St Edmund's College is a

constituent college A collegiate university is a university where functions are divided between a central administration and a number of constituent colleges. Historically, the first collegiate university was the University of Paris and its first college was the Col ...

of the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

in England. Founded in 1896, it is the second-oldest of the three Cambridge colleges oriented to mature students, which accept only students reading for postgraduate degrees or for undergraduate degrees if aged 21 years or older. Named after St Edmund of Abingdon (1175–1240), who was the first known Oxford Master of Arts and

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the Primus inter pares, ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop ...

from 1234 to 1240, the college has

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

roots. Its founders were Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk, and Baron Anatole von Hügel (1854–1928), the first Catholic to take a Cambridge degree since the deposition of King James II in 1688. The Visitor is the Archbishop of Westminster (at present Cardinal Vincent Nichols). The college is located on Mount Pleasant, northwest of the centre of

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

, near Lucy Cavendish College,

Murray Edwards College Murray Edwards College is a women-only constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It was founded in 1954 as New Hall and renamed in 2008. The name honours a gift of £30 million by alumna Ros Edwards and her husband Steve, and the firs ...

and Fitzwilliam College. Its campus consists of a garden setting on the edge of what was Roman Cambridge, with housing for more than 350 students. Members of St Edmund's include cosmologist and

Big Bang The Big Bang is a physical theory that describes how the universe expanded from an initial state of high density and temperature. Various cosmological models based on the Big Bang concept explain a broad range of phenomena, including th ...

theorist

Georges Lemaître Georges Henri Joseph Édouard Lemaître ( ; ; 17 July 1894 – 20 June 1966) was a Belgian Catholic priest, theoretical physicist, and mathematician who made major contributions to cosmology and astrophysics. He was the first to argue that the ...

, Norman St John-Stevas, Archbishop

Eamon Martin Eamon Columba Martin KC*HS (born 30 October 1961) is an Irish Catholic prelate from Northern Ireland who has served as Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland since 2014. Early life and education Martin was born in Pennyburn, Derry ...

, of

Armagh Armagh ( ; , , " Macha's height") is a city and the county town of County Armagh, in Northern Ireland, as well as a civil parish. It is the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland – the seat of the Archbishops of Armagh, the Primates of All ...

, Bishop John Petit of Menevia, and Olympic medalists Simon Schürch (Gold), Thorsten Streppelhoff (Silver), Marc Weber (Silver), Stuart Welch (Silver) and Simon Amor (Silver). St Edmund's was the residential hall of the university's first Catholic students in 200 years – most of whom were studying for the priesthood – after the lifting of the papal prohibition on attendance at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge in 1895 at the urging of a delegation to

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII (; born Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2March 181020July 1903) was head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 until his death in July 1903. He had the fourth-longest reign of any pope, behind those of Peter the Ap ...

led by Baron von Hügel.

History

Foundation

St Edmund's House was founded in 1896 by Henry Fitzalan-Howard, the 15th Duke of Norfolk, and Baron Anatole von Hügel as an institution providing board and lodging for

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

students at the University of Cambridge. After Catholic Emancipation, in particular after the

Universities Tests Act 1871 The Universities Tests Act 1871 (34 & 35 Vict. c. 26) was an Act of Parliament (UK), act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It abolished religious "Tests" and allowed Roman Catholics, Nonconformist (Protestantism), non-conformists and non- ...

, students who were Roman Catholics were admitted as members of Oxford and Cambridge universities. However, the

Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (CEP; ) was a congregation (Roman Curia), congregation of the Roman Curia of the Catholic Church in Rome, responsible for Catholic missions, missionary work and related activities. It is also kn ...

