St Edmund Hall, Oxford

Oxford_College_Infobox
primary_colour = #801213
name = St Edmund Hall
name_Latin = Aula Sancti Edmundi
university = Oxford
picture =
shield =
colours = cell|#801213cell|#801213cell|#801213cell|#F0DC82cell|#801213cell|#801213cell|#801213cell|#F0DC82cell|#801213cell|#801213cell|#801213
full_name = The Principal, Fellows and Scholars of St Edmund Hall in the University of Oxford
named_for = St Edmund of Abingdon
established = 13th century, (c. 1278University of Oxford (2008) [http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate_courses/colleges/st_edmund_hall.html "St Edmund Hall - Admissions"] ] )
sister_college = Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
head_name = Principal
head = Prof. Michael Mingos
JCR President = Charlie Southern
MCR President = Courtney Brown
undergraduates = 395
graduates = 176
location = The High / Queen's Lane
latitude=51.753
longitude=-1.25
homepage = [http://www.seh.ox.ac.uk/ Homepage]
boat_club = [http://jcr.seh.ox.ac.uk/ JCR]
[http://mcr.seh.ox.ac.uk/ MCR]

St Edmund Hall is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Better known within the University by its nickname, "Teddy Hall", the college has a claim to being "the oldest academical society for the education of undergraduates in any university". [Cowdrey (1988); p. 388, referencing A.B. Emden who in his 1927 (p. 236) work states: "...and St. Edmund Hall now survives as the last lineal descendent of the oldest form of academical society designed for the residence of scholars studying in the Oxford Schools."] As of 2007 St Edmund Hall had an estimated financial endowment of £39m. [St Edmund Hall (2007) [http://www.seh.ox.ac.uk/index.php?section=353 "The College: Published Accounts"] ]

History

Like the University of Oxford itself, the precise date of establishment of St Edmund Hall is unknown; it is usually estimated at 1278. The college is named after St Edmund of Abingdon, Oxfordshire, the first known Oxford Master of Arts and the first Oxford-educated Archbishop of Canterbury, who lived and taught on the college site.

St Edmund Hall began life as one of Oxford's ancient Aularian houses, the mediaeval halls that laid the foundation of the University, preceding the creation of the first colleges. As the only surviving mediaeval hall, its members are known as "Aularians". St Edmund Hall took on the status of a college in 1957, though retaining the historical moniker of "Hall".

The college has a history of independent thought, which has brought it into regular conflict with both church and state. During the late 14th century and early 15th century, it was a bastion of the Wyclif heresy, for which college principal William Taylor was ultimately burnt at the stake, and principal Peter Payne fled the country. In the 17th century, it incurred the wrath of the crown for fostering nonjurors, men who remained loyal to the Scottish House of Stuart and who refused to take the oath to the German House of Hanover, whom they regarded as having usurped the British throne.

College colours

Like most academic institutions, Oxbridge colleges commonly have a colour scheme used for college scarves, ties, sports clothing and so on. There is a great deal of confusion regarding the Hall's official college colours which seems to have arisen due to a discrepancy between "official college wear" and sporting wear.

The college's official colours are "claret and cream"; while this is not stated explicitly anywhere on the college's official web-site, the " [http://www.seh.ox.ac.uk/index.php?section=19 College memorabilia] " section quotes these as the colours of official college merchandise, such as the college scarves.

In the vast majority of sporting wear produced the "claret and cream" are often substituted by maroon and gold. This has naturally led to many people incorrectly assuming that these are the college colours. Confusion may also be caused by the fact that the college's coat of arms has a yellow/gold field.

Coat of Arms

The College Coat of Arms depicts a red cross fleury against a yellow/gold field surrounded by four Cornish Choughs and is blazoned "Or, a cross fleury gules between four Cornish choughs perched proper".

In the image shown to the left, the College coat of arms is found above the following Latin dedication "sanctus edmundus huius aulae lux" which can be loosely translated as "St. Edmund, light of this Hall".

It is a very common practice within the University to use chronograms for dedications - when transcribed into Latin, they are written in such a way that an important date, usually that of a foundation or the dedication itself, is embedded in the text. This is usually achieved by choosing certain letters in the text which correspond to Roman Numerals which when added, often disregarding the usual subtractive notation, amount to the required date. These numerals are then indicated by being rendered in a larger size than that of the surrounding letters.

In the above dedication, the text is rendered as

sanCtVs edMVndVs hVIVs aVLae LVX

and, in this case, adding the numerals naively gives:

:C + V + M + V + V + V + I + V + V + L + L + V + X = 1246

which is a popular, if conservative, estimate for the establishment of the Hall, but is in fact the date of the canonisation of St. Edmund of Abingdon.

