Somerville College, Oxford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Somerville College
Somerville College Hall
Blazon: Argent, three mullets in chevron reversed gules, between six crosses crosslet fitched sable
University	University of Oxford
Location	Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6HD
Coordinates	51°45′33″N 1°15′45″W / 51.75917°N 1.26250°W / 51.75917; -1.26250
Full name	Somerville College in the University of Oxford
Latin name	Collegium de Somerville
Motto	Donec rursus impleat orbem (translated: Until it should fill the world again)
Established	1879; 146 years ago (1879)
Named for	Mary Somerville
Previous names	Somerville Hall (1879–1894)
Colours
Sister college	Girton College, Cambridge
Principal	Baroness Royall of Blaisdon
Undergraduates	437 (2020–21)
Postgraduates	235
Boat club	Somerville College Boat Club
Map
Location in Oxford city centre

Somerville College is a part of the University of Oxford in England. It was started in 1879 as Somerville Hall. It was one of the first two colleges at Oxford especially for women.

Many famous people have studied at Somerville, including Margaret Thatcher (a former UK Prime Minister), Indira Gandhi (a former Prime Minister of India), and Dorothy Hodgkin (a Nobel Prize-winning scientist). In 1994, Somerville College started accepting male students too.

The college's library is one of the biggest college libraries at Oxford. Somerville was founded by people who believed in social fairness. It was the first college for women at Oxford that didn't require students to belong to a specific religion. This was different from Lady Margaret Hall, which also opened that year but was for Anglicans.

Somerville College was one of the first colleges to stop locking its gates at night in 1964. This meant students could stay out late. Also, students don't have to wear special academic robes at formal dinners there.

In 2021, Somerville was recognized as a "sanctuary campus." This means it welcomes and supports students who are seeking safety. It's one of only three colleges where undergraduate students can live on campus for their entire course. More than a third of its 650 students come from outside the UK. Over half of its UK students come from state schools. Somerville College has a lot of money to support its activities, ranking seventh among Oxford undergraduate colleges in 2021. Its partner college at the University of Cambridge is Girton College.

History of Somerville College

How Somerville College Started

In 1878, a group called the Association for the Higher Education of Women was formed. Their goal was to create a college for women in Oxford. Some important members included George Granville Bradley and T. H. Green. One member, Edward Stuart Talbot, wanted a college specifically for the Anglican Church. This led to the group splitting up. Talbot's group started Lady Margaret Hall in 1879.

The other group, which included people like John Percival and Mary Augusta Ward, wanted a college where students from all religions would be welcome. This group had strong ties to the Liberal Party.

The mathematician and scientist Mary Somerville, 1780–1872, who the college is named after

This second group founded Somerville Hall in 1879. It was named after Mary Somerville, a Scottish mathematician and science writer who had recently passed away. The founders admired her for her smarts and her belief that women should have equal rights and access to education. They felt her name represented the college's values of fairness and academic success.

Madeleine Shaw-Lefevre became the first head of the college. Somerville was seen as a bit unusual in Oxford because it was for women and didn't have religious rules.

Somerville as a Women's College

When it first opened, Somerville Hall had 12 students, aged 17 to 36. The first students from Somerville and Lady Margaret Hall went to classes in rooms above a bakery. Only two of the original 12 students stayed for three years, which was the usual time for male students to get a degree.

Over time, Somerville became more organized. In 1882, it hired its first in-house tutor. By the late 1890s, female students could attend lectures at almost all Oxford colleges. In 1891, Somerville was the first women's hall to have entrance exams. In 1894, it became the first of the women's halls to be called a "college" (Somerville College). It also hired its own teachers and built its own library. People in Oxford soon called it the "bluestocking college." This meant it was known for having very smart women. Its excellent exam results proved that women could achieve great things in academics.

In the 1910s, Somerville was known for supporting the women's right to vote movement. In 1920, Oxford University finally allowed women to officially join and get degrees. For many years, female students had to have a chaperone when they were with male students. This rule was removed in 1925.

Somerville College Library with hyacinths

The Mutual Admiration Society

The Mutual Admiration Society (MAS) was a special group of women who became friends at Somerville College. They were a literary society who wrote poetry and stories for each other. Famous writer Dorothy L. Sayers was a member.

A book called The Mutual Admiration Society: How Dorothy L. Sayers and Her Oxford Circle Remade the World For Women talks about how important each of these women were. Even though most weren't famous, they all lived interesting lives.

