Mansfield College, Oxford

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Mansfield College is one of the 39 constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is famed for being both the youngest and the smallest undergraduate college within Oxford University, a title of which 'Mansfielders' are proud. Mansfield College spacious grounds 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.

History

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.

The college's pre-supper grace was translated into Latin from the Welsh version originally prepared for the University College of North Wales (Reginald Adams, The College Graces of Oxford and Cambridge, ISBN 1870882067).

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 180 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. 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.

Amongst the notable academic staff are the Reverend Dr John Muddiman, G. B. Caird Fellow in New Testament Theology. No description of Mansfield would be complete without mention of Hugh and Mike, the porters. Hugh Flint 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.

Mansfield is sometimes nicknamed the "Kylie Minogue of colleges" [link], 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. This has so far culminated in a strangely underwhelming protest by Corpuscles, in which a document stating the superiority of Corpus was set on fire. The OxStu claims this was the work of JCR President Ed Mayne, but in fact the document fell foul of Mansfield's "aura of burninating" – the document, like the JCR and the Boat Club, simply spontaneously combusted.

Notable former students

Alumni of Mansfield College include:

Adam von Trott zu Solz (tried to assassinate Adolf Hitler)
Chris Bryant
Guy Hands
Erik Routley
Rev Prof George B Caird (Dean Ireland's professor of the exegesis of holy scripture)
Paul Crossley (pianist)
C. H. Dodd (theologian, chairman of New English Bible translators)
Michael White (music critic)
Chris Cragg (Financial Times)

External links

Permanent Private Halls at the University of Oxford
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
Blackfriars \| Campion Hall \| Greyfriars \| Regent's Park College \| St Benet's Hall \| St Stephen's House \| Wycliffe Hall

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