decreed that it would be next to impossible for the ancient English universities to be frequented without mortal sin, stressing the dangers of an increasing atmosphere of liberalism and scepticism. This decision was met with public outcry from the wealthy laity, who wished for their sons to attend Oxbridge colleges. After a petition led by Anatole von Hügel, this ban was lifted in 1895 by Pope Leo XIII with the condition that a chaplain be appointed, a library with Catholic books be founded, and public lectures on philosophy, history and religion be established. As a result, the Universities Catholic Education Board (later Oxford and Cambridge Catholic Education Board) was founded and Edmund Nolan was appointed Chaplain. The Duke of Norfolk purchased property in Cambridge and the Cambridge University Catholic Chaplaincy was established at St Edmund's House in November 1886. In its early days the college functioned predominantly as a lodging house, or hall of residence, for students who were matriculated at other colleges. Most of the students, at that time, were ordained Catholic priests who were reading various subjects offered by the University. The college was established in the buildings of Ayerst Hostel, which had been set up for non-collegiate students by the Anglican priest William Ayerst in 1884. In 1896 Ayerst Hostel closed due to lack of funds, and the property was transferred to the Catholic Church. The founding master of St Edmund's House was Edmund Nolan, then vice-rector of St Edmund's College, Ware.

Collegiate Status

Attempts to have St Edmund's House become a constituent college of the University of Cambridge were undertaken at various junctures, but were met in pre-ecumenical days by continuing opposition from the predominantly Protestant membership of the university’s governing Regent House. Among motives cited were that the college was not self-governing and its assets were held in trust by an external body, namely, the Catholic Church. The chapel was consecrated in 1916 by Cardinal Francis Bourne, Archbishop of Westminster. A new dining hall was constructed in 1939 and the membership of the college increased steadily as it became a recognised House of Residence of the university, without college status. In response to growing postgraduate student numbers in the early 1960s, the Regent House of the university established several Colleges primarily for postgraduate students, and St Edmund's House became one of the graduate Colleges in the University (the others being Wolfson College, Hughes Hall, Clare Hall and Darwin College). This spurred further progress regarding St Edmund's status within the University, and in 1965, the College was permitted to matriculate its own students and new fellows were elected. In 1975 St Edmund's acquired the status of an "Approved Foundation", and after the transfer of the College assets from the Catholic Church to the autonomous governing body comprising the Masters and Fellows of the College in 1986, the College changed its name from "St Edmund's House" to "St Edmund's College". It received university approval for full collegiate status in 1996, and this was confirmed by the grant of its

royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but ...

in 1998. The college now accepts students of all faiths and none.

Buildings and grounds

Norfolk Building

The Norfolk Building is the oldest building on site, dating back to 1896 as the former Ayerst Hostel; it provided accommodation for Edmund Nolan, the first Master of St Edmund's, along with the first four students of the college. Known for its clean

Gothic revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

style, the building underwent a three-phase extension scheme designed by Roderick Gradidge in 1989, and now houses amenities including the Combination Room, Dining Hall, Kitchens and a Porter's office.

Chapel

The chapel is a Grade II listed building designed by the architect Benedict Williamson CSSP and was consecrated by Cardinal Francis Bourne, Archbishop of Westminster in 1916. Notable for its simplicity and

Gothic Revival architecture Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

, the chapel is a Catholic foundation, although it is open to members of other Christian denominations. In 2003, a stained-glass window depicting the ministry of

Saint Boniface Boniface, OSB (born Wynfreth; 675 –5 June 754) was an English Benedictines, Benedictine monk and leading figure in the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Germanic parts of Francia during the eighth century. He organised significant foundations of ...

of Crediton (c. 675 - 754 AD), the apostle to

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, was donated by Stephen Frowen and blessed by Cardinal

Cormac Murphy-O'Connor Cormac Murphy-O'Connor (24 August 1932 – 1 September 2017) was a British Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Westminster from 2000 to 2009. He was also president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. He was made ...

, Archbishop of

Westminster Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...

. A bronze sculpture of the college patron, St Edmund of Abingdon, is located at the front of the chapel, his left hand holding a

Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...

. The statue is the work of Rodney Munday, an alumnus of

St Edmund Hall, Oxford St Edmund Hall (also known as The Hall and Teddy Hall) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. The college claims to be "the oldest surviving academic society to house and educate undergraduates in any university" and was the las ...

, and was commissioned by the College in 2007. The Chapel Schola and Choir perform in concerts in collaboration with St Edmund Hall, Oxford and St Edmund's College, Ware in commemoration of their Patron Saint.

