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Greyfriars, Oxford

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Colleges and halls of the University of Oxford
Greyfriars Hall

College name

Greyfriars Hall

Named after

The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin

Established

1224^[1]

Acting Warden

The Revd Mark Elvins, OFMCap

JCR president

Jonathon Hamill

Undergraduates

45^[1]

MCR president

Sheridan Taylor

Graduates

5^[1]

Homepage

Greyfriars is one of the smallest constituent Halls of the University of Oxford in England. It is situated on the Iffley Road in East Oxford. Its status as a Permanent Private Hall (or PPH) refers to the fact that it is governed by an outside institution (the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, a Franciscan Order), rather than by its fellows as a College is. At the end of the 2007/08 academic year, Greyfriars will relinquish its status as a PPH, with all students and prospective applicants transferring to Regent's Park College.^[2] The Capuchin Order will continue to exist in Oxford and the Hall will continue to operate as a friary.

1 History
2 Friary and Tuition
3 Student Life
4 Famous Former Students
5 Fellows & Senior Staff
6 Past Wardens (Heads of House)
7 Greyfriars Society
8 References
9 External links

History

The original Greyfriars church and friary was founded by the Franciscans in 1224, but was suppressed during the Reformation in the sixteenth century. The Friars had a long and esteemed history in Oxford, listing many famous alumni, including the English Statesman, Robert Grosseteste, also a theologian and Bishop of Lincoln, who became head of Greyfriars, Master of the School of Oxford from 1208, and the first Chancellor of the University of Oxford. Some time later, the Capuchin branch of the Order established a friary, known as St Anselm's, which was recognised by the University as a House of Studies in 1910. In 1919, the Friars moved to the current site on the Iffley Road - first naming it Grosseteste House after the first Head of the original Greyfriars - and on completion of the present building in 1930, the name of Greyfriars was adopted once more. The status of Permanent Private Hall was finally conferred upon Greyfriars by the University in 1957. Greyfriars has undoubtedly one of the most distinctive buildings in Oxford; it is the only flint-stone Norman-style building in the city, and its green spire is notably visible along the Iffley Road and from the University's famous sports ground.

Greyfriars from the Gardens

Friary and Tuition

Greyfriars occupies a unique position in Oxford, in that its University Hall and Franciscan friary are part of the same institution and coexist on the same site - however, the friars are not usually members of the academic hall (though this is not without exception), nor are the students actually affiliated to the friary (the two groups do, however, mingle, most notably at mealtimes). Furthermore, no religious restrictions are placed on applicants; and, while the Hall has a tradition of noted Theology academics, a wide range of disciplines are studied by students - the most common being English, History, Theology, Geography and Law. While the Hall does employ tutors specialising in certain areas of some of these subjects, students generally go to other colleges for the majority of their tutorials. The College most closely linked with the Hall is Balliol, due to a long-standing tradition of sporting links, but Greyfriars students have been known to be tutored at a wide number of the University's colleges at some point or another.

Student Life

While Greyfriars is small in terms of grounds and numbers, it boasts a closely-knit community and a lively academic life. Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, undergraduate numbers tended to be around the 30 mark, with an average of between nine and eleven students per year in addition to a handful of visiting and postgraduate students. Since around 2003, numbers have swelled markedly, and the current student population of the Hall numbers closer to 50. The Hall annually holds a popular summer garden party, and a "bop" that has been dubbed 'The Monastery of Sound' in tongue-in-cheek acknowledgement of the friars. Greyfriars is also influential in the prestigious Oxford Law Society, the Conservative Association, the Dramatic Society, and the Indie Music Society, not to mention rowing, hockey, rugby, tennis and table tennis. Its increasing prominence is very much disproportionate to student numbers, which is testament to their eagerness to get involved in University life. As with all Oxford colleges, Greyfriars' student community is a JCR, run by an annually-elected committee usually consisting of a President, Secretary, Treasurer and various other Officers as necessary. The current JCR President is Jonathon Hamill.

