Churchill College, Cambridge

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Template:Oxbridge College InfoboxTemplate:Clearright Image:Churchill College Cambridge - Central area and Hepworth.jpgTemplate:Clearright Image:Chufront.jpgTemplate:Clearright Churchill College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge and was founded in 1960 as the national and Commonwealth memorial to Winston Churchill.

Churchill is situated on the outskirts of the town away from the traditional centre of old Cambridge, but close to the University's main new development zone. Its 42 acres (160,000 m²) of grounds make it physically the largest of all the colleges.

Churchill was one of the first three men's colleges to admit women in 1972; the others were Kings and Clare. Within 15 years all others had followed suit.

Cambridge University Radio is broadcast from Churchill College.

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History

In 1955, on holiday in Sicily soon after his resignation as Prime Minister, Winston Churchill discussed with Sir John Colville and Lord Cherwell the possibility of founding a new institution. Churchill had been impressed by MIT and wanted a British version, but the plans evolved to the more modest proposal of creating a Scientific and Technological based college within the University of Cambridge. Churchill wanted a mix of non-scientists to ensure a well rounded education and environment for scholars and fellows.

The first postgraduate students arrived in October 1960, and the first undergraduates a year later. Full College status was received in 1966.

The bias to science and engineering remains as policy to the current day, with the statutes requiring approximately 70% science and technology students amongst the students. The college statutes also stipulate that one-third of Junior Members of the college should be advanced (postgraduate) students.

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Buildings

In 1958, a 42 acre (170,000 m²) site was purchased to the west of the city centre, which had previously been farmland. After a competition, Richard Sheppard was appointed to design the new college. Building was completed by 1968 with nine main residential courts, separate graduate flats and a central building consisting of the dining hall, buttery, combination rooms and offices.

The dining hall is the largest in Cambridge and formals can cater for up to 420 guests.

In the centre of the college is the Churchill Archive Centre, opened in 1974 to provide a home to Sir Winston's papers (and also more recently endowed with papers from former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Neil Kinnock) alongside those of eminent scientists, including Rosalind Franklin.

In 1992, the Møller Centre for Continuing Education was built in the gardens, designed by Henning Larsen.

At the farthest end of the college is Churchill College Chapel. The idea of having a religious building within a modern, scientifically-oriented, academic institution deeply annoyed some of the original fellows, reputedly leading to the resignation of Nobel Prize winner Francis Crick in protest. Eventually a compromise was found: the chapel was sited away from the other buildings, and funded and managed separately from the rest of the College itself, being tactfully referred to as "the Chapel at Churchill College". The chimney of the heating system at the front of the college substitutes visually for the missing chapel tower.

According to the anecdote, Crick had agreed to become a fellow on the basis that no chapel be placed in Churchill. A donation was later made by Lord Beaumont of Whitley to Churchill College for the establishment of one, and the majority of fellows voted for it. Winston Churchill reputedly wrote to Crick, saying that no-one need enter the chapel except under free will so it need not be a problem. Crick, in short order, replied with a letter containing 10 guineas saying that if that were the case, here were 10 guineas for the establishment of a brothel.

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Masters

The Mastership of Churchill College is a Crown appointment. To date the College has had five Masters:

Sir John Boyd is due to retire during in summer 2006. On 27 July 2005 it was announced that The Queen has approved the appointment of Sir David Wallace as Sir John Boyd's successor. [1]

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Ents

Image:Students on Hepworth, Churchill College.jpg Every week of the Michaelmas and Lent terms, Churchill is host to The Pav, a weekly music event unusual for Cambridge events in that it is free and open to all university members. (The name Pav originates from the pavilion buildings of the college where the event was traditionally held. In recent years however, the Pav has been held in the main bar area.)

While many older colleges hold balls in May Week, Churchill holds a Spring Ball every February. Past themes have included Karishma (2006), Showdown (2005), Arabian Nights (2004), Hakuna Matata (2003) and Ocean Bound (2002).

During May Week the college JCR organise a free garden party.

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Churchill College Junior Common Room (JCR)

All undergraduate members of Churchill College are automatically members of the Churchill College JCR. The JCR represents undergraduates in various college meetings. The JCR elect members annually to the 15 posts of the JCR committee. These posts are:

  • President
  • Secretary
  • Treasurer
  • Access and Academic Affairs Officer
  • Environment and Ethics Officer
  • Winston Editor—Winston is Churchill College JCR's free fortnightly publication; the name was chosen by Chris German, editor in 1983, as an oblique reference to a Derek and Clive sketch
  • Equipment and Communications Officer
  • International Officer
  • External Officer
  • Webmaster
  • Ents (affectionately known as Entsmaster)
  • LBGT Officer
  • Women's Welfare Officer
  • Men's Welfare Officers

Members can opt out of the JCR if they wish, but this is rarely done.

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Art

Image:Churchill College, Hepworth.jpg The college contains many examples of modern artwork including:

There are also works by Sir Eduardo Paolozzi, Bridget Riley, Patrick Caulfield, Sir Peter Blake, and Daphne Hardy Henrion.

Mistry's piece can be found at the front of college. Sir Anthony Caro's Forum [3] used to stand near it but it was removed before the start of the 2004-2005 academic year.

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Traditions

Image:Dining Hall.jpg

In special formal meals such as Matriculation Dinner or Audit Feast the master usually raises a toast, first to The Queen and then to "Sir Winston". In other Formal Halls a toast to "Sir Winston" is often raised spontaneously and informally by one of the students whilst the fellows are leaving.

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Notable past and present fellows

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Nobel laureates

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Notable alumni

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See also

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External links

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Colleges of the University of Cambridge Image:Cambridge shield.png

Christ's | Churchill | Clare | Clare Hall | Corpus Christi | Darwin | Downing | Emmanuel | Fitzwilliam | Girton | Gonville and Caius | Homerton | Hughes Hall | Jesus | King's | Lucy Cavendish | Magdalene | New Hall | Newnham | Pembroke | Peterhouse | Queens' | Robinson | St Catharine's | St Edmund's | St John's | Selwyn | Sidney Sussex | Trinity | Trinity Hall | Wolfson

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