Wolfson College, Oxford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wolfson College |
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Front of the college
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Blazon: Per pale gules and or on a chevron between three roses and two pears all countercharged the roses barbed and seeded proper.
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| University | University of Oxford | |||||||||
| Location | Linton Road, Oxford | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 51°46′16″N 1°15′19″W / 51.770977°N 1.255263°W | |||||||||
| Motto | Humani nil alienum (Homo sum, humani nil alienum a me puto) | |||||||||
| Established | 1965 | |||||||||
| Named for | Sir Isaac Wolfson | |||||||||
| Previous names | Iffley College | |||||||||
| Sister college | Darwin College, Cambridge | |||||||||
| President | Sir Tim Hitchens | |||||||||
| Undergraduates | none (graduate-only college) | |||||||||
| Postgraduates | 788 (2021) | |||||||||
| Boat club | Wolfson College Boat Club | |||||||||
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 Location in Oxford
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Wolfson College is a college that is part of the University of Oxford in England. It is located in north Oxford next to the River Cherwell. Wolfson is a college only for students who are studying for advanced degrees, like a Master's or PhD.
It has about sixty main teachers, called fellows, plus other researchers. The college supports many different subjects, from arts and history to science. Like most of Oxford's newer colleges, it has welcomed both male and female students since it started in 1965.
Sir Isaiah Berlin, a famous thinker, was the college's first leader. He helped create the college and set up its strong focus on excellent learning and fairness. The college still honors him with a special trust and an annual lecture. Since 2017, Sir Tim Hitchens has been the college's president.
Wolfson College is also a registered charity.
Contents
How Wolfson College Started
Wolfson College began in 1965. Its first leader was Sir Isaiah Berlin, a very important thinker about politics and ideas. He played a big part in setting up the college.
The college was first called Iffley College. It was created to be a new place for graduate students at Oxford. This was especially true for students studying natural and social sciences. Twelve other colleges at the university helped by giving money to start Iffley College.
In 1965, the college did not yet have a leader or its own building. Sir Isaiah Berlin worked to change this. In 1966, he got support from the Wolfson Foundation and the Ford Foundation. This money helped create a special place for the college. This new site included 'Cherwell', which was once the home of J. S. Haldane and his family. New buildings were also built around it. The college was renamed Wolfson College to thank Isaac Wolfson for his help.
Sir Isaiah Berlin became the college's official leader in 1967. He wanted Wolfson to be a place of top-level learning. But he also wanted it to be different from other Oxford colleges. He wanted it to be very fair and democratic. Berlin said the college would be 'new, free, and not built like a pyramid'.
Berlin's ideas were put into action with the help of his vice-president, Michael Brock. They worked together to make Berlin's vision real. Wolfson is known as one of the most equal colleges at Oxford. There are few differences between students and teachers. Everyone eats at the same table, and there is only one common room for all members. Special academic clothes are only worn on important days. Graduate students even help make decisions for the college.
Berlin's fame also helped the college attract many great teachers. One was Niko Tinbergen, who won a Nobel Prize in 1973 for studying animal behavior. Berlin's own work in the humanities brought many students interested in politics and ideas.
College Buildings and Grounds
The main building of Wolfson College was finished in 1974. It was designed by Powell and Moya Architects. It is one of the most modern main buildings among all Oxford colleges.
The college has three main open areas, called quadrangles:
- The central quadrangle is named the Berlin Quad, after Isaiah Berlin.
- The Tree Quad is built around old, established trees.
- The River Quad has the River Cherwell flowing into it, forming a place for boats.
The main building and a bridge over the river were made 'grade II listed' in 2011. This means they are important historical buildings.
The college offers rooms for students in the main building. It also has family-friendly homes in three courtyards. There are also special buildings for students, like the Robin Gandy Buildings. The college also owns houses on Linton Road, Chadlington Road, and Garford Road. Wolfson College wants to reduce its pollution. It plans to have zero carbon emissions by 2030.
The College Library
The college library is in one part of the main building. It is open to all members of the college. The main library is on the first floor. You can reach it from the dining hall or the main entrance. There are also two other collections of books downstairs. These are called the Floersheimer Room and the Hornik Memorial Room. The main library has a middle floor with more books. It also has small study areas for graduate students. The library has many books and academic magazines.
Common Room and Dining Hall
Wolfson College has one common room for both teachers and graduate students. This common room has two floors. The top floor has a bar and coffee area. It also has a terrace with views of the boat harbor. The lower common room has magazines and newspapers.
The college's dining hall is special because everyone eats at the same table. This is different from many other Oxford colleges. The 'Haldane Room' is next to the dining hall. This is where special formal meals are held.
College Gardens
The college has land on both sides of the river. This includes two grassy fields on the other side, towards Marston. It has a small, well-kept garden with old trees behind its main building. There is also a garden next to the river. The garden along the riverbank is nicely designed. It has steps leading up to a greenhouse and a sundial. The college also has a smaller garden next to the Robin Gandy building, which is also by the river.
Sports and Boating
Wolfson College has its own squash court and croquet lawn. Students from the college take part in many university sports events. These include cricket, football, and the yearly rowing competition. Wolfson is one of the few Oxford colleges with its own punting harbor. It has many flat-bottomed boats, called punts, that all college members can use. The Wolfson College Boat Club is located on the ground floor of one of the college buildings.
Academic Life at Wolfson
Wolfson College has about 800 graduate students. Many of them are studying for a DPhil, which is like a PhD. Others are studying for different Master's degrees. The college also welcomes students studying for law degrees.
Wolfson is home to several special research groups. These groups bring together experts to study different topics:
- Ancient World Research Cluster (AWRC)
- Wolfson College Digital Research Cluster
- The Oxford Centre for Life Writing (OCLW)
- Law in Societies
- South Asia Research Cluster (SARC)
- Earth Emergency Research Cluster
- Tibetan and Himalayan Studies Centre
- Quantum Foundations Research Cluster
- The Quantum Hub
Famous People from Wolfson College
Wolfson College has been home to many well-known people. These include former students, teachers, and past presidents. Two of them have even won Nobel Prizes. Since Wolfson is a college only for graduate students, most students have studied at another college first. Then they come to Wolfson for their advanced degrees.
Notable Former Students
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Richard Salisbury Ellis
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Alison Gopnik
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Reid Hoffman
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Iain Pears
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Francisco Rezek
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In science, famous former students include:
- Dame Kay Davies, a human geneticist.
- Richard Ellis, an astronomer.
- David Deutsch, a theoretical physicist.
- Eric Lander, a mathematician and geneticist.
- James R. Norris, a mathematician.
In business, Reid Hoffman is a notable former student. He helped start LinkedIn.
In law and public service, former students include:
- Chris Whitty, the UK Government's Chief Medical Adviser.
- Francisco Rezek, a former Brazilian Supreme Court Justice.
- Karim Ahmad Khan, a chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court.
- Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, who was the youngest Prime Minister of Iceland.
College Presidents
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Raymond Hoffenberg
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Tim Hitchens
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Notable Teachers (Fellows)
Some well-known current and former teachers (fellows) at the college include:
- Jiyuan Yu, a philosopher known for his work on good character.
- William Bradshaw, Baron Bradshaw, a member of the House of Lords.
- Anthony Epstein, who discovered the Epstein–Barr virus.
- Steven Schwartz, a former Vice Chancellor of Macquarie University.
- Denis Mack Smith, a historian at Oxford.
- Niko Tinbergen, who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
- Dorothy Hodgkin, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
See also
- Wolfson College, Cambridge
- Wolfson family
