Linacre College

Linacre College stands on the corner of South Parks Road and St Cross Road in Oxford, beside University Parks to the north and the University Science Area to the west. Founded in 1962, it is named after Thomas Linacre, a 15th-century humanist who helped establish the Royal College of Physicians. The college occupies a Queen Anne building designed partly by Basil Champneys, which once served as a private home and later as a convent. About 550 postgraduate students and 50 fellows study and work there, coming from more than 133 countries. Unlike most Oxford colleges, Linacre has no high table and students and fellows share the same common room. The college began as the UK’s first mixed graduate society for all subjects. Its founding principal, John Bamborough, called it “a deliberate experiment” to meet the needs of graduate students. Early senior members included Isaiah Berlin, Dorothy Hodgkin and John Hicks. In 1986 it became an independent college by royal charter. The coat of arms shows an open book with the Greek letters Alpha and Omega, and the motto is “No End To Learning.” College colours are grey, yellow and black, used on sports clothing and rowing blades. The main site centres on the OC Tanner Building, the oldest part, which holds the common room, staff offices and some student rooms. Nearby are the Bamborough, Abraham and Griffiths buildings, completed in 1986, 1995 and 2008. The Abraham Building won several environmental awards and houses a music room, gym and photovoltaic panels. A dining hall added in 1977 serves meals most weekdays. Off site, Linacre owns houses on several roads providing over a hundred further rooms. The Common Room organises termly parties, movie nights and other events, including a large matriculation ball that once drew more than 950 people.