Linacre College, Oxford

In 1988 Linacre College was granted a coat of arms blazoned:

Sable an open Book proper edged Or bound Gules the dexter page charged with the Greek Letter Alpha the sinister page charged with the Greek Letter Omega both Sable the whole between three Escallops Argent.

The college motto beneath the escutcheon is No End To Learning. College colours are grey, yellow and black (or silver, gold and sable) but only the latter two colours are used for rowing blades and most sports clothing.

Both scallop shells and the alpha and omega are common symbols in heraldry and can have religious significance. Scallop shells are traditionally a symbol of the Way of St. James (pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela) and alpha and omega often a Christian reference to God. A secular interpretation is as reference to the completeness of study (alpha being the first letter of the Greek alphabet and omega the last) and the process of scholarship akin to a pilgrimage/journey.

The college grace is said in Latin by the Principal (or a designated fellow) at formal dinners in Hall. Before commencement of the meal the words "Benedictus benedicat" ('May the Blessed One give a blessing') are said, all standing. After the completion of the meal the words "Benedicto benedicatur" ('May the Blessed One be blessed') are said, all standing.

Library of Gilbert Ryle

The oldest part of the college, known as the OC Tanner Building, contains most of the central facilities, all staff offices and some student accommodation. The