Somerville During World War I

During the First World War, Somerville College was used as a hospital for soldiers. It was called the Third Southern General Hospital. Somerville students moved to Oriel College during this time. Because many male students had left Oxford to join the army, Somerville was able to rent part of Oriel College.

Some famous war poets like Robert Graves and Siegfried Sassoon were treated at Somerville Hospital. They later wrote about their time there, calling it "very much like Paradise."

After the war, it took some time for things to go back to normal. In 1919, male students from Oriel even made a hole in the wall that separated them from the female students!

When Men Were Admitted

Starting in the 1970s, many Oxford colleges that were only for men began to accept female students. This was because they believed having a wider mix of students would lead to better academic results. Colleges that were only for women, like Somerville, found it harder to attract top students.

There was a big discussion in the 1980s about whether women's colleges should become mixed. Somerville remained a women's college until 1992. The first male teachers joined in 1993, and the first male students were admitted in 1994. Somerville was one of the last colleges to become mixed-gender. Today, the college tries to keep a balance of 50% male and 50% female students.

Buildings and Grounds

House seen from the Quad

Somerville College is located on Woodstock Road. It has many buildings with different styles, often named after past heads of the college. These buildings are arranged around one of Oxford's largest open areas, called a quad. Five of its buildings are considered historically important.

Archaeological digs show that the area where Somerville now stands was once open fields outside Oxford in medieval times. There's also evidence of buildings from the 1600s and defenses from the English Civil War.

Walton House

House seen from the east

Walton House, often called "House," was the first building of Somerville Hall. It was built in 1826. In 1880, the college bought it. Over the years, new parts were added to make space for more students.

Today, House has only a few student rooms. It also contains Green Hall, where visitors are welcomed, and the college's main offices. The Mary Somerville Room, a reception area, has paintings of Mary Somerville.

Park Building

Park Building

The Park Building was originally called West. It was designed to be like a separate small college within Somerville. It was built in two stages between 1885 and 1894. In 2004, it was renamed Park in honor of Daphne Park, a former head of the college.

Today, Park has over 60 rooms for students and teachers. It also has a music room and a computer room. It is a historically important building.

The Library

Somerville College Library

The college library was designed in 1903 and opened in 1904. It was the first library built specifically for a women's college at Oxford. It was designed to hold 60,000 books, even though the college only had 6,000 at the time. Now, it holds about 120,000 items, making it one of the largest college libraries at Oxford.

Many famous people have given books to the library, including John Stuart Mill. The John Stuart Mill room contains his personal library.

The library is a very important part of the college. It is open 24 hours a day and has Wi-Fi, study rooms, and computers. Students are very happy with it!

Hall and Maitland

View of Hall and Maitland (right) from the quad

Hall

Before 1911, there was no dining hall big enough for everyone at the college. Maitland Hall and Maitland were opened in 1911. They were designed in a classic style. The main dining hall has oak wood panels. These panels were paid for with money raised to remember Agnes Catherine Maitland, a former head of the college. A portrait of Mary Somerville hangs in the hall.

Somerville's dining hall is special because all the portraits on the walls are of women. These buildings are historically important. The Senior Common Room, where teachers relax, is on the ground floor. Formal dinners are held weekly in the hall.

Maitland now mostly holds offices for teachers and the college's IT office. It is named after Principal Agnes Maitland.

Penrose Building

The Penrose building was designed in 1925 and students moved in by 1927. It was built on the site of old houses. It was updated in 2014 with new carpets and furniture. Penrose is named after Dame Emily Penrose, a former head of the college. It mainly houses first-year students in about 30 rooms.

Darbishire Quad

Darbishire Quad

The Darbishire Quad was part of a plan to expand the college. Several old houses and a pub were bought and torn down to make space for it. The new quadrangle was built between 1932 and 1933. It included the porters' lodge and a new meeting room. The coats of arms of Somerville and its founders were carved inside the quad.

It was originally called the East Quadrangle and opened in 1934. It was renamed Darbishire in 1962, after Helen Darbishire, who was the head of the college when it was built.

Today, Darbishire has about 50 student rooms, along with teacher offices, the college's historical records, and a medical room.

The Chapel

Somerville College Chapel with Vaughan on the right

The Somerville College Chapel was built in 1935. It shows that the college was founded on the idea of not being tied to one specific religion. Students were not tested on their religious beliefs, and Christian prayers were said.

