is usually reserved for second and sometimes third year undergraduates. Image File history File linksMetadata WorcesterCollegeTHShepherdEarly19thc_edited. ... Image File history File linksMetadata WorcesterCollegeTHShepherdEarly19thc_edited. ...

Although Worcester is near the centre of Oxford today, it was on the edge of the city in the eighteenth century. This has been an asset in the long run, since it has allowed the College to retain very extensive gardens (26 acres). One important advantage of these gardens is that Worcester, unlike any other college, can provide playing fields for all the usual games within its own grounds.

In the mid-1960s, Post-Graduate philosopher Daniel C. Dennett threw what he claims to have been the U.K.'s first frisbee, in the College's grounds. [1] Frisbee games are now explicity banned in the College gardens. Daniel Clement Dennett (born March 28, 1942) is an American philosopher. ...

Oxford students know Worcester best for its Ball. Every three years a thousand ball-goers enjoy the Worcester College Commemoration Ball in Worcester's fairytale grounds. Held in June, it lasts from 6pm until 6 am and the dress code is white tie. Recent Worcester Balls have made sizeable donations to local charities. A Commemoration ball or Commem. ... Queen Elizabeth II with Commonwealth Prime Ministers, in the 1950s. ...

Fictional alumni of the college include Nick Guest from The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst. The Line of Beauty is a contemporary masterpiece by Alan Hollinghurst. ... Alan Hollinghurst is a British novelist. ...

The College grace

Worcester College crest

The College grace, recited by a scholar of the College before Formal Hall every night (except Saturdays, when there is no Formal Hall) is the same as the Christ Church grace, but always given in the long form: Image File history File linksMetadata Worccrestwflower1_copy. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Worccrestwflower1_copy. ... Formal Hall or Formal Meal is the traditional meal held at some of the older universities in the United Kingdom at which students dress in formal attire and often gowns to dine. ... Christ Church is the name of various churches and cathedrals, usually Protestant, named after Jesus Christ himself. ...

"Nōs miserī hominēs et egēnī, prō cibīs quōs nōbis ad corporis subsidium benignē es largītus, tibi, Deus omnipotēns, Pater cælestis, grātiās reverenter agimus; simul obsecrantēs, ut iīs sobriē, modestē atque grātē ūtāmur. Īnsuper petimus, ut cibum angelōrum, vērum panem cælestem, verbum Deī æternem, Dominum nostrum Iēsum Christum, nōbis impertiāris; utque illō mēns nostra pascātur et per carnem et sanguinem eius fovēāmur, alāmur, et corrōborēmur. Amen."

Notable former students

• Richard Adams
• Perry Anderson
• Bill Bradley
• Alastair Burnet
• John de Feckenham (Gloucester College)
• John Hood, Vice-Chancellor, University of Oxford
• Elena Kagan, Dean of Harvard Law School
• Toby Litt
• Richard Lovelace (Gloucester Hall)
• John Cecil Masterman
• Glyn Maxwell
• Sir Roy Meadow
• John Michuki
• Sir Alastair Morton
• Rupert Murdoch
• Rachel Portman
• Herbert Murrill
• Thomas de Quincey
• Tim, Baron Razzall Politician (Lib Dem)
• John Sainsbury
• Anne-Marie Slaughter, Dean of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University
• Laura Solon, winner of the 2005 Perrier Comedy Award at the Edinburgh Festival
• Victoria "Plum" Sykes
• Woodrow Wyatt

See also Former students of Worcester College.

Richard George Adams (born May 9, 1920 in Newbury, Berkshire, England) is a British novelist who is best known for two novels with animal characters, Watership Down and The Plague Dogs. ... Perry Anderson (born 1938) is a leading Marxist intellectual. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Sir Alastair Burnet (12 July 1928 – ) is a British journalist and broadcaster, known for his work in news and current affairs programming. ... John Feckenham (c. ... Dr John Hood has been the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford since 5 October 2004. ... The University of Oxford (usually abbreviated as Oxon. ... Elena Kagan is the dean of Harvard Law School and the Charles Hamilton Houston Professor of Law and has recently been announced as the next President of Harvard University. ... Harvard Law School (HLS) is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. ... Toby Litt is an English writer, born in Bedford in 1968. ... Richard Lovelace (1618 - 1657) was an English poet and nobleman, born in Woolwich, today part of south-east London. ... Sir John Cecil Masterman (January 12, 1891 - June 6, 1977) was a noted academic, sportsman and author. ... Glyn Maxwell (born in 1962) is a British poet. ... Professor Sir Samuel Roy Meadow (born 1933) is a former British paediatrician. ... John Njoroge Michuki (1932 - ) is the Kenyan internal security minister. ... Sir Alastair Morton (January 11, 1938 — 1 September 2004) was Chief Executive of Eurotunnel and Chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Rachel Portman (born 11 December 1960, Haslemere, England) is a British composer, best known for her film work. ... Herbert Murrill (1909–1952) was an English musician, composer and organist. ... Thomas de Quincey from the frontispiece of Revolt of the Tartars, Thomas de Quincey (August 15, 1785 – December 8, 1859) was an English author and intellectual. ... Edward Timothy Razzall, Baron Razzall (born 12 June 1943 in Ealing, London) is a British Liberal Democrat politician. ... John Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Preston Candover is a businessman and politician. ... Anne-Marie Slaughter is the current Dean of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. ... Robertson Hall, which houses the Woodrow Wilson School. ... Princeton University is a coeducational private university located in Princeton, New Jersey, in the United States of America. ... Laura Solon (aged 26 as of August 2005) is an English comedienne, writer and winner of the 2005 Perrier Comedy Award, only the second female to win as a solo performer (the first being Jenny Eclair in 1995). ... There is no one Edinburgh Festival but those using the term are usually referring to the collection of various festivals in August and early September of each year in Edinburgh, Scotland. ... Victoria Plum Sykes is a British-born fashion-writer, novelist and New York socialite. ... Woodrow Lyle Wyatt, Baron Wyatt of Weeford (July 4, 1918 – December 7, 1997), was a British Labour politician, published author, journalist and broadcaster. ...

External links

• Map sources for Worcester College, Oxford