Expansion

St Edmund's continues to expand and develop its buildings. In 2000, a new residential building housing 50 students was opened, named after Richard Laws, one of the former Masters. In 2006, two new residential buildings, including rooms for 70 students as well as apartments for couples, were opened; these were named after the former Master of the College, Sir Brian Heap, and the former Vice-Master, Geoffrey Cook. In 2016, major plans were announced for the development of two new courts and several buildings. It was planned that brick buildings would form the perimeter of two new courts and a new multi-million pound student centre will frame the west side of the College. The expansion plans received planning consent from Cambridge City Council in June 2017, but building work never started.

Okinaga Tower

Created in 1993 by the bequest of the Teikyo Foundation, the Okinaga Tower is the college's tallest structure. Designed by architect

Roderick Gradidge Roderick Gradidge Architectural Association School of Architecture, AA Dipl. ARIBA (3 January 1929 – 20 December 2000) was a British architect and writer on architecture, former Master of the Art Workers Guild and campaigner for a traditional a ...

in 1989 it houses the Master's Lodge, as well as a suite with views of the city and was opened by

Betty Boothroyd Betty Boothroyd, Baroness Boothroyd (8 October 1929 – 26 February 2023), was a British politician who served as a Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), member of Parliament (MP) for West Bromwich (UK Parliament constituency), West Bromwich an ...

, Speaker of the House of Commons.

Courts and other buildings

The Brian Heap, Richard Laws, Geoffrey Cook and the Luizo buildings were constructed to accommodate growing student numbers in the 2000s, with most buildings providing are student dormitories. In 2019 the college constructed Mount Pleasant Halls, occupying the site of a substantial office block formerly on the site and giving St Edmund College a frontage to the main thoroughfare of Huntington Road. The College Sporting Grounds is located west of the Richard Laws Building, and offers a full-sized football pitch for college sports and other outdoor activities. The College Orchard is south of the Sporting Grounds, and consists of a small lawn with 5 apple trees, outdoor seating, and a barbecue pit for students. White Cottage is a modest 18th-century brick farmhouse which pre-dates the college buildings on the site and is painted white, situated adjacent to Mount Pleasant Halls against which it appears an incongruous survival. White Cottage was the first home of the Von Hugel Institute, a Catholic Institute for Critical Enquiry working in the fields of Christianity and society. The Institute was founded in 1987 to preserve the Roman Catholic legacy of the College when control of the College itself was ceded to its autonomous Governing Body in 1985 in order to achieve university collegiate status. Bene't House is a detached Edwardian house, south-east of the Norfolk Old Wing. Named after St

Benedict of Nursia Benedict of Nursia (; ; 2 March 480 – 21 March 547), often known as Saint Benedict, was a Great Church, Christian monk. He is famed in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Lutheran Churches, the Anglican Communion, and Old ...

(c.480 - 547 AD), it was controversially converted from student accommodation into a residence for the master using donated funds originally intended for the enhancement of the student experience.

Gallery

File:Mount Pleasant Halls.jpg, alt=Mount Pleasant Halls Front Facade, Mount Pleasant Halls front facade File:Mount Pleasant Halls Court.jpg, Mount Pleasant Halls Court File:St Edmund's College Entrance.jpg, alt=Main Gate, Main gate File:St Edmund's College College Recreation Grounds.jpg, alt=Sporting grounds and Brian Heap Building, Sporting grounds and Brian Heap Building File:Richard Laws Building.jpg, alt=Richard Laws Building, Richard Laws Building File:Geoffrey Cook Building.jpg, alt=Geoffrey Cook Building, Geoffrey Cook Building File:St Edmund's College Orchard.jpg, alt=College Orchards, College orchards File:Maisonettes at St Edmund's College.jpg, alt=Maisonettes, Maisonettes, now used as offices File:Norfolk Extension.jpg, alt=Norfolk Extension, Norfolk Extension File:Bene't House.jpg, alt=Bene't House, Bene't House File:St Edmund's Chapel.jpg, alt=College Chapel, College Chapel

Academic profile

The full spectrum of academic subjects is represented in the college. The fellowship of the college represents many academic disciplines, spread across arts, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, medicine, and veterinary medicine. The college has one research institute attached to it: the Von Hügel Institute founded in 1987 to carry out research on

Catholic Social Teaching Catholic social teaching (CST) is an area of Catholic doctrine which is concerned with human dignity and the common good in society. It addresses oppression, the role of the state, subsidiarity, social organization, social justice, and w ...