Instead of a chaplain, the chapel has a "Chapel Director." It offers Christian services but also hosts speakers from many different religious backgrounds. The Somerville College Choir is excellent and performs often.

Hostel and Holtby Buildings

Hostel is a small building completed in 1950. It has 10 student rooms. The Bursary, which handles college finances, is on the ground floor.

Holtby was completed in 1956 and is located above the library extension. It has ten rooms for undergraduate students and is named after Winifred Holtby, a former student.

Vaughan and Margery Fry & Elizabeth Nuffield House

These buildings were designed between 1958 and 1966. They are named after former heads of the college, Janet Vaughan and Margery Fry, and a supporter of women's education, Elizabeth Nuffield. Margery Fry opened in 1964 and Vaughan in 1966. They have a modern architectural style with concrete frames.

Vaughan is larger, with about 60 rooms for first-year students. It was updated in 2013. Margery Fry is the main place for postgraduate students, with 24 rooms.

Wolfson Building

Wolfson building

The Wolfson building was designed to house undergraduate students and offices for teachers. It is made mostly of glass and concrete and is historically important. It offers great views of Walton Street and the college's main quad. Wolfson is named after its main supporter, Sir Isaac Wolfson. It opened in 1967.

The ground floor has the Flora Anderson Hall (FAH) and the Brittain-Williams Room. The Brittain-Williams Room is named after Vera Brittain and Shirley Williams, a famous mother-daughter pair who studied at Somerville. The FAH is used for lectures, events, and student parties.

Margaret Thatcher Centre and Dorothy Hodgkin Quadrangle

The Margaret Thatcher Centre (MTC) is named after the former student who became Prime Minister. It has a lecture room and lobby used for meetings and events. There are busts and portraits of famous former students like Margaret Thatcher and Indira Gandhi.

The Dorothy Hodgkin Quad (DHQ) was completed in 1991 and named after Somerville's Nobel Prize winner. It has self-contained apartments with two or four bedrooms and shared kitchens. These are mainly for students in their final years.

St Paul's Nursery

Somerville College was the first Oxford college to have a nursery for the children of its teachers and staff. It's still one of the few colleges that does. Dorothy Hodgkin donated much of her Nobel Prize money to this project. St Paul's Nursery also welcomes children from outside the college and cares for 16 children aged three months to five years.

Radcliffe Observatory Quarter (ROQ) Buildings

ROQ East from outside the college

The ROQ East and West buildings were completed in 2011. They were the first new buildings in the university's Radcliffe Observatory Quarter. They have won awards for their design and for being energy-efficient. They use solar energy and ground source heat pumps.

These buildings have 68 student rooms, each with its own bathroom. They also have features to help students with disabilities. The buildings were paid for by donations from over 1,000 former students and friends of the college.

The Terrace

The Terrace is the college's bar and café. It opened in 2013, replacing the old bar. It's mostly made of glass and has seating in the college colors of red and black. It has an outdoor terrace overlooking Little Clarendon Street. The Terrace has a pool table and serves drinks, including special college drinks.

Catherine Hughes Building

Named after a former head of Somerville, the Catherine Hughes Building was finished in October 2019. It provides 68 new bedrooms with private bathrooms and kitchens. It also has a new study area for graduate students.

This building means Somerville is one of only three Oxford colleges that can offer all its undergraduate students a place to live on campus for their entire three or four-year degree.

College Gardens

Somerville is one of the few Oxford colleges where students are allowed to walk on the grass! The college has a large green space looked after by two gardeners. In the past, it had a paddock, an orchard, and even farm animals. During World War I, the paddock became tennis courts. During World War II, the lawns were dug up to grow vegetables.

The Main Quad has a cedar tree planted by Harold Macmillan in 1976. Another tree, a Picea likiangensis, was planted in 2007 and serves as the outdoor Christmas tree. The garden has plants that reflect Somerville's history, like lavender and thistles.

There are also sculptures around the college, including Triad by Wendy Taylor on the Chapel Lawn.

Student Life at Somerville

Somerville College in snow

In 2011, students rated Somerville very highly for satisfaction. The large quad is a central part of student life, often filled with students in summer. Somerville is sometimes called The Ville. Formal dinners, called "guest night," happen weekly. Students don't wear gowns, and a short prayer is said.

