Churchill College, Cambridge

Churchill College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge and was founded in 1960 as the national and commonwealth memorial to Winston Churchill.

Buildings

The college's central buildings were designed by Richard Sheppard, and built on the

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

42 acre (170,000 m²) west Cambridge site through the purchase of a farm between 1958 and the college's opening two years later. The central dining hall is the largest in Cambridge and formals can cater for up to 420 guests

Related Topics:
1958 - Formals

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the centre of the college is the Churchill Archive Centre opened in 1974

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

to provide a home to Sir Winston's papers, and also more recently endowed with papers from former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1992, the Møller Centre for Continuing Education was built in the gardens, designed by Henning Larsen.

Related Topics:
1992 - Henning Larsen

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

At the farthest end of the college is Churchill College Chapel. The idea of a having a religious building within a modern, scientifically-oriented, academic institution deeply annoyed some of the original fellows, reputedly leading to the resignation of Nobel Prize winner Francis Crick in protest. Eventually a compromise was found: the

Related Topics:
Nobel Prize - Francis Crick

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

chapel was sited away from the other buildings, and funded and managed separately from the rest of the College itself, being tactfully referred as "the Chapel at Churchill College". The chimney of the heating system at the front of the college substitutes visually for the missing chapel tower.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

According to the anecdote, Crick had agreed to become a fellow on the basis that no chapel be placed in Churchill. A donation was later made to Churchill College for the establishment of one, and the majority of fellows voted for it. Winston Churchill reputedly wrote to Crick, saying that no-one need enter the chapel except under free will so it need not be a problem. Crick, in short order, replied with a letter containing 10 guineas saying that if that were the case, here were 10 guineas for the establishment of a brothel.

Related Topics:
Guineas - Brothel

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~