. Describing itself as a 'Catholic Institute for Critical Enquiry' it works in the fields of Christianity and society, and seeks to preserve the Roman Catholic legacy of St Edmund's College when control of the College itself was ceded to its autonomous Governing Body in 1985 in order to achieve university collegiate status. The Von Hügel Institute is therefore a link to the Roman Catholic origins of the college. The overall examination results of the college's comparatively few undergraduates tend to be in the middle among the Cambridge colleges, with St Edmund's ranking 21st on the Tompkins table in 2018. StEdmundsDining

Student life

The college is younger than some of the more traditional colleges of the university. Despite this St Edmund's maintains many ancient Cambridge traditions including formal hall, albeit with modifications. Fellows at most Cambridge and Oxford colleges dine at a "high table" (separately from the students); however, St Edmund's has no such division, with undergraduates, postgraduates and fellows sitting together at dinners. Unlike most mature and modern colleges, St Edmund's still requires students to wear their academic gowns during formal halls, ceremonies, and college occasions. St Edmund's retains several other dining traditions unusual for modern colleges, including a requirement to ask the master to leave the hall to use the bathroom, a banning of technological devices and newspapers, and a strict requirement to only speak English. The St Edmund's undergraduate gown that of the other colleges admitting only mature undergraduates, a short black clerical style gown, lacking a slit in the forearm and gathered above the elbow by a blue cord and button. The college has a long sporting tradition, including the St Edmund's College Boat Club, the St Edmund's College Hockey Club (SECHC) and the St Edmund's College Cricket Club (SECCC). SECHC (merged with St Catherine's College Hockey Club) won 2024

Cuppers Cuppers are intercollegiate sporting competitions at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. The term comes from the word " cup" and is an example of the Oxford "-er". Each sport holds only one Cuppers competition each year, which is open to al ...

and SECCC reached the 2023

finals. In recent years members have competed in varsity teams representing Cambridge against

Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...

in a wide variety of sports, most notably, at

The Boat Race The Boat Race is an annual set of rowing races between the Cambridge University Boat Club and the Oxford University Boat Club, traditionally rowed between open-weight eights on the River Thames in London, England. It is also known as the U ...

The Varsity Match The Varsity Match is an annual rugby union fixture played between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge in England. The event began in 1872 with the first men's match, with interruptions only for the two World Wars and the COVID-19 pandemic ...

, the University Match (hockey) and

The University Match (cricket) The University Match is an annual cricket fixture between Oxford University Cricket Club and Cambridge University Cricket Club. First played in 1827, it is the oldest List of British and Irish varsity matches, varsity match in the world. Until ...

. Punts are available to students in the spring and summer months. On 15 September 2017, a team of four rowers from the college broke the World record for the 'Longest Continual Row' in the male 20–29 small team category by over an hour. The following year, on 13 April 2018, a team of ten rowers from the college went on to set the British and World record for "One Million Meters" on the indoor rowing machine in the male 20–29 large team category.

Controversy

Noah Carl appointment

St Edmund’s College faced backlash over its handling of Noah Carl's appointment, following revelations about his research promoting links between race, intelligence, and criminality. An investigation led to his dismissal, citing ethical and scholarly shortcomings. However, the college had failed to vet his background thoroughly and acted only under pressure from public protests. The college dismissed Carl as there "was a serious risk that Dr Carl’s appointment could lead, directly or indirectly, to the college being used as a platform to promote views that could incite racial or religious hatred, and bring the college into disrepute". While the college maintained it upheld academic standards, its approach to the recruitment and eventual dismissal drew criticism for lack of transparency and effective oversight.

