| Churchill College | |
|---|---|
| University of Cambridge | |
 Entrance to Churchill College in June 2019 | |
 Arms of Churchill College | |
| Scarf colours: black, with two equally-spaced narrow stripes of brown edged with pink | |
| Location | Storey's Way,Cambridge CB3 0DS |
| Coordinates | 52°12′47″N0°06′04″E / 52.213°N 0.101°E /52.213; 0.101 |
| Abbreviation | CHU[1] |
| Motto in English | Forward |
| Established | 1958[a] |
| Named after | Winston Churchill |
| Sister college | Trinity College, Oxford |
| Master | Sharon Peacock |
| Undergraduates | 504 (2022-23) |
| Postgraduates | 348 (2022-23) |
| Endowment | £37.4m (2023)[2] |
| Visitor | vacant[3] |
| Website | www |
| JCR | jcr |
| MCR | mcr |
| Boat club | www |
| Map | |
  Location in Cambridge | |
Churchill College is aconstituent college of theUniversity of Cambridge inCambridge, England. It has a primary focus on science, engineering and technology, but retains a strong interest in the arts andhumanities.
In 1958, a trust was established withSir Winston Churchill as its chairman of trustees, to build and endow a college for 60 fellows and 540 students as a national andCommonwealth memorial to Winston Churchill; its Royal Charter and Statutes were approved by theQueen Elizabeth II, in August 1960.[4] It is situated on the outskirts ofCambridge, away from the traditional centre of the city, but close to the University's mainnew development zone (which now houses theCentre for Mathematical Sciences). It has 16 hectares (40 acres) of grounds, the largest area of the Cambridge colleges.
Churchill was the first formerly all-male college to decide to admit women, and was among three men's colleges to admit its first women students in 1972.[5] Within 15 years all others had followed suit. The college has a reputation for relative informality compared with other Cambridge colleges, and traditionally admits a larger proportion of its undergraduates from state schools.
The college motto is "Forward", which was taken from the final phrase of Winston Churchill's first speech to theHouse of Commons asPrime Minister of the United Kingdom, known as the "blood, toil, tears and sweat" speech in which Churchill said, "Come, then, let us go forward together".[6]
In 1955, on holiday inSicily soon after his resignation as prime minister,Winston Churchill discussed withSir John Colville andLord Cherwell the possibility of founding a new institution. Churchill had been impressed by theUnited States'Massachusetts Institute of Technology and wanted a British version, but the plans evolved into the more modest proposal of creating a science and technology-based college within theUniversity of Cambridge.[7] Churchill wanted a mix of non-scientists to ensure a well-rounded education and environment for scholars and fellows. The college therefore admits students to read all subjects exceptland economy and theology & religious studies (though it is possible to switch to these subjects later).
The first postgraduate students arrived in October 1960, and the first undergraduates a year later. Full college status was received in 1966.
Following the Labour government'sRepresentation of the People Act 1969, which reduced thevoting age to 18 years,[8] under the guidance of professorDick Tizard, in 1970 Churchill's student union, theJunior Common Room (JCR), inspired by theworldwide student democracy movement, led theNational Union of Students (NUS) in taking the Cambridge Town Clerk to theHigh Court to overturn a 19th-century precedent that won students the right to vote in their university towns.[9]
Initially all students were male. Women were accepted as undergraduates in 1972, one of the first three previously all-male colleges to do so.[10]
The bias towards science and engineering remains as policy to the current day, with the statutes requiring approximately 70% science and technology students amongst its student intake each year.[11] The college statutes also stipulate that one third of the students of the college should be studying for postgraduate qualification.
Cambridge University Radio (laterCam FM) broadcast from Churchill College from 1979 until 2011.
