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Wolfson College, Cambridge facts for kids

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Not to be confused with Wolfson College, Oxford.
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Wolfson College
Bredon House, Wolfson College
Bredon House, Wolfson College
Wolfson College crest
Blazon: Ermine a chevron gules between in chief two lions passant guardant or, and in base a handbell proper
University University of Cambridge
Location Barton Road, Cambridge (map)
Abbreviation W
Motto "Ring True"
Founder University of Cambridge
Established 1965
Named after Wolfson Foundation
Previous names University College (1965–1972)
Age restriction Aged 21 or over
Sister college St Antony's College, Oxford
President Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu
Undergraduates 186 (2022–23)
Postgraduates 912 (2022–23)
Fellows 106 (2017)
Map
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Wolfson College Lee Library
The Lee Library
Lee garden
Lee Gardens
Wolfson College, Cambridge (1)
The Chinese-style Lee Hall

Wolfson College is a special part of the University of Cambridge in England. It's a college where most students are postgraduates. This means they are studying for a master's degree or a PhD after finishing their first university degree.

The college also welcomes "mature" undergraduates. These are students aged 21 or older who are starting their first university degree. About 15% of Wolfson's students are in this group.

Wolfson College began in 1965 as "University College." It was renamed Wolfson College in 1973. This new name honored the Wolfson Foundation, which gave a lot of money to help the college grow. Wolfson College is located southwest of Cambridge city centre.

Wolfson is one of Cambridge's newer colleges. It has some different traditions compared to older colleges. For example, students and Fellows (teachers and researchers) eat together at formal dinners. Wearing academic gowns is encouraged but not required. Everyone at the college can use all the facilities.

Wolfson College is known for being very diverse. It has students from over 70 countries. It was also the first college at Cambridge to accept both men and women as students and Fellows.

The current leader of Wolfson College is a scientist named Ijeoma Uchegbu. She is called the President.

College History and Growth

After the Second World War, many students from other universities came to Cambridge for research. To help these students, the university started University College in 1965.

The college was first based at Bredon House. This house was built in the early 1900s by John Stanley Gardiner. He was a professor of Zoology at the university. He gave his house and garden to the university when he passed away in 1946. The college later bought more land nearby.

Founding and Early Days

University College opened on June 30, 1965. It was created for postgraduate students. John Sinclair Morrison, a expert in classic studies, was its first President.

At that time, all other Cambridge colleges were only for men or only for women. University College was the first to welcome both men and women as students and Fellows. From the start, the college wanted to be a welcoming and fair place. It was different from the older, more traditional Cambridge colleges. For example, there was no special "High Table" just for Fellows at dinners.

Becoming Wolfson College

The college had a rule: it needed to find enough money to support itself within 10 years. If not, it would close. In 1972, the Wolfson Foundation agreed to help. They gave money to build new central buildings around Bredon House. Because of this important gift, the college was renamed Wolfson College on January 1, 1973.

The new buildings were designed by architect Michael Mennim. Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh officially opened them in 1977. Most of the college's buildings are modern. However, they are arranged like older colleges, with buildings around two main courtyards. The floor of the main entrance hall is made from thin pieces of granite. These pieces came from the old London Bridge.

Continued Expansion

Wolfson College has continued to grow. In the 1980s, the college bought the house and garden of Sir Vivian Fuchs. He was a famous explorer. Plommer House was also given to the college by Hugh Plommer, one of the college's first Fellows.

These new properties allowed the college to build more facilities. Many of these were paid for by generous donations. Other big gifts came from the Fairleigh Dickinson Foundation and the Toda Foundation. In the 1990s, with help from the Gatsby Foundation, the college bought more land. This land was used to build the Chancellor's Centre and more student housing.

College Buildings and Gardens

The Lee Library

The Lee Seng Tee Library, often called the Lee Library, opened in 1994. It was a gift from Lee Seng Tee, a businessman from Singapore. His daughter studied at Wolfson College. He also gave money for the Lee Seng Tee Hall.

The library was designed by Brewer, Smith and Brewer architects. Inside, on the ground floor, you can see a small model of an armillary sphere. This is a tool used to show how planets move. The real one is on the roof of the Beijing Ancient Observatory. On the first floor, there is a statue of Lee Kong Chian, who was Lee Seng Tee's father.

The library has over 60 quiet places to study. It is open 24 hours a day, all year, except for December 25-26 and January 1. The college is also very close to the main Cambridge University Library.

In February 2018, students had to leave the Lee Library and some dorms. This happened because a practice grenade from World War II was found in the President's Garden. Luckily, no one was hurt. It was quickly found to be a practice grenade with no live parts.

College Gardens

In the early 1900s, much of the land where the college now stands was made up of gardens. These gardens belonged to houses in Selwyn Gardens. As the college grew, special natural features were kept. An example is the mulberry tree outside the Porters' lodge.

The college garden has many different trees, sweet-smelling bushes, and small evergreen trees. It also has colorful shrubs. The college's head gardener sometimes gives tours of the gardens to local groups. In the summer, Wolfson opens its gardens to the public. This is part of the NGS Open Gardens program.

Student Life and Activities

Wolfson College is known for its fun events and performances. These often attract visitors from other Cambridge colleges. Activities include formal dinners, concerts, dance nights, and music shows.

The college often hosts live comedy nights called the Wolfson Howler. These shows feature comedians, from students to well-known performers.

The Club Room is at the heart of the college. It has the college bar and a dance floor. During the day, it works as a café. It is the main gathering place for students and hosts many entertainment events.

The Wolfson College Boat Club is a very popular group. Wolfson is one of the strongest rowing colleges in Cambridge for graduate students. The college is also part of the All Greys, which is the rugby team for mature students in Cambridge.

People Connected to Wolfson College

Notable Alumni

Many interesting people have studied at Wolfson College. Here are a few:

Notable Fellows

Fellows are teachers and researchers at the college. Some notable Fellows include:

Presidents of Wolfson College

The leader of Wolfson College is called the President.

  • 1966 to 1980: John Sinclair Morrison
  • 1980 to 1992: Sir David Williams
  • 1993: Sir John Tusa (January to October)
  • 1993 to 2010: Gordon Johnson
  • 2010 to 2017: Sir Richard Evans
  • 2017 to 2024: Jane Clarke
  • Since 2024: Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Wolfson College (Cambridge) para niños

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