People associated with the college

File:Travel_&_Tourism_declaration_on_illegal_trade_in_wildlife_(26694043987)_(cropped).jpg, Catherine Arnold OBE, former Master of St Edmund's College and former British Ambassador to Mongolia File:JOSE_LUIS_MARTIN_C._GASCON.jpg, Chito Gascon, Chair of the Human Rights Commission of the Philippines File:Mary McAleese, President of Ireland (cropped).jpg,

Mary McAleese Mary Patricia McAleese ( ; ; ; born 27 June 1951) is an Irish activist lawyer, academic, author, and former politician who served as the president of Ireland from November 1997 to November 2011. McAleese was first elected as president in 1997, ...

, former

President of Ireland The president of Ireland () is the head of state of Republic of Ireland, Ireland and the supreme commander of the Defence Forces (Ireland), Irish Defence Forces. The presidency is a predominantly figurehead, ceremonial institution, serving as ...

File:The_Prince_of_Wales_at_St_Patrick's_Cathedral,_Armagh_with_archbishops_(47950084462)_(Eamon_Martin_cropped).jpg,

Archbishop of Armagh The Archbishop of Armagh is an Episcopal polity, archiepiscopal title which takes its name from the Episcopal see, see city of Armagh in Northern Ireland. Since the Reformation in Ireland, Reformation, there have been parallel apostolic success ...

and

Primate of All Ireland The Primacy of Ireland belongs to the diocesan bishop of the Irish diocese with highest precedence. The Archbishop of Armagh is titled Primate of All Ireland and the Archbishop of Dublin Primate of Ireland, signifying that they are the senior ...

File:Martin_Evans_Nobel_Prize.jpg,

Martin Evans Sir Martin John Evans FLSW (born 1 January 1941) is an English biologist who, with Matthew Kaufman, was the first to culture mice embryonic stem cells and cultivate them in a laboratory in 1981. He is also known, along with Mario Capecchi ...

, biologist and recipient of the

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine () is awarded yearly by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute for outstanding discoveries in physiology or medicine. The Nobel Prize is not a single prize, but five separate prizes that, acco ...

File:Joaquin_Almunia_Mercosul.jpg,

Joaquín Almunia Joaquín Almunia Amann (born 17 June 1948) is a Spanish politician and former member of the European Commission. During his tenure in the two Barroso Commissions, he was European commissioner responsible for economic and monetary affairs (2004� ...

, former

European Commissioner for Economy The European Commissioner for Economy is a member of the European Commission. The current Economy Commissioner is Valdis Dombrovskis. From 2014 to 2019 the post was named ''Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs'' ...

and

European Commissioner for Competition The Commissioner for Competition is the member of the European Commission responsible for Competition (economics), competition. The current commissioner is Teresa Ribera (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party). Responsibilities The portfolio has r ...

Alumni

* Edward Acton, Vice-Chancellor of the University of East Anglia, historian and great-grandson of Lord Acton *

, Spanish politician and member of the

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the primary Executive (government), executive arm of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with a number of European Commissioner, members of the Commission (directorial system, informall ...

responsible for Economic and Monetary Affairs * Simon Amor, rugby union coach, member of the England Sevens team at the

2002 Commonwealth Games The 2002 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XVII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Manchester 2002, were an international multi-sport event for the members of the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth held in Manchester, England, ...

Malcolm Baker Malcolm P. Baker (born c. 1970) is a professor of finance, and a former Olympic rower. Education Baker graduated from St. Albans School (Washington, D.C.), St. Albans School and began rowing at Brown University. As a Freshman he was on a Natio ...

, Robert G. Kirby Professor of Business Administration at

Harvard Business School Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate school, graduate business school of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university. Located in Allston, Massachusetts, HBS owns Harvard Business Publishing, which p ...

, former Olympic rower * Johan Bäverbrant, Swedish

diplomat A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...

* Aidan Bellenger, historian and former

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

monk * Alexander Bird, Bertrand Russell Professor of Philosophy at the University of Cambridge * William T. Cavanaugh, director of the Center for World Catholicism and Intercultural Theology, and professor of Catholic studies at

DePaul University DePaul University is a private university, private Catholic higher education, Catholic research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Congregation of the Mission, Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from ...