On 27 October 2020, the college launchedChurchill, Empire and Race, intended as a year-long programme looking critically at its founder.[12] However in June 2021, the programme was abruptly terminated following a dispute with the college’s leadership.[13]
Churchill College occupies a 50-acre campus located to the west of Cambridge city centre. It features extensive gardens and green spaces, along with three libraries, sports and performing arts facilities, and dedicated creative workshops. Most student accommodation is also situated on campus, with undergraduates guaranteed on-site housing for the full duration of their degree.[14]
The then-undeveloped site was purchased in 1958 for the express purpose of building a campus for the new College. Following an architectural competition in which 19 entrants competed, the firm ofRichard Sheppard, Robson & Partners was selected from a shortlist of four, with Sir Winston Churchill himself among the panel of judges.Richard Sheppard's resolutelymodernist scheme for the campus - the hallmarks of which are brown brick walls,pre-cast concretelintels, andteak-framed glazing - is softened by the extensive landscaped grounds in which the buildings are situated. Construction was completed in 1968 with nine main residential courts and a central building consisting of the dining hall,buttery, combination rooms and offices.[15] A pair of tall brick piers stand at the main entrance, which has a pivotingaluminium entrance gate by sculptorGeoffrey Clarke recessed between.[16] Sheppard's dining hall is the largest of any Cambridge college, measuring 22 m². It can cater for up to 430 guests in a formal dining arrangement.[17] As well as the main College buildings, Sheppard designed a separate group of flats, since known as the Sheppard flats, for the use of married graduate students. These are located to one side of the College grounds, a short distance from the main campus.
On 30 March 1993 the college's central buildings and chapel were separately grantedGrade II listed heritage status in recognition of their architectural significance.[18][16]
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At the farthest end of the College grounds stands the Chapel. Its remote position is no accident, the result of an impassioned debate between the founding fellows of the College. To begin with, the fellows positively dismissed the requirement for a religious building within a modern, scientifically-oriented academic institution - particularly in a city filled with churches - a position supported by Sir Winston Churchill himself.[19]
However, when the plans for the College were unveiled in May 1958, the student newspaperVarsity declared the intended absence of a chapel to be "deplorable", igniting a wider public debate. Seeking to defuse the situation the fellows tentatively acknowledged that a chapel might be built at an indeterminate future point should funds become available. Responding to this new requirement,Richard Sheppard's original 1958 design for the college campus placed a chapel within the main building complex near the entrance to the college.[19]
The matter came to a head in 1960 when a donation was made byLord Beaumont of Whitley, which was intended to cover the entire cost of building a chapel for the College, thereby removing one of the principal objections that funds could be better spent elsewhere. The majority of fellows voted in favour of accepting Lord Beaumont’s gift. The move infuriated no one more thanFrancis Crick, who resigned as a fellow of the College in 1961 in direct response. Crick claimed that he had agreed to become a fellow on the basis that no chapel would be placed at the College. Churchill wrote to Crick saying that no-one need enter the chapel unless they wished to do so, and therefore it did not need to be a problem. Crick replied with a letter accompanied by acheque for 10guineas saying that, if that were the case, the enclosed money should be used for the establishment of abrothel.[20][21][22]
Eventually a compromise was reached: aninterdenominational chapel would be sited just to the west of Sheppard Flats, 500 yards from the main campus, and funded and managed separately from the College itself, being tactfully referred to as "the Chapelat Churchill College" rather than "the Chapelof Churchill College". Ground was broken in July 1966 and building was completed in October 1967. The chimney of the heating system at the front of the college substitutes visually for the missing chapel tower envisaged in Sheppard’s original plan.[19]
Sheppard’s design for the Chapel has been described as a modern interpretation of aByzantine basilica, aGreek cross marked out inconcrete beams andexposed brick. Externally, the dominant features are the four massive triangular concrete pillars that rise from the centre. A smallbell turret over the entrance carries the bell from theaircraft carrierHMS Hermes, which had been launched in 1953 byClementine Churchill.[19]
