Mansfield College, Oxford
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Mansfield College, Oxford | |||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||
| College name | Mansfield College | ||||||||||||
| Motto | Deus locutus est nobis in Filio ("God hath spoken unto us by [his] Son", Hebrews 1:1–2) | ||||||||||||
| Named after | George and Elizabeth Mansfield | ||||||||||||
| Established | 1886 | ||||||||||||
| Sister College | none | ||||||||||||
| Principal | Dr Diana Walford | ||||||||||||
| JCR President | Alex Morris | ||||||||||||
| Undergraduates | 200 | ||||||||||||
| MCR President | Tom Simchak | ||||||||||||
| Graduates | 73 | ||||||||||||
| Homepage | |||||||||||||
| Grace | (ante cibum) Omnipotens Deus, clementissime Pater, omnis boni fons, in donis tuis gaudentes nomen tuum magnificamus, per Jesum Christum Dominum nostrum. "(before the meal) Almighty God, Father of mercies and fount of every good, in the enjoyment of thy gifts we bless thy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord." | ||||||||||||
Mansfield College is one of the 39 constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Notably, it is both the youngest and smallest undergraduate college within Oxford University, a title of which 'Mansfielders' are proud.
Mansfield is sometimes nicknamed the "Kylie Minogue of colleges" [1], being "small but well-formed". Claiming the title of "the smallest college", it recently gained a 300-year-old rivalry with Corpus Christi, from whom Mansfield wrested this title in 1995.
Contents |
[edit] History
Originally only members of the established Church Of England were permitted to attend Oxford or Cambridge University as students. Mansfield was the result of a successful attempt to circumvent this ban on non-Anglican denominations attending university. The college was originally founded (under the name of Spring Hill College) in Birmingham, as a college for Nonconformist students, who could not at that time be admitted to Oxford or Cambridge. The college moved to Oxford following the relaxation of the religious restrictions, and was founded in its present form in 1886. The Victorian buildings were designed by Basil Champneys.
Nowadays, in addition to being a regular college of study in the University, it also trains students for ordination (ordinands) in the United Reformed Church and the Congregational Federation, along with Northern College, Manchester and Westminster College, Cambridge.
Until 1995 Mansfield was a Permanent Private Hall rather than a college, the Queen's Charter being awarded in that year. With an undergraduate population of little more than 200 at any time, Mansfield remains the smallest undergraduate college in Oxford University apart from Harris Manchester, which only accepts mature students. Its reputation for food around the university is excellent.
The college's pre-supper grace was translated into Latin from the Welsh version originally prepared for the University College of North Wales[2].
[edit] Physical location
The spacious grounds of Mansfield College occupy one of the most attractive sites in Oxford near to the University parks and River Cherwell. The 1886 buildings, which house all the College's public rooms, are regarded as amongst the finest work of the important Victorian architect, Basil Champneys.
[edit] Diversity
It is the leader of the University's further-education access scheme and has amongst the highest proportions of state school students at any Oxbridge college. It also has a significant number of non-Caucasian students
[edit] Staff
Dr Albert Schweitzer, theologian and famous Bach expert was a special lecturer at Mansfield and often performed on the chapel organ. Among the notable academic staff is the Reverend Dr John Muddiman, G. B. Caird Fellow in New Testament Theology.
The college porters, Hugh and Mike, are also notable characters. Hugh Flint who has now retired, was the drummer for John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers and appeared on their first two albums, the second of which featured Eric Clapton. He later formed the band McGuiness Flint.
[edit] Notable former students
Alumni of Mansfield College include:
- Pamela Sue Anderson, philosopher
- Chris Bryant
- The Reverend George B Caird, Dean Ireland's Professor of the Exegesis of Holy Scripture, University of Oxford
- Chris Cragg (Financial Times)
- Paul Crossley (pianist)
- C. H. Dodd (theologian, chairman of New English Bible translators)
- Guy Hands
- Erik Routley
- Adam von Trott zu Solz (tried to assassinate Adolf Hitler)
- The Reverend Dr H. Wheeler Robinson, Principal of Regent's Park College, Oxford and pre-eminent Old Testament scholar of his time
- Michael White (music critic)
- Matthew Castle, writer for N Gamer, and founder of the Mansfield College Film Society
[edit] References
- ^ [1]
- ^ Reginald Adams, The College Graces of Oxford and Cambridge, ISBN 1-870882-06-7
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Website of the Junior Common Room
- Website for the Middle Common Room
- Virtual Tour of Mansfield College
| Colleges of the University of Oxford |
|
|---|---|
|
All Souls | Balliol | Brasenose | Christ Church | Corpus Christi | Exeter | Green | Harris Manchester | Hertford | Jesus | Keble | Kellogg | Lady Margaret Hall | Linacre | Lincoln | Magdalen | Mansfield | Merton | New College | Nuffield | Oriel | Pembroke | Queen's | St Anne's | St Antony's | St Catherine's | St Cross | St Edmund Hall | St Hilda's | St Hugh's | St John's | St Peter's | Somerville | Templeton | Trinity | University | Wadham | Wolfson | Worcester |
|
| Permanent Private Halls at the University of Oxford | |
|
Blackfriars | Campion Hall | Greyfriars | Regent's Park College | St Benet's Hall | St Stephen's House | Wycliffe Hall |
|