* James Chau, Journalist, television presenter, and United Nations goodwill ambassador * Christian Cormack,

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically a ...

cox *Captain Sir George Sampson Elliston,

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

Member of Parliament (MP) for

Blackburn Blackburn () is an industrial town and the administrative centre of the Blackburn with Darwen borough in Lancashire, England. The town is north of the West Pennine Moors on the southern edge of the River Ribble, Ribble Valley, east of Preston ...

from 1931 to 1945 * Chito Gascon, Chair of the Human Rights Commission of the Philippines * Alex Hughes, Archdeacon of Cambridge * John M. Jumper, AI researcher and Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry in 2024 *

Hilary Lofting Hilary Joseph Francis Lofting (23 May 1881 – 3 May 1939) was an Australian novelist, travel writer, journalist and editor. He was the eldest brother of Hugh Lofting (1886–1947), author of ''Doctor Dolittle''. Early life and education Hilar ...

, Australian novelist, travel writer, journalist and editor. Eldest brother of

Hugh Lofting Hugh John Lofting (14 January 1886 – 26 September 1947) was an English-American writer, trained as a civil engineer, who created the classic children's literature character Doctor Dolittle. The fictional physician talking to animals, based i ...

(author of '' The Story of Doctor Dolittle''). * Louise Lombard, actress * Greg Loveridge, former cricketer who played for

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

in 1996 *

and

* Rodrigo Rosenberg Marzano,

Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...

n attorney and human rights activist * Alexander Masters, author, screenwriter, and worker with the homeless. Masters was portrayed by

Benedict Cumberbatch Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch (born 19 July 1976) is an English actor. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Benedict Cumberbatch, various accolades, including a BAFTA TV Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and a Laurenc ...

in '' Stuart: A Life Backwards''. * Anna Mendelssohn, writer, poet, and political activist * Robert Noel,

Officer of Arms An officer of arms is a person appointed by a sovereign or state with authority to perform one or more of the following functions: * to control and initiate armorial matters; * to arrange and participate in ceremonies of state; * to conserve ...

(herald) at the

College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional Officer of Arms, officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the ...

* Chris Oti, former rugby union player * Richard Phelps (rower), rower who competed in the

1992 Summer Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics (, ), officially the Games of the XXV Olympiad (, ) and officially branded as Barcelona '92, were an international multi-sport event held from 25 July to 9 August 1992 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Beginning in 1994 ...

Norman St John-Stevas, Baron St John of Fawsley Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 9th and 10th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

, legal scholar, former master of Emmanuel College, and

Leader of the House of Commons The Leader of the House of Commons is a minister of the Crown of the Government of the United Kingdom whose main role is organising government business in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons. The Leader is always a memb ...

under

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013), was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of th ...

was a resident at St Edmund's House for his undergraduate studies in late 1940s and early 1950s. During his time he was the president of the Union Society * Christopher Stearn, former first-class cricketer * Thorsten Streppelhoff, Olympic Silver medalist and German M8+ rower at the 1996 Atlanta and 1992 Barcelona Games * Tony Underwood, rugby union international * David Wallace, scholar of

medieval literature Medieval literature is a broad subject, encompassing essentially all written works available in Europe and beyond during the Middle Ages (that is, the one thousand years from the fall of the Western Roman Empire ca. AD 500 to the beginning of t ...

Judith Rodin Judith Rodin (born Judith Seitz, September 9, 1944) is an American research psychologist, executive, university president, and global thought-leader. She served as the 12th president of the Rockefeller Foundation from 2005 to 2017. From 1994 to 2 ...

Professor of English at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

* Patrick Walsh, Irish

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Minister (Christianity), Christian clergy who is an Ordinary (church officer), ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which me ...

of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

and from 1991 until 2008 he was the 31st

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

of Down & Connor *

Luke Walton Luke Theodore Walton (born March 28, 1980) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the lead assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 10 seasons in the NBA as a ...

, American Olympic rower * Marc Weber, Olympic Silver medalist and German M8+ rower at the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

* Stuart Welch, Olympic Silver medalist and Australian M8+ rower at the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, officially branded as Sydney 2000, and also known as the Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event held from 15 September to 1 October ...