Sports

Somerville has a gym with exercise machines and weights. It shares a sports ground with other colleges. There are many sports clubs and teams, including football, rugby, lacrosse, cricket, swimming, hockey, netball, and more.

The Somerville cricket and netball teams won their university competitions in 2014/15. The swimming team won in 2015/16.

Rowing

Rowing blade design of Somerville College Boat Club

Somerville started a rowing team in 1921. They compete in two annual university races, Torpids and Summer Eights. The women's rowing team is very successful. They have won the "Head of the River" title eight times in Summer Eights and five times in Torpids. The club shares a boathouse on The Isis river with other colleges.

Choir

Somerville College Chapel

The Somerville College Choir is made up of both male and female voices. It is a very important part of the college's music scene.

The choir performs regularly and visits cathedrals. They have toured Germany, Italy, and the United States. They sing at the Sunday evening service during term time. The college offers scholarships for talented singers.

The choir has released two music CDs: "Requiem Aeternam" (2012) and "Advent Calendar" (2013).

Triennial Ball

Every three years, Somerville hosts a big ball with Jesus College, Oxford. The last one was in April 2022, and the next will be in 2025.

The 2013 ball had some problems. The organizers planned to have a live nurse shark, but this was stopped after students protested. There were also complaints about the food and organization.

Academic Success

Somerville's Position in the Norrington Table since 2006

Before men were admitted, Somerville was often at the top of the Norrington Table. This table ranks Oxford colleges based on their students' exam results. Currently, Somerville is in the lower half of the university's colleges for academic achievement. In 2018/19, it was 21st out of 30 colleges.

The college is recognized as a "University College of Sanctuary." This means it offers a scholarship for postgraduate students who are seeking safety.

University Challenge

Somerville has done very well on the TV quiz show University Challenge for its size. It won the competition once in the University Challenge 2001–02 series. The college team also reached the final in the University Challenge 2013–14 series.

Somerville's Links to India

Somerville College has strong connections with India. Cornelia Sorabji, born in India, was the first Indian woman to study at any British university when she came to Somerville in 1889. Indira Gandhi, who became India's first female prime minister, studied Modern History at the college in 1937. Other Indian women who studied at Somerville include Radhabai Subbarayan, the first woman in India's Council of States, and princesses Bamba Sutherland and Catherine Hilda Duleep Singh.

Sonia Gandhi visited Somerville in 2002 and gave a portrait of her late mother-in-law, Indira Gandhi, to the college.

In 2012, the college and Oxford University announced a big project called the Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development (OICSD). This center researches challenges in India and provides scholarships for talented Indian students.

In 2018, Somerville's choir was the first Oxford college choir to tour India.

People Connected to Somerville

Famous Former Students

Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1979–1990)

Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India (1966–77 and 1980–1984)

Many notable people have studied at Somerville. These include:

• Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher (UK) and Indira Gandhi (India)
• Nobel Prize winner Dorothy Hodgkin (science)
• Writers like Vera Brittain, Iris Murdoch, and Dorothy L. Sayers
• Politicians like Shirley Williams
• Princesses Bamba Sutherland and Catherine Hilda Duleep Singh
• Scientists, philosophers, and artists

Somerville students have achieved many "firsts." Margaret Thatcher was the first woman Prime Minister of the UK. Dorothy Hodgkin was the first British woman to win a Nobel Prize in science. Indira Gandhi was the first woman to lead India.

Former students of Somerville belong to a group called the Somerville Association, which started in 1888.

Principals (Heads of College)

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon, the current principal

The first head of Somerville Hall was Madeleine Shaw-Lefèvre (1879–1889). When it became Somerville College in 1894, Agnes Catherine Maitland (1889–1906) became the first principal. She was followed by Emily Penrose (1906–1926), who created a research scholarship for women.

The current principal is Janet Royall, Baroness Royall of Blaisdon. She started in August 2017. Many of Somerville's principals have also been former students of the college.

College Symbols

Like all Oxford colleges, Somerville has its own symbols. The college colors are red and black. These colors are on the college scarf and on the blades of its rowing boats. The college flag has the college shield on a yellow background.

The college's coat of arms also features red and black. It shows three stars and six small crosses. The college motto is Donec rursus impleat orbem. This was the motto of Mary Somerville's family. It means "Until It Should Fill the World Again." The meaning of "it" is not specified, which makes the motto a bit mysterious!

See also

In Spanish: Somerville College para niños