All Souls College, Oxford

All Souls College

Latin: Collegium Omnium Animarum
Established	1438
Warden	Sir John Vickers
Location	Oxford, England 51.7548°N 1.2534°W / 51.7548; -1.2534 Fatal error: The format of the coordinate could not be determined. Parsing failed.
Website	www.asc.ox.ac.uk

All Souls College, formally known as The Warden and the College of the Souls of all Faithful People deceased in the University of Oxford, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Unique among Oxford colleges, All Souls has no undergraduate members, and its primary focus is on research and academic scholarship.

History

All Souls College was founded in 1438 by Henry Chichele, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Henry VI of England. The college was established to commemorate the fallen of the Hundred Years' War and to provide for the study of theology, philosophy, and the arts. The college's full name reflects its original purpose as a place of prayer for all souls.

Architecture

The college is renowned for its stunning architecture, which includes the Codrington Library, the Chapel, and the distinctive twin towers designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor. The Codrington Library, completed in 1751, is one of the most beautiful libraries in Oxford and houses a vast collection of books and manuscripts.

Academic Life

All Souls is unique in that it does not admit undergraduate students. Instead, it is primarily a research institution. The college is known for its prestigious fellowships, which are awarded to distinguished scholars from various fields. The most famous of these is the "Prize Fellowship," which is awarded through a highly competitive examination known as "The Examination" or "The World's Most Difficult Exam."

Traditions

All Souls is steeped in tradition. One of its most famous traditions is the "Mallard Ceremony," which occurs every hundred years. The ceremony involves a procession and the singing of the "Mallard Song," celebrating a legendary mallard supposedly found when the college was being built.

Notable Fellows

Over the centuries, All Souls has been home to many notable scholars and public figures, including:

• Isaiah Berlin, philosopher and historian of ideas
• T. E. Lawrence, also known as "Lawrence of Arabia"
• Amartya Sen, Nobel laureate in Economics

See Also

• List of colleges of the University of Oxford
• University of Oxford

External Links

• Official website of All Souls College