Fellows

* Denis Alexander, Emeritus Fellow of St Edmund’s College and an Emeritus Director of the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion, Cambridge * Allen Brent, scholar of early

Christian history The history of Christianity began with the life of Jesus, an itinerant Jewish preacher and teacher, who was crucified in Jerusalem . His followers proclaimed that he was the incarnation of God and had risen from the dead. In the two millen ...

and

literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...

* Noah Carl, Sociologist and race-intelligence researcher, later dismissed for bringing the college into disrepute *Sir

, Laureate of the 2007

* Andy Harter,

computer scientist A computer scientist is a scientist who specializes in the academic study of computer science. Computer scientists typically work on the theoretical side of computation. Although computer scientists can also focus their work and research on ...

*Sir Brian Heap,

biologist A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual Cell (biology), cell, a multicellular organism, or a Community (ecology), community of Biological inter ...

who was the

master Master, master's or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles In education: *Master (college), head of a college *Master's degree, a postgraduate or sometimes undergraduate degree in the specified discipline *Schoolmaster or master, presiding office ...

of the college from 1996 until 2004. He was elected a fellow of the

Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

in 1989 and held the post vice-president and foreign secretary from 1996 to 2001 * Richard Edwin Hills,

emeritus ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". In some c ...

professor of

Radio Astronomy Radio astronomy is a subfield of astronomy that studies Astronomical object, celestial objects using radio waves. It started in 1933, when Karl Jansky at Bell Telephone Laboratories reported radiation coming from the Milky Way. Subsequent observat ...

at the University of Cambridge * Kevin T. Kelly, Roman Catholic

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

and moral

theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...

* Edward Kessler, Founder President of The Woolf Institute and a leading thinker in interfaith relations, primarily Jewish-Christian-Muslim Relations *

Ilyas Khan Ilyas Khan Order of St. Gregory the Great, KSG (born 1962) is a British technologist and businessman. He is the founder of Cambridge Quantum Computing. Early life Ilyas Tariq Khan was raised in Lancashire (North West England). His grandparents e ...

, technologist and businessman * Nicholas Lash, Roman Catholic

, cosmologist and

theorist, was a visiting academic at the college in 1923–24, while collaborating with Sir

Arthur Eddington Sir Arthur Stanley Eddington, (28 December 1882 – 22 November 1944) was an English astronomer, physicist, and mathematician. He was also a philosopher of science and a populariser of science. The Eddington limit, the natural limit to the lu ...

* Helen Mason, theoretical physicist * Josef W. Meri, American historian of Interfaith Relations in the Middle East in the College of Islamic Studies,

Hamad Bin Khalifa University Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU; ) is a public university located within Education City in Doha, the capital city of Qatar. The university, a member of Qatar Foundation, was founded in 2010. The university began graduating students in 2014. I ...

* Simon Mitton, astronomer and author. Elected member of the Council of the

Royal Astronomical Society The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) is a learned society and charitable organisation, charity that encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, planetary science, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. Its ...

. *

Mark Ranby Richard Mark Ranby (born 1 June 1977) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. A Rugby union positions#Centre, midfield back, Ranby represented Manawatu Rugby Union, Manawatu, the Central Vikings Rugby Union, Central Vikings and Waikato Rugby ...

, former New Zealand rugby union player * Chris Rapley, scientist * Somak Raychaudhury, Indian astrophysicist * C. J. Ryan, priest and scholar of Italian studies * Brian Stanley, historian * Bob White, Professor of Geophysics in the Earth Sciences department at Cambridge University (since 1989) and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society ( FRS) in 1994

Honorary Fellows

Bruce Alberts Bruce Michael Alberts (born April 14, 1938, in Chicago, Illinois) is an American biochemist and the Emeritus Chancellor’s Leadership Chair in Biochemistry and Biophysics for Science and Education at the University of California, San Francisco ...

, American

biochemist Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. They study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. Biochemists study DNA, proteins and Cell (biology), cell parts. The word "biochemist" is a portmanteau of ...

and the Chancellor’s Leadership Chair in Biochemistry and Biophysics for Science and Education at the

University of California, San Francisco The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in San Francisco, California, United States. It is part of the University of California system and is dedic ...

Anne, Princess Royal Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950) is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of King ...

