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St Edmund Hall is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Better known within the University by its nickname, "Teddy Hall", the college has a claim to being "the oldest academical society for the education of undergraduates in any university".^[1] As of 2006 St Edmund Hall had an estimated financial endowment of £36m.^[2]

Contents 1 History 2 College colours 3 Coat of Arms 4 Locations and buildings 5 Student life 6 College assets and artifacts 7 College graces 8 People associated with the college 8.1 Current tutors and fellows 8.2 Notable alumni 8.3 Other notable figures 9 Notes 10 References 11 External links

Like the University of Oxford itself, the precise date of establishment of St Edmund Hall is unknown; it is usually estimated at 1226. The college is named after St Edmund of Abingdon, Oxfordshire, the first known Oxford Master of Arts and the first Oxford-educated Archbishop of Canterbury, who lived and taught on the college site.

St Edmund Hall began life as one of Oxford's ancient Aularian houses, the mediaeval halls that laid the foundation of the University, preceding the creation of the first colleges. As the only surviving mediaeval hall, its members are known as "Aularians". St Edmund Hall took on the status of a college in 1957, though retaining the historical moniker of "Hall".

The college has a history of independent thought, which has brought it into regular conflict with both church and state. During the late 14th century and early 15th century, it was a bastion of the Wyclif heresy, for which college principal William Taylor was ultimately burnt at the stake, and principal Peter Payne fled the country. In the 17th century, it incurred the wrath of the crown for fostering nonjurors, men who remained loyal to the Scottish House of Stuart and who refused to take the oath to the German House of Hanover, whom they regarded as having usurped the British throne.

Like most academic institutions, Oxbridge colleges commonly have a colour scheme used for college scarves, ties, sports clothing and so on. There is a great deal of confusion regarding the Hall's official college colours which seems to have arisen due to a discrepancy between "official college wear" and sporting wear.

The college's official colours are "maroon and gold"; while this not stated explicitly anywhere on the college's official web-site, the "College memorabilia" section quotes these as the colours of official college merchandise, such as the college scarves.

In the vast majority of sporting wear produced the "maroon and gold" are often substituted by dark red and yellow perhaps due to these colours being easier/cheaper to produce.

The College Coat of Arms depicts a red cross fleury against a yellow/gold field surrounded by four Cornish Choughs and is blazoned "Or, a cross fleury gules between four Cornish choughs perched proper".

In the image shown to the left, the College coat of arms is found above the following Latin dedication "sanctus edmundus huius aulae lux" which can be loosely translated as "St. Edmund, light of this Hall".

It is a very common practice within the University to use chronograms for dedications - when transcribed into Latin, they are written in such a way that an important date, usually that of a foundation or the dedication itself, is embedded in the text. This is usually achieved by choosing certain letters in the text which correspond to Roman Numerals which when added, often disregarding the usual subtractive notation, amount to the required date. These numerals are then indicated by being rendered in a larger size than that of the surrounding letters.

In the above dedication, the text is rendered as

and, in this case, adding the numerals naively gives:

C + V + M + V + V + V + I + V + V + L + L + V + X = 1246

which is a popular, if conservative, estimate for the establishment of the Hall.

St Edmund Hall is based on a small central site on the north side of the High Street. The front quadrangle (see picture) is bordered by the porters' lodge, the old dining hall (1659), the college bar and buttery (containing a mid-15th-century fireplace), the chapel with the old library above (late 17th century), and accommodation for students and fellows. In the centre of the quadrangle is a medieval well. Passages from the quadrangle give access to the college library (the deconsecrated church of St Peter in the East, 12th century) and gardens (St Peter's churchyard) to the north, and modern accommodation blocks and dining hall to the east. The college also owns annexes at Norham Gardens, on Dawson Street, and on Iffley Road.

The student body has long been known for prowess in sport, especially rugby. More recently, it has also demonstrated strengths in journalism, drama, mathematics and student politics. In 2007 the college fielded a team in University Challenge (although it was knocked out by Manchester on the 10th December 2007).

Work in progress

The usual college grace given before Formal Hall is Benedictus, Benedicat per Jesum Christum Dominum Nostrum (Blessed is He and Blessed is this (food) through Jesus Christ Our Lord) to which the assembly responds Amen. More extended forms of the grace are sometimes given but this is very rare.

Work in Progress

See also Former students of St Edmund Hall.

• Dan Abnett, author, comic book writer
• Samira Ahmed, newsreader/presenter
• Stuart Barnes, former England and British Lions rugby player, commentator for Sky Sports
• Anna Botting, newsreader
• Douglas Botting, explorer and author
• Emma Brockes, journalist
• Robin Day, broadcaster
• Paul Farrelly MP Labour MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme (2001-present)
• Arihiro Fukuda late associate professor of the University of Tokyo
• Patrick Garland, (also Honorary Fellow)
• Amitav Ghosh, writer
• Mark Field MP (represents the City of Westminster)
• Timothy Gorringe
• Thomas Hearne
• Oronhyatekha
• Terry Jones, comedian and writer
• Gabriel Josipovici
• Emma Kennedy, comedian and writer
• Stewart Lee, comedian and writer
• Sir Ken Macdonald, the Director of Public Prosecutions
• Hugo MacNeill, former Ireland and British Lions rugby player
• John McManners
• Derek Morris
• Al Murray comedian
• Richard Onslow, 1st Baron Onslow
• Sir Nicholas Pumfrey (Mr Justice Pumfrey), High Court Judge
• Charles Ritcheson, historian, diplomat, and university administrator
• General Sir (Hugh) Michael Rose, KCB, CBE
• M. J. K. Smith
• Graham Steele, Member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly
• John Wells, comedian and translator

• St Edmund of Abingdon
• Rev. J.N.D. Kelly D.D., Principal (1951–1979)
• Leonard Hodgson
• Mike Reed, Fellow in Computation (1986–2005)

1. ^ Cowdrey (1988); p. 388, referencing A.B. Emden who in his 1927 (p. 236) work states: "...and St. Edmund Hall now survives as the last lineal descendent of the oldest form of academical society designed for the residence of scholars studying in the Oxford Schools."
2. ^ Oxford College Endowment Incomes, 1973-2006 (updated July 2007)

• Cowdrey, H.E.J. (1988) St Edmund Hall, Queen's Lane, In: Hibbert, C. (Ed.) The encyclopædia of Oxford, London : Macmillan, p. 388-391, ISBN 0-333-39917-X. Reproduced online by St Edmund Hall [accessed 1 June 2007]
• Emden, A.B. (1927) An Oxford Hall in Medieval Times: being the Early History of St. Edmund Hall, Oxford : Clarendon Press, Reprinted 1968
• Kelly, J.N.D. (1989) St. Edmund Hall: Almost Seven Hundred Years, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-951559-X

• St. Edmund Hall – official website
• St. Edmund Hall JCR website
• Virtual tour of St Edmund Hall
• Shepherd and Woodward, St Edmund Hall

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