New Hall, Cambridge
Encyclopedia
Murray Edwards College is a women-only constituent college
of the University of Cambridge
. It was founded as "New Hall" in 1954, at a time when Cambridge had the lowest proportion of women undergraduates of any university in the United Kingdom
, and when only two other colleges (Girton
and Newnham
) admitted women students. Unlike many other colleges, New Hall was founded without a benefactor and did not bear a benefactor's name. However, it was announced in June 2008 that New Hall would be renamed in memory of its first President, Dame Rosemary Murray
, and alumna Ros Smith (Mrs Edwards) and her husband Steve Edwards who had recently made a donation of £30 million to the College.
now stands. By 1962, thanks to the generosity of members of the Darwin family who gave their family home, "The Orchard", to the project, the College had a new site on Huntingdon Road, about a mile from the centre of Cambridge. The architects, Chamberlin, Powell and Bon
, had been chosen and funds were being collected. Building began in 1964 and the new college was completed in 1965. It could house up to 300 students.
With the conversion of the last men-only colleges into mixed colleges in the 1970s and 1980s, some people questioned whether New Hall would or, indeed, should remain a women-only college. Since the 2007 announcement that Oxford University's
last remaining women-only college, St Hilda's
, would admit men, Cambridge is the only university in the United Kingdom
with an admissions policy that discriminates, with respect to admission to some of its colleges, on the basis of gender. Murray Edwards has progressed further than other Cambridge colleges in this area as it allows male staff.
The college is home to the second largest collection of women's art in the world, The New Hall Art Collection
. The college offers free formal halls each week to graduate students and maintains a fund for graduate research, including the Stephan Körner
graduate studentship for studies in philosophy, classics or law.
of the college are emblazoned as follows:
The black castellation round the arms marks the college's location on Castle Hill. The three stars are borrowed from the Murray coat of arms, while the heraldic Dolphin symbolises a youthful spirit of exploration and discovery, and a kindly intelligence.
In addition to the arms, the college has a new logo to mark its transition from New Hall to Murray Edwards College. It is based on the design of the interior of the dining hall, known as the Dome. It is called the 'spark' and symbolises the modern, open and youthful outlook of the College.
Fellows of New Hall, Cambridge
Presidents of Murray Edwards 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...
. It was founded as "New Hall" in 1954, at a time when Cambridge had the lowest proportion of women undergraduates of any university in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and when only two other colleges (Girton
Girton College, Cambridge
Girton College is one of the 31 constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge. It was England's first residential women's college, established in 1869 by Emily Davies and Barbara Bodichon. The full college status was only received in 1948 and marked the official admittance of women to the...
and Newnham
Newnham College, Cambridge
Newnham College is a women-only constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1871 by Henry Sidgwick, and was the second Cambridge college to admit women after Girton College...
) admitted women students. Unlike many other colleges, New Hall was founded without a benefactor and did not bear a benefactor's name. However, it was announced in June 2008 that New Hall would be renamed in memory of its first President, Dame Rosemary Murray
Rosemary Murray
Dame Alice Rosemary Murray, DBE was a British chemist, educator and university administrator.-New Hall, Cambridge:...
, and alumna Ros Smith (Mrs Edwards) and her husband Steve Edwards who had recently made a donation of £30 million to the College.
Background
New Hall was founded in 1954, housing sixteen students in Silver Street where Darwin CollegeDarwin College, Cambridge
Darwin College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.Founded in 1964, Darwin was Cambridge University's first graduate-only college, and also the first to admit both men and women. The college is named after the family of one of the university's most famous graduates, Charles Darwin...
now stands. By 1962, thanks to the generosity of members of the Darwin family who gave their family home, "The Orchard", to the project, the College had a new site on Huntingdon Road, about a mile from the centre of Cambridge. The architects, Chamberlin, Powell and Bon
Chamberlin, Powell and Bon
Chamberlin, Powell and Bon were one of the most important modernist architectural firms in post-war England.- Formation :The practice was founded in 1952 by Geoffry Powell , Peter Chamberlin and Christoph Bon , following Powell's win in the 1951 architectural competition for the Golden Lane Estate...
, had been chosen and funds were being collected. Building began in 1964 and the new college was completed in 1965. It could house up to 300 students.
With the conversion of the last men-only colleges into mixed colleges in the 1970s and 1980s, some people questioned whether New Hall would or, indeed, should remain a women-only college. Since the 2007 announcement that Oxford University's
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
last remaining women-only college, St Hilda's
St Hilda's College, Oxford
St Hilda's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England.The college was founded in 1893 as a hall for women, and remained an all-women's college until 2006....
, would admit men, Cambridge is the only university in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
with an admissions policy that discriminates, with respect to admission to some of its colleges, on the basis of gender. Murray Edwards has progressed further than other Cambridge colleges in this area as it allows male staff.