Inside, the chapel is dark and shielded from the sight and sound of the outside world. The concrete frame is exposed, filled with brick. Eight narrow vertical slit windows containstained glass designed byJohn Piper and manufactured byPatrick Reyntiens. Piper was commissioned in 1967 and the windows were unveiled in 1970 as a memorial toSir John Cockcroft. Their shafts of blue, mauve, gold, and green light are entirely abstract, though the theme isLet there be light (Genesis 1:3). At the east: humanity's search for truth and God's revelation. At the west: humanity's industry and God's creativity. At the north: humanity's search for beauty and God's response. At the south: humanity's search for love and God's response.[19]
Most of the fittings stand independently, creating a flexible space conducive to the divergent liturgical needs of an interdenominational building. Ornament is minimal. An abstract three-dimensional hanging cross, designed by Keith Thyssen, and a set of four candlesticks, were given by theWorshipful Company of Goldsmiths. The chairs were commissioned fromSir Gordon Russell and model those he designed forCoventry Cathedral. The lecterns were designed by Sheppard himself, while the font is by Peter Sellwood.[19]
In 1974, an extension to the library building was added to house theChurchill Archives Centre. Its original purpose was to provide a home to Sir Winston Churchill's papers, however since then it has been endowed with papers from other political figures including former Prime MinistersMargaret Thatcher andJohn Major, as well as former Leader of the OppositionNeil Kinnock, and those of eminent scientists and engineers includingReginald Victor Jones,Rosalind Franklin andSir Frank Whittle.[23]
The Møller Centre for Continuing Education was established at Churchill College in 1992 to bring together education and commerce. It was funded by a donation from theMøller Foundation. The building, designed by the Danish architectHenning Larsen, was officially opened byHer Majesty Queen Ingrid of Denmark. The defining architectural feature of the dedicated residential executive training and conference centre is a large three-storey octagonal tower.[24] In January 2018, the facility was granted institute status, and its name was officially changed to the Møller Institute.[25]
In 2016, Cowan Court - a 68-roomhall of residence - was completed, the first new court to be built at Churchill College since completion of the original campus.[26] It was named after Michael Cowan, an alumnus and long-time supporter of the College, who made a significant donation towards the funding of the building.[27] Designed by6a architects, Cowan Court was named as one of the top 10 buildings of 2016 by theGuardian's architecture and design criticOliver Wainwright.[26][28] In 2017 it won aRIBA East Award.[29]
The college contains many examples of modern artwork including:[30]
There are also works bySir Eduardo Paolozzi,Bridget Riley,Patrick Caulfield,Sir Peter Blake, andDaphne Hardy Henrion.
Hepworth'sFour-Square (Walk Through) stands at the West Door, the west exit of the main college complex. In 1968, it replaced an earlier Hepworth sculpture,Squares with Two Circles (BH 347) which had been sold to a private collector.[34] Two sculptures byNigel Hall stand in front of the main gate of the college:The Now (1999) andSouthern Shade I (2010).[35] Mistry'sDiagram of an Object (Second state) used to be found at the front of college, but is now located next to the chapel at the far end of the college.Sir Anthony Caro'sForum used to stand near the front gate of the college but it was removed in 2004 and replaced in 2007 byLynn Chadwick'sBeast Alerted 1.[36]
The student population is divided into twocommon rooms: the Junior Common Room (JCR) and Middle Common Room (MCR). The former contains undergraduates and the latter postgraduates (known asadvanced students). Fourth year undergraduates studying towards theirMasters may choose to be in either.[37] These student bodies organise various academic and social events as well as handling issues regarding welfare. The college funds sports clubs and societies which provide entertainment for students.
Every two weeks of the Michaelmas and Lent terms, and twice in Easter term, Churchill is host to Pav, a 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 originally held. Since 1992, Pav has been held in the Buttery, the main bar area.
In the early years of the college's foundation, the college held a ball inMay Week, in common with many older colleges. However, more recently Churchill has held a Spring Ball every February, close toValentine's Day. The Ball has hosted a number of upcoming bands, such asThe Wombats (2007) andThe Noisettes (2008).
During May Week the JCR organise a freegarden party. The event hosts performances from local bands and musicians.