Famous Former Students

Pope Alexander V (ca. 1339 – May 3, 1410)
Hamo of Faversham (d.1244)]]
Alexander of Hales, Doctor Irrefragabilis (c. 1170-1245)
Adam Marsh, MA (d. 1258)
Robert Grosseteste (c.1175-1253)
Roger Bacon, DD, Doctor Mirabilis (c. 1214-1292)
John of Peckham, DD, (c.1225-1292)
Thomas Docking (d.1270)
John Duns Scotus, BD, DD, Doctor Subtilis (c. 1264-1308)
William of Occam, DD, Doctor Invincibilis (c.1300-1394)

Fellows & Senior Staff

The Visitor:

The Most Revd Minister General, OFM Cap

The Governing Body:

The Very Revd Minister Provincial, Fr James Boner, OFM Cap
The Council of the Minister Provincial
The Warden of Greyfriars (below)

The Acting Warden (Head of House):

The Revd Mark Elvins, OFMCap

The Senior Tutor:

Dr Richard Lawes, MA, D.Phil, (MB, Ch.B, B.Sc. Edin.) M.R.C. Psych.

The Fellows:

Dr Jane Baun, BA, MA, Ph.D, Tutorial and Research Fellow in Theology, since 2003
Prof Jonathan Black-branch, MA, Dip LATHE, D.Phil, BEd, MEd, Ph.D, Tutor in Law, since 2005
Dr Claire Hutton, BA, M.St, M.Phil, D.Phil, Tutor in English, since 2004
Dr Richard Lawes, MA, D.Phil, (MB, Ch.B, B.Sc. Edin.) M.R.C. Psych, Fellow in English, since 2002
Dr Donal Lowry, BA, MA status, Ph.D, FRHist.S, Tutor in Modern History, since 2000
Dr Elizabeth Lowry, BA, D.Phil, Tutor in English, since 2000
Dr Anne Mouron, Licence, M.Phil, D.Phil, Tutor in English, since 2000
Dr Adrian Nichols, John Paul II Lecturer in Roman Catholic Theology
Dr Alan O'Day, (2001), BA, MA, Ph.D, FRHist.S, Tutor in Modern History, since 2001
Revd Fr John Saward, (2003), BA, MA, M.Litt, Tutor in Theology, since 2003
Dr Harry Sidebottom, BA, MA, D.Phil, Fellow in Ancient History, since 2005
Dr John Stevenson
Dr John Yocum, BA, BD, MA, D.Phil, Tutor in Theology 2000-2003

Honorary Fellows:

The Revd Dr Thomas G. Weinandy, OFM Cap, MA, Ph.D, Since 2004
Mr Daniel Hill, since 2007
The Most Revd Vincent Nichols MA MEd STL, Archbishop of Birmingham, since 2007
Revd Brother Maurice Sheehan, since 2007

Director of Alumni & Development:

Mr John E. J. James, MA (Oxon)

Past Wardens (Heads of House)

The Revd Fr Maurice Sheehan, OFM Cap
The Revd Fr Thomas More, OFM Cap
The Revd Dr Thomas G. Weinandy, OFM Cap, MA, PhD (1991-2004)
Dr Nicholas James Richardson, B.Phil, MA, D.Phil (2004-2007)

Greyfriars Society

The Greyfriars Society was established in 1999 and is the official alumni organisation of Greyfriars Hall. The main objectives of the society are to maintain and build relationships with the Hall's alumni and to raise money to enable Greyfriars to provide the best possible education for the growing student body. Patron:

His Eminence Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster

President:

Prof. The Rt. Hon. The Lord Alton of Liverpool

The Director:

Mr John E. J. James, MA (Oxon)

Deputy Directors:

Mr Rupert Abbott, BA Hons (Oxon)
Mr James Campbell, BA Hons (Oxon)

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Greyfriars. Oxford University Graduate Studies Prospectus 2007/08. Retrieved on 2007-03-25.
^ Capuchin Friars to leave Greyfriars Hall