The college is home to the second largest collection of women's art in the world, The New Hall Art Collection
New Hall Art Collection
The New Hall Art Collection is a permanent collection of contemporary art by women artists. Paintings, prints, and sculpture are displayed throughout the Murray Edwards College, Cambridge, England...
. The college offers free formal halls each week to graduate students and maintains a fund for graduate research, including the Stephan Körner
Stephan Körner
Stephan Körner, FBA was a British philosopher, who specialised in the work of Kant, the study of concepts, and in the philosophy of mathematics...
graduate studentship for studies in philosophy, classics or law.
Arms and logo
New Hall received its Royal Charter in 1972. The ArmsHeraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
of the college are emblazoned as follows:
- Sable a Dolphin palewise head downwards to the dexter in chief three Mullets fesswise a Bordure embattled Argent
The black castellation round the arms marks the college's location on Castle Hill. The three stars are borrowed from the Murray coat of arms, while the heraldic Dolphin symbolises a youthful spirit of exploration and discovery, and a kindly intelligence.
In addition to the arms, the college has a new logo to mark its transition from New Hall to Murray Edwards College. It is based on the design of the interior of the dining hall, known as the Dome. It is called the 'spark' and symbolises the modern, open and youthful outlook of the College.
Alumnae
- Dame Jocelyn Bell BurnellJocelyn Bell BurnellSusan Jocelyn Bell Burnell, DBE, FRS, FRAS , is a British astrophysicist. As a postgraduate student she discovered the first radio pulsars with her thesis supervisor Antony Hewish. She was president of the Institute of Physics from October 2008 until October 2010, and was interim president...
, DBE, now Research Professor, University of OxfordUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, formerly researcher in the university radio astronomy groupCavendish Astrophysics GroupThe Cavendish Astrophysics Group is based at the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge. The group operates all of the telescopes at the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory except for the 32m MERLIN telescope, which is operated by Jodrell Bank.The group is the second largest of three...
who discovered the first four pulsars - Lisa BurkeLisa BurkeLisa Burke is an Irish weather forecaster.-Background:Burke was born and lived in Killeshin, near the town of Carlow in County Carlow, Ireland and attended school there before moving to London with her family in 1987. Her father is Tony Burke, a former goalkeeper for Laois...
, TV weather presenter - Mishal HusainMishal HusainMishal Husain is a television news presenter for the BBC's international news channel, BBC World News, presenting Impact between 1400 and 1600 GMT every Monday to Thursday as well as presenting the Sunday evening editions of the BBC Weekend News on BBC One...
, BBC World News anchor - Dr Julia KingJulia KingJulia King CBE FREng is the Vice-Chancellor of Aston University.King graduated from the University of Cambridge with a degree in natural sciences. Her PhD degree, also from Cambridge, was in materials...
, CBE, Vice-Chancellor, University of Aston, Birmingham - Clare LawrenceClare LawrenceClare Lawrence Moody is an English television and stage actor and producer. She is the daughter of English television director Laurence Moody...
, actress - Joanna MacGregorJoanna MacGregorJoanna MacGregor is a classical, jazz and contemporary pianist.-Biography:MacGregor grew up in North London, and was educated at home by her Seventh-day Adventist parents until she attended South Hampstead High School at the age of 11. Her mother is a piano teacher who studied at the Royal...
, concert pianist - Sue PerkinsSue PerkinsSue Perkins is an English comedienne, broadcaster, actress, and writer.-Education:Perkins was educated at Croham Hurst School, an independent school for girls in Croydon in South London, at the same time as the BBC Breakfast News presenter Susanna Reid...
, comedienne - Professor Dame Jessica RawsonJessica RawsonJessica Rawson, DBE, FBA is an English art historian, curator and academic administrator, specializing in Chinese art. After many years at the British Museum, she was Warden of Merton College, Oxford, from 1994 until her retirement in 2010...
DBE, FBA, Warden of Merton College, Oxford - Dame Barbara StockingBarbara StockingDame Barbara Mary Stocking, Mrs. MacInnes, DBE is Vice Chair of the SCHR and Chief Executive of . She joined the latter in 2001....
, DBE, Director of OxfamOxfamOxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives... - Tilda SwintonTilda SwintonKatherine Mathilda "Tilda" Swinton is a British actress known for both arthouse and mainstream films. She has appeared in a number of films including The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Burn After Reading, The Beach, We Need to Talk About Kevin and was nominated for a Golden Globe for her...
, Academy Award winning actress - Frances VernonFrances VernonFrances Vernon was a British novelist. She wrote her first novel Privileged Children at the age of sixteen. It won the Author's Club First Novel Award. She studied at New Hall, Cambridge, but soon left to continue her writing...
, novelist - Claudia WinklemanClaudia WinklemanClaudia Anne I. Winkleman is an English television presenter, film critic, radio personality and journalist.- Early life and family :...
, TV presenter and journalist - Anne Allen, concert flautist
See also
Alumni of New Hall, CambridgeFellows of New Hall, Cambridge
Presidents of Murray Edwards College, Cambridge
- Murray Edwards College Boat Club