, daughter of

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

and

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from h ...

, Member of Parliament (MP) from 1973 to 2000, Speaker of the House of Commons * Alec Broers, Baron Broers,

electrical engineer Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems that use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

* Colin Bundy, South African historian, former principal of

Green Templeton College, Oxford Green Templeton College (GTC) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. The college is located on the former Green College site on Woodstock Road next to the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter in North Oxford and i ...

and former director of

SOAS University of London The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS University of London; ) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury area ...

* Derek Burke, academic who served as

Vice-Chancellor A vice-chancellor (commonly called a VC) serves as the chief executive of a university in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Kenya, other Commonwealth of Nati ...

of the

University of East Anglia The University of East Anglia (UEA) is a Public university, public research university in Norwich, England. Established in 1963 on a campus university, campus west of the city centre, the university has four faculties and twenty-six schools of ...

* Francis Campbell, former UK Ambassador to the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

* Janet Neel Cohen, Baroness Cohen of Pimlico, lawyer and crime fiction writer * Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk, peer who holds the hereditary office of

Earl Marshal Earl Marshal (alternatively marschal or marischal) is a hereditary royal officeholder and chivalric title under the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, sovereign of the United Kingdom used in England (then, following the Act of Union 1800, in the U ...

* Alan Hopes, Roman Catholic

Denise Lievesley Denise Anne Lievesley is a British social statistician. She has formerly been Chief Executive of the English Information Centre for Health and Social Care, Director of Statistics at UNESCO, in which capacity she founded the UNESCO Institute for ...

, formerly Chief Executive of the

Information Centre for Health and Social Care NHS Digital was the trading name from 2016 of the Health and Social Care Information Centre, which was the national provider of information, data and IT systems for commissioners, analysts and clinicians in health and social care in England, p ...

, Director of Statistics at

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

, former President of Ireland and patron of the Von Hugel Institute * Bridget Ogilvie, Australian and British scientist *

, husband of

* Sir Tom Phillips, diplomat who served as

Commandant Commandant ( or ; ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ...

of the

Royal College of Defence Studies The Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) instructs the most promising senior officers of the British Armed Forces, His Majesty's Diplomatic Service and Civil Service in national defence and international security matters at the highest leve ...

from 2014 to 2018 * Anthony Russell,

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

Amartya Sen Amartya Kumar Sen (; born 3 November 1933) is an Indian economist and philosopher. Sen has taught and worked in England and the United States since 1972. In 1998, Sen received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions ...

, laureate of the 1998

Nobel Prize in Economics The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, officially the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel (), commonly referred to as the Nobel Prize in Economics(), is an award in the field of economic sciences adminis ...

* Peter Smith, Metropolitan Archbishop of Southwark (London) * Crispin Tickell, diplomat, environmentalist, and academic

List of Masters of St Edmund's College

St Edmund's House * 1897–1904: William Ormond Sutcliffe * 1904–1909: Edmund Nolan * 1909–1918: Thomas Leighton Williams * 1918–1921: Joseph Louis Whitfield * 1921–1929: John Francis McNulty * 1929–1934: Cuthbert Leonard Waring * 1934–1946: John Edward Petit * 1946–1964: Raymond Corboy * 1964–1976: Garrett Daniel Sweeney * 1976–1985: John Coventry * 1985–1996: Richard Laws St Edmund's College * 1996–2004: Brian Heap * 2004–2014: Paul Luzio * 2014–2019: Matthew Bullock * 2019–2024: Catherine Arnold * 2024–present: Chris Young

References

External links

College website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Edmund's College, Cambridge Colleges of the University of Cambridge 1896 establishments in England Universities and colleges established in 1896 Grade II listed buildings in Cambridge Grade II listed educational buildings Catholic Church in Cambridge Catholic universities and colleges in England

History

Foundation

Collegiate Status

Buildings and grounds

Norfolk Building

Chapel

Expansion

Okinaga Tower

Courts and other buildings

Gallery

Academic profile

Student life

Controversy

Noah Carl appointment

People associated with the college

Alumni

Fellows

Honorary Fellows

List of Masters of St Edmund's College

See also

References

Further reading

External links