Students of the College run Churchill Casino,[38] a Cambridge-based enterprise which provides professional casinos at various social events. Churchill Casino is frequently hired forCambridge May Balls as well as balls at theUniversity of Oxford and corporate events throughout the country. Profits have been donated back towards the college and to local charities.[39]
The MCR has its own reserved area, theSandy Ashmore Room, where students may socialise. This incorporates a student-run bar known as the Vicious Penguin.[40] The MCR organises a range of activities including an annual conference, the Conference on Everything, and hosts termly Guest Nights.[41] The Conference on Everything gives students an opportunity to present their own research as well as featuring talks from distinguished speakers includingSalah Al-Shaikhly, theIraqi ambassador to the United Kingdom;Michael Green,Lucasian Professor and pioneer ofstring theory;Julian Huppert, scientist andMember of Parliament (MP) for Cambridge;David Spiegelhalter,Winton Professor of the Public Understanding ofRisk, andNicholas Bingham, Senior Investigator atImperial College London and Visiting Professor of Mathematics at theLondon School of Economics.[42]
With playing fields on site, unlike many other colleges, sport is an integral part of the college. As well as football pitches, a cricket pitch and others, the facilities include a gym, and tennis and squash courts.
Churchill College Football Club (CCFC) were the first college team to retain the Cambridge University Amateur Football League Division 1 title, winning it in 2005–06 and 2006–07. In the 2006–2007 season they also reached the final ofCuppers.[citation needed]
The college also has a successful boat club (Churchill College Boat Club) which in 2013 won thePegasus Cup[43] (This trophy is awarded annually to the most successful college boat club competing in the Cambridge May Bumping Races[44]). In 2015, Churchill College Boat Club made history by being the first boat club at the university to win both the Pegasus Cup and Marconi Cup (This award is present to the most successful college boat club in the Lent Bumps) in the same year.
Churchill is a relatively young college, and prides itself on being modern and forward looking. It has relatively few traditions. Informal hall (cafeteria-style dining period) was introduced in 1971, as an alternative to formal hall (fixed time, waiter service, all diners wearing gowns), and students are not required to weargowns at formal halls,[45] with exception of certain college feasts.
In special formal meals such as Matriculation Dinner or Scholars' Feast the Master usually raises a toast, first to "The King" and then to "Sir Winston". In otherformal halls this is usually made by a senior student once thefellows have left. This latter tradition started in the early 2000s with the students customarily toasting in the reverse order: "Sir Winston", followed by "The Queen".
The Mastership of Churchill College is aCrown appointment. To date the college has had eight masters:
| Name | Term of office | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sir John Cockcroft | 1959–1967 | Nobel Laureate in Physics, who split the atom. |
| Sir William Hawthorne | 1968–1983 | Engineer who helped develop thejet engine. |
| Sir Hermann Bondi | 1983–1990 | Cosmologist who helped develop theSteady State theory of the universe. |
| Lord Broers | 1990–1996 | Nanotechnologist; laterVice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge (1996-2003). |
| Sir John Boyd | 1996–2006 | FormerlyBritish ambassador to Japan (1992–1996). |
| Sir David Wallace | 2006[46]–2014 | Formerly Vice-chancellor ofLoughborough University (1994–2005); Director of theNewton Institute (2006–2011). |
| Dame Athene Donald | 2014[47]–2024 | Professor of experimental physics at the Cavendish Laboratory.[48] |
| Sharon Peacock | 2024–[49] | Professor of Public Health and Microbiology in the Department of Medicine at the University of Cambridge |
The appointment of microbiologist ProfessorSharon Peacock CBE FMedSci MRCP as 8th Master, with effect from October 2024, was announced in October 2023.[50]
See alsoCategory:Fellows of Churchill College, Cambridge
Churchill College counts 32Nobel Prizewinners amongst its Fellowship, with nine awards inPhysics, eight inPhysiology/Medicine, seven inEconomics, and four each inChemistry andLiterature.[51]
See alsoCategory:Alumni of Churchill College, Cambridge
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