Locations and buildings

St Edmund Hall is based on a small central site on the north side of the High Street. The front quadrangle (see picture) is bordered by the porters' lodge, the old dining hall (1659), the college bar and buttery (containing a mid-15th-century fireplace), the chapel with the old library above (late 17th century), and accommodation for students and fellows. In the centre of the quadrangle is a medieval well. Passages from the quadrangle give access to modern accommodation blocks and dining hall to the east, and the college library (the deconsecrated church of St Peter in the East, 12th century) and gardens (St Peter's churchyard) to the north. The garden contains a seated bronze depicting St Edmund as an impoverished student. The college also owns annexes at Norham Gardens, on Dawson Street, and on Iffley Road.

Student life

The student body has long been known for prowess in sport, especially rugby. In Hilary Term of 2008, the college made it to the finals of both the football and rugby cuppers competitions, winning in the rugby final against Keble college. More recently, it has also demonstrated strengths in journalism, drama, mathematics and student politics. In 2007 the college fielded a team in University Challenge scoring one of the three highest scores in the first round.

College assets and artifacts

"Work in progress"

College graces

The usual college grace given before Formal Hall is "Benedictus, Benedicat per Jesum Christum Dominum Nostrum" (Blessed is He and Blessed is this (food) through Jesus Christ Our Lord) to which the assembly responds "Amen". More extended forms of the grace are sometimes given but this is very rare.

People associated with the college

Current tutors and fellows

"Work in Progress"

Notable alumni

:"See also ".
*Dan Abnett, author, comic book writer
*Samira Ahmed, newsreader/presenter
*Stuart Barnes, former England and British Lions rugby player, commentator for Sky Sports
*Steve Blinkhorn, psychologist, psychometrician
*Anna Botting, newsreader
*Douglas Botting, explorer and author
*Emma Brockes, journalist
*Sir David Cooksey, GBE, businessman, venture capitalist and politician
*Robin Day, broadcaster
*Paul Farrelly MP Labour MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme (2001-present)
*Arihiro Fukuda late associate professor of the University of Tokyo
*Patrick Garland, (also Honorary Fellow)
*Amitav Ghosh, writer
*Mark Field MP (represents the City of Westminster)
*Timothy Gorringe, professor of theology
*Thomas Hearne, antiquarian and diarist
*Oronhyatekha, Mohawk physician and scholar
*Terry Jones, comedian and writer
*Gabriel Josipovici, novelist and playwright
*Emma Kennedy, comedian and writer
*John Waldron, comedian
*Stewart Lee, comedian and writer
*Sir Ken Macdonald, the Director of Public Prosecutions
*Hugo MacNeill, former Ireland and British Lions rugby player
*John McManners, ecclesiastical historian
*Derek Morris, economist, Provost of Oriel College, Oxford
*Al Murray, comedian
*Richard Onslow, 1st Baron Onslow
*Andrew Peach, BBC Broadcaster
*Sir Nicholas Pumfrey (Lord Justice Pumfrey), Court of Appeal Judge
*Charles Ritcheson, historian, diplomat, and university administrator
*General Sir (Hugh) Michael Rose, KCB, CBE, DSO, QGM
*M. J. K. Smith, cricketer
*Graham Steele, Member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly
*John Wells, comedian and translator
*Daniel Wilson, Bishop of Calcutta
*Salman Khurshid, Former Minister of State for External Affairs, Government of India
*Rudrangshu Mukherjee, Opinions Editor, The Telegraph, Calcutta

Other notable figures

*St Edmund of Abingdon
*G.B. Allan, Principal (1920–1928)
*George B. Cronshaw, Principal (1928)
*A.B. Emden, Principal (1929–1951)
*Rev. J.N.D. Kelly D.D., Principal (1951–1979)
*Leonard Hodgson, Vice-Principal (1914–1918)

Notes

References

* Cowdrey, H.E.J. (1988) "St Edmund Hall, Queen's Lane", In: Hibbert, C. (Ed.) "The encyclopædia of Oxford", London : Macmillan, p. 388-391, ISBN 0-333-39917-X. [http://www.seh.ox.ac.uk/index.php?section=26 Reproduced online by St Edmund Hall] [accessed 1 June 2007]
* Emden, A.B. (1927) "An Oxford Hall in Medieval Times: being the Early History of St. Edmund Hall", Oxford : Clarendon Press, Reprinted 1968
* Kelly, J.N.D. (1989) "St. Edmund Hall: Almost Seven Hundred Years", Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-951559-X

External links

* [http://www.seh.ox.ac.uk/ St. Edmund Hall] – official website
* [http://jcr.seh.ox.ac.uk/ St. Edmund Hall JCR] website
* [http://alt.seh.ox.ac.uk/main.php St. Edmund Hall Alternative Prospectus] website
* [http://www.chem.ox.ac.uk/oxfordtour/stedmundhall/default.html Virtual tour ] of St Edmund Hall
* [http://www.varsityshop.co.uk/acatalog/St_Edmund_Hall.html Shepherd and Woodward] , St Edmund Hall