Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Encyclopedia
Emmanuel College is a constituent college
of the University of Cambridge
.
The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay
on the site of a Dominican
friary. Mildmay, a Puritan
, originally intended Emmanuel to be a college of training for Protestant preachers to rival the successful Catholic
theological schools that had trained Dominican
friars for years.
Emmanuel still has some theological students, but has broadened itself to include students of a wide variety of subjects. Emmanuel College opened its doors to female students in 1979.
"Emma", as the college is known throughout the university, attracts large numbers of undergraduate applications owing to its reputation as a "friendly college" (although several other colleges also claim this).
Emmanuel topped the Tompkins Table
, which ranks colleges according to end-of-year examination results, in 2003, '04, '06, '07, and '10 and was second in 2001, '02, '08, '09, and '11. Emmanuel has been among the top five colleges since 1998. The 2011 figures ('10, '09 in brackets) were 69.79% (69.11%,66.99%) with 31.8% (33.2%,26.2%) awarded as First Class degrees.
Emmanuel is one of the wealthier colleges at Cambridge with an estimated financial endowment
of £140m (2008).
in 1677 replacing the original chapel, which became the library (until 1930). There is a large fish pond in the grounds, home of a colony of ducks. Until the late 1990s, these were largely Mallard
s, but a former Master donated a variety of more exotic duck
species, including the Carolina
, the Mandarin
, the Pintail
, the Tufted
, and the Wigeon
.
There is a fine example of an Oriental plane
tree in the Fellows' Garden, which is reputed to have lived far longer than is typical of the species. The Fellows' Garden also contains a swimming pool which is one of the oldest bathing pools in Europe.
The college also holds a celebrated May Ball
biannually, traditionally falling on either the Sunday or Monday of May Week
.
Translated into English, the Oratio Ante Cibum reads as follows:
The following Oratio Post Cibum is sometimes read after dinner:
Translated into English, the Orato Post Cibum reads as follows:
Term. The individual officers fulfil varying roles, each designed to aid and improve student life within the college. ECSU also acts as a formal channel of communication between the students and the College authorities.
The Emmanuel College Middle Combination Room Emma MCR is the union for post-graduate students at Emmanuel College. The MCR is situated in a comfortable and well equipped room the Queen's Building. The MCR committee organises regular social events for graduate students, including well-attended formal dinners in hall every few weeks.
would be open to the blessing of same-sex civil partnerships
—becoming the first in the Church of England
to do so. Emmanuel's chapel is not under the formal jurisdiction of the local
Church of England bishop
, and did not have to obey a House of Bishops
ruling against such blessings.
Only members and alumni of the college may be blessed in this way. The decision was supported both by the College council and the students' union.
Eventually, under intense media scrutiny and after a Facebook campaign attracted over 100 supporters, the organising committee of the May Ball decided to remove the word 'Empire' from the title of the Ball, although the overall theme was still maintained, as participants were invited to "experience the Pax Britannica and party like it's 1899".
Emmanuel graduates had a large involvement in the settling of North America. Of the first 100 university
graduates in New England, one-third were graduates of Emmanuel College. Harvard University
, the first college in The United States, was named after John Harvard
(B.A., 1632), who was an Emmanuel graduate. Early Emmanuel men included several translators of the 1611 Authorised Version.
Other alumni and members of Emmanuel include:
Fictional characters who have been said to have gone to Emmanuel include Jonathan Swift
's Lemuel Gulliver
.
It is implied that Sebastian Faulks
' eponymous Engleby
and Thomas Richardson
also matriculated at Emmanuel.
:Category:Fellows of Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Colleges of the University of Cambridge
This is a list of the colleges within the University of Cambridge. These colleges are the primary source of accommodation for undergraduates and graduates at the University and at the undergraduate level have responsibility for admitting students and organising their tuition. They also provide...
of the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
.
The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay
Walter Mildmay
Sir Walter Mildmay was an English statesman who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer of England under Queen Elizabeth I, and was founder of Emmanuel College, Cambridge.-Early life:...
on the site of a Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
friary. Mildmay, a Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
, originally intended Emmanuel to be a college of training for Protestant preachers to rival the successful Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
theological schools that had trained Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
friars for years.
Emmanuel still has some theological students, but has broadened itself to include students of a wide variety of subjects. Emmanuel College opened its doors to female students in 1979.
"Emma", as the college is known throughout the university, attracts large numbers of undergraduate applications owing to its reputation as a "friendly college" (although several other colleges also claim this).
Emmanuel topped the Tompkins Table
Tompkins Table
The Tompkins Table is an annual ranking that lists the Colleges of the University of Cambridge in order of their undergraduate students' performances in that year's examinations...
