Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge

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Colleges of the University of Cambridge Fitzwilliam College
College name	Fitzwilliam College
Named after	Fitzwilliam Street (original location), which was named after the Fitzwilliam Museum, which was named after the 7th Viscount FitzWilliam
Established	1966 (1869 as a non-collegiate body)
Previously named	Fitzwilliam Hall (Non collegiate) (1869–1924), Fitzwilliam House (Non collegiate) (1924–1966)
Admittance	Men and women
Master	Prof. Robert Lethbridge
Undergraduates	474
Graduates	180
Sister college	St Edmund Hall, Oxford
Location	Storey's Way (map)
Ex antiquis et novissimis optima (Latin, "The best of old and new")
College website
Boat Club website

Fitzwilliam College

Fitzwilliam College (often referred to as "Fitz") is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.

The college was formed out of the Non-Collegiate Students Board, founded in 1869. This body was based at Fitzwilliam House, opposite the Fitzwilliam Museum. The Non-Collegiate Students Board eventually evolved to become Fitzwilliam College in 1966. Female undergraduates were first admitted in 1979.

The earliest clear evidence of settlement in Cambridge are the remains of a 3,500-year-old farmstead discovered on the College site ^[1].

Buildings and Location

The main grounds of the College are located off Storey's Way, towards the north-west of Cambridge, close to Churchill College, Murray Edwards and Trinity Hall's Wychfield site. Its buildings are of contemporary design, in contrast to many of the University's other colleges. The first college courts and central building (comprising the library, dining hall, junior common room and bar) were designed by Denys Lasdun and were completed in 1963. The original intention was for these buildings to constitute the 'back' of the college, and as funding became available, the college grew to the south, with New Court (1985) and Wilson Court (1994), and was finally completed with Gate house Court (2003) giving the college a new frontage. At the same time, the college concluded the new Auditorium building, so that it now has some of the best facilities in the University. The college surrounds the building called The Grove (1813) which has rooms for some fellows and graduates. The Chapel (1991) is an excellent example of modern architecture. The college is also well-known for its beautiful gardens. The tower of the new library is the highest point in Cambridge.

Fitzwilliam College is 20 minutes' walk away from the main tourist centre of Cambridge, and 15 minutes' walk from the West Cambridge site where the university concentrates most of the departments of mathematics, pure sciences and technology.

Image

The college's less traditional image helps to attract students who have the image of Cambridge being an elitist university. Former pupils of state schools usually comprise around 70–75% of the College's undergraduates; however, many of these are from provincial grammar schools and the leading comprehensive schools in the Home Counties, so membership is somewhat less balanced than the figures may suggest.

Activities

Music at the college is particularly strong, and Fitz is the only college in Cambridge to have a resident professional string quartet, the Fitzwilliam String Quartet, who visit for performances and workshops at least once every term. As well as its own Chapel Choir, the college is home to numerous other singing groups, including Fitz Barbershop, and the Sirens — both perform regularly throughout the university. Fitz is also heavily involved in the Orchestra on the Hill, whose membership is drawn from the 'hill' colleges, performing large scale works on a termly basis. The college also hosts the ‘Fitz Swing’ band – a jazz group with a reputation for providing excellent entertainment at the May Balls. Other music ensembles include Fitzwilliam Chamber Opera, the new music group Ensemble CB3 and Fitzwilliam Baroque Ensemble.

On a less formal basis, Fitzwilliam College is renowned for having some of the best student entertainment of the Cambridge Colleges in the form of 'Fitz Ents'. These student-organised parties are usually held at least once every term and attract many different musical acts including live performances from student bands to professional DJs.

'Fitztheatre', the 'hill' college drama society is based at Fitzwilliam's auditorium, one of the largest and best equipped in the University, opened in 2004.

There are also a number of academic societies.

Sport

Sports teams play a large part in college life; the college is particularly strong in football, having won the league in 2005 (winning every game on the way) and Cuppers in 2006. The college is lucky enough to have three of its own squash courts on the main site which are newly refurbished and among the best^{[peacock term]} in the university (the Cambridge University Squash club hold their training sessions there).

The First Undergraduate Statue

Recently, there has arisen a tradition that Fitz students taking Tripos Examinations offer prayer, and often a small sacrifice of consumable produce, to a statue depicting "The First Undergraduate" in the hope that this will grant them at least a pass grade in their examinations. This ritual is completed either individually, or in small groups of people sitting the same subject, on the night before their first examination.

Notable alumni

The Fitzwilliam 2006 Yearbook is online.

Gallery

College sign on Huntingdon Road (Removed to make way for building works as of late May 2008)	Main Hall in summer	Main Hall in winter	Main Hall in twilight
Inside the main building	College library	Gatehouse Court	Gatehouse Court
Wilson Court	The Grove	Inside the Chapel	New Court
Auditorium	Tree Court in the snow

See also

• Alumni of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
• Fellows of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
• Masters of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge

References

1. ^ "Bronze Age site is found in city". BBC News. 17 January 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cambridgeshire/7194650.stm. Retrieved 5 February 2009. 

External links

• Fitzwilliam College Website

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