British Studies at Oxford
The College of St. John Baptist, Oxford
Visitor: The Bishop of Winchester
President: Sir Michael Scholar
Since 1980, British Studies At Oxford has been held in St John's College. This ancient college has origins that stretch back to the Cistercian foundation of St Bernard's in1437, but it assumed its current form in 1555 when refounded by Sir Thomas White. As a result, St John's celebrates its 450th Anniversary in 2005.
St
John's is one of the most beautiful colleges in the University as well as
being one of its most academically distinguished. British Studies At Oxford
offers the opportunity of participating in the unique experience of Oxford
college life: tutors and students live and study together while pursuing
different combinations of subjects, meeting over meals as well as in
classes, traveling to notable sights or galleries, attending plays or
concerts. "Study" in Oxford takes on a new meaning: as Oscar Wilde said,
"Nowhere else are life and art so exquisitely blended, so perfectly made
into one".
In the heart of both the City and the University, St John's College offers
wonderful opportunities to the student - it is famous for the quiet beauty
of its quadrangles and its gardens; beyond lies the delightful variety of
the other colleges and the town.
The
College of St. John Baptist was founded in 1555 by a wealthy London Merchant
Taylor, a former Lord Mayor of London, and a devout Roman Catholic. His
object was to secure a supply of clergy to rebut current heresies, during
the Roman Catholic resurgence under Queen Mary I.
Oxford in general was reluctant to go along with the more thorough return to
Protestantism at the accession of Elizabeth I; and as in many colleges, a
substantial number of St. John's students and dons kept to the old faith, in
some cases becoming priests in the underground Catholic church. The most
notable was the brilliant Edmund Campion, who was martyred at Tyburn in
1581.
Some of the greatest days of the College came in the first half of the
seventeenth century under the Presidencies of William Laud (1611-1621),
William Juxon (1621-1633), and Richard Baylie (1633-1648 and 1660-1667). All
were devoted to their alma mater. Laud and Juxon became Archbishops of
Canterbury, and Laud while serving under Charles I attempted to enforce
strict observance of the Prayer Book, and his consequent struggle with the
Puritans led to his impeachment for high treason, and he was beheaded in
1645. Relics of Laud and his execution are among the College's treasures,
and rumor has it he bowls his head at night along the central path of the
great quadrangle he built, Canterbury Quad.
The College has had a close connection with many famous English schools,
such as Christ's Hospital, Merchant Taylors' School (founded 1561), and the
schools at Tonbridge, Bristol, Reading, and Coventry. St. John's is
traditionally one of the most academically rigorous of Oxford's colleges,
regularly occupying the top spot in the officially-discouraged league of
excellence, the "Norrington Table".
The College in time became rich because of its ownership of the Manor of
Walton, comprising a great part of what is now north Oxford, as well as the
advowson of St. Giles' Church and much neighboring property. The site and
buildings were those of St. Bernard's Abbey, a Cistercian house begun by
Archbishop Chichele in 1437. The front of the College was more or less as it
is now, also the north and south sides of the quadrangle. The College has
expanded a great deal over the past few years, with prize-winning modern
buildings joining the distinguished architecture of Front and Canterbury
Quads. St. John's is famous for its gardens, magical havens of stillness and
quiet in the heart of the noisy city.
Famous members of the College include: R. Henley, first earl of Northington,
Lord Chancellor; James Shirley, the dramatist; A.E. Housman; George,
Viscount Cave, Lord Chancellor; Gilbert Murray, O.M.; L. B. Pearson,
Canadian Prime Minister; Dean Rusk, U.S. Secretary of State; Robert Graves:
Philip Larkin; Sir Kingsley Amis; Sir Tyrone Guthrie; and Tony Blair,
current Leader of the British Labour Party.
Accommodation and Facilities
All students live in the College, with good-quality single rooms in one of the ancient or more modern quadrangles, each with its own character and comforts. Linens and towels are provided and the College servants - the "Scouts" - make the beds and keep the rooms. All meals in College are provided, seven days a week, as is morning coffee; and the quality of St. John's food is praised highly by previous participants.
We
dine in the Hall, surrounded by portraits of past members of the College,
going back 400 years. Several evenings a week members of the program dine
more formally but with unfailing sociability; these evenings provide
another, very valuable opportunity to meet lecturers, guests, tutors, and
fellow students.
The College also has computer facilities available to BSAO students, and it
is easy to set up an e-mail account and get access to the Net. BSAO also has
a Reading Room, accessible at all times.