, which ranks colleges according to end-of-year examination results, in 2003, '04, '06, '07, and '10 and was second in 2001, '02, '08, '09, and '11. Emmanuel has been among the top five colleges since 1998. The 2011 figures ('10, '09 in brackets) were 69.79% (69.11%,66.99%) with 31.8% (33.2%,26.2%) awarded as First Class degrees.
Emmanuel is one of the wealthier colleges at Cambridge with an estimated financial endowment
Financial endowment
A financial endowment is a transfer of money or property donated to an institution. The total value of an institution's investments is often referred to as the institution's endowment and is typically organized as a public charity, private foundation, or trust....
of £140m (2008).
Notable features
Emmanuel's chapel was designed by Christopher WrenChristopher Wren
Sir Christopher Wren FRS is one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history.He used to be accorded responsibility for rebuilding 51 churches in the City of London after the Great Fire in 1666, including his masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral, on Ludgate Hill, completed in 1710...
in 1677 replacing the original chapel, which became the library (until 1930). There is a large fish pond in the grounds, home of a colony of ducks. Until the late 1990s, these were largely Mallard
Mallard
The Mallard , or Wild Duck , is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia....
s, but a former Master donated a variety of more exotic duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
species, including the Carolina
Wood Duck
The Wood Duck or Carolina Duck is a species of duck found in North America. It is one of the most colourful of North American waterfowl.-Description:...
, the Mandarin
Mandarin Duck
The Mandarin Duck , or just Mandarin, is a medium-sized perching duck, closely related to the North American Wood Duck. It is 41–49 cm long with a 65–75 cm wingspan.-Description:...
, the Pintail
Northern Pintail
The Pintail or Northern Pintail is a widely occurring duck which breeds in the northern areas of Europe, Asia and North America. It is strongly migratory and winters south of its breeding range to the equator...
, the Tufted
Tufted Duck
The Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula, is a medium-sized diving duck with a population of close to one million birds.- Description :The adult male is all black except for white flanks and a blue-grey bill. It has an obvious head tuft that gives the species its name.The adult female is brown with paler...
, and the Wigeon
Wigeon
The Eurasian Wigeon, also known as Widgeon or Eurasian Widgeon is one of three species of wigeon in the dabbling duck genus Anas. It is common and widespread within its range...
.
There is a fine example of an Oriental plane
Platanus orientalis
Platanus orientalis, or the Oriental plane, is a large, deciduous tree of the Platanaceae family, known for its longevity and spreading crown. The species name derives from its historical distribution eastward from the Balkans, where it was recognized in ancient Greek history and literature....
tree in the Fellows' Garden, which is reputed to have lived far longer than is typical of the species. The Fellows' Garden also contains a swimming pool which is one of the oldest bathing pools in Europe.
The college also holds a celebrated May Ball
May Ball
A May Ball is a ball at the end of the academic year that happens at any one of the colleges of the University of Cambridge. They are formal affairs, requiring evening dress, with ticket prices of around £65 to £200 , with some colleges selling tickets only in pairs...
biannually, traditionally falling on either the Sunday or Monday of May Week
May Week
May Week is the name used within the University of Cambridge to refer to a period of time at the end of the academic year. Originally May Week took place in the week during May before year-end exams began. Today, May Week takes place in June. The end of exams is a cause for heavy celebration...
.
College Grace and Thanksgiving
The following Latin grace is recited before formal dinners at Emmanuel College (Oratio Ante Cibum):
Oculi omnium in te sperant, Domine,
et tu das escam illorum in tempore opportuno.
Aperis tu manum tuam
et imples omne animal benedictione.
Benedic, Domine, nos et dona tua
quae de tua largitate sumus sumpturi;
per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
Translated into English, the Oratio Ante Cibum reads as follows:
The eyes of all wait upon thee, O Lord,
and thou givest them their meat in due season.
Thou openest thine hand
and fillest every living thing with blessing.
Bless us, O Lord and these the gifts
which of thy bounty we are about to receive;
through Christ our Lord. Amen
The following Oratio Post Cibum is sometimes read after dinner:
Confiteantur tibi, Domine, omnia opera tua,
et sancti tui benedicant te.
Agimus tibi gratias, omnipotens Deus,
pro universis beneficiis tuis,
qui vivis et regnas Deus per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Translated into English, the Orato Post Cibum reads as follows:
Let all thy works give thanks to thee. O Lord,
and let thy saints bless thee.
We give thanks to thee, almighty God,
for all thy goodness,
who livest and reignest as God for ever and ever. Amen.
Students' Union
The Emmanuel College Students' Union (ECSU – http://ecsu.org.uk/) provides a shop, a bar, a common room, and funding for sports and other societies. ECSU's Executive Committee is elected on a yearly basis at the end of MichaelmasMichaelmas
Michaelmas, the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel is a day in the Western Christian calendar which occurs on 29 September...
Term. The individual officers fulfil varying roles, each designed to aid and improve student life within the college. ECSU also acts as a formal channel of communication between the students and the College authorities.
The Emmanuel College Middle Combination Room Emma MCR is the union for post-graduate students at Emmanuel College. The MCR is situated in a comfortable and well equipped room the Queen's Building. The MCR committee organises regular social events for graduate students, including well-attended formal dinners in hall every few weeks.
Sports and Societies in Emmanuel College
A large number of student societies and sports clubs exist at Emmanuel College. Sports include Tennis, Rowing, Cricket, Rugby , Football, Squash, Netball and more. There are also a whole host of other societies including Emmanuel College Music Society (ECMS), the Christian Union, the Mountaineering Club, the Emmanuel Real Ice Cream Society (ERICS), and the Politics and Economics Society. Students are able to get funding for new societies from Emmanuel College Student union (ECSU).Civil partnerships
In February 2006, the Rev. Jeremy Caddick, the Dean of Emmanuel College, announced that Emmanuel's chapelChapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
would be open to the blessing of same-sex civil partnerships
Civil union
A civil union, also referred to as a civil partnership, is a legally recognized form of partnership similar to marriage. Beginning with Denmark in 1989, civil unions under one name or another have been established by law in many developed countries in order to provide same-sex couples rights,...
—becoming the first in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
to do so. Emmanuel's chapel is not under the formal jurisdiction of the local
Diocese of Ely
The Diocese of Ely is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury. It is headed by the Bishop of Ely, who sits at Ely Cathedral in Ely. There is one suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon. The diocese now covers Cambridgeshire and western Norfolk...
Church of England bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
, and did not have to obey a House of Bishops
House of Bishops
The House of Bishops is the third House in a General Synod of some Anglican churches and the second house in the General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.-Composition of Houses of Bishops:...
ruling against such blessings.
Only members and alumni of the college may be blessed in this way. The decision was supported both by the College council and the students' union.
May Ball, 2009
In 2009, Emmanuel College hosted its May Ball based on the theme of the 'British Empire'. Some of the promotional material for the ball included wording such as "Once, there was an empire that governed a quarter of the world's population, covered about the same proportion of the earth's land, and dominated nearly all her oceans" and "They say that the sun never set on the British Empire - but at the Empire ball, you'll be wishing it never rises". This caused significant controversy, with some outside observers even going as far as saying that the College was advocating racism and slavery, and opposition was substantial enough that the story made it into the national press.Eventually, under intense media scrutiny and after a Facebook campaign attracted over 100 supporters, the organising committee of the May Ball decided to remove the word 'Empire' from the title of the Ball, although the overall theme was still maintained, as participants were invited to "experience the Pax Britannica and party like it's 1899".
Notable alumni
-
- See also :Category:Alumni of Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel graduates had a large involvement in the settling of North America. Of the first 100 university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
graduates in New England, one-third were graduates of Emmanuel College. Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, the first college in The United States, was named after John Harvard
John Harvard (clergyman)
John Harvard was an English minister in America whose deathbed bequest to the Massachusetts Bay Colony's fledgling New College was so gratefully received that the school was renamed Harvard College in his honor.-Biography:Harvard was born and raised in Southwark, England, the fourth of nine...
(B.A., 1632), who was an Emmanuel graduate. Early Emmanuel men included several translators of the 1611 Authorised Version.
Other alumni and members of Emmanuel include:
Fictional characters who have been said to have gone to Emmanuel include Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift was an Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer , poet and cleric who became Dean of St...
's Lemuel Gulliver
Lemuel Gulliver
Lemuel Gulliver is the protagonist and narrator of Gulliver's Travels, a novel written by Jonathan Swift, first published in 1726.-In Gulliver's Travels:...
.
It is implied that Sebastian Faulks
Sebastian Faulks
-Early life:Faulks was born on 20 April 1953 in Donnington, Berkshire to Peter Faulks and Pamela . Edward Faulks, Baron Faulks, is his older brother. He was educated at Elstree School, Reading and went on to Wellington College, Berkshire...
' eponymous Engleby
Engleby
Engleby is a novel by the author Sebastian Faulks. - External links :* * The Independent, 18 May 2007, 'Sad lad, or mad lad?' * The Guardian, May 8, 2007, The digested read: Engleby by Sebastian Faulks...
and Thomas Richardson
Thomas Richardson
Thomas Richardson is the name of:*Thomas Richardson , Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales*Tom Richardson , cricketer*Thomas Richardson , cricketer...
also matriculated at Emmanuel.
See also
:Category:Alumni of Emmanuel College, Cambridge:Category:Fellows of Emmanuel College, Cambridge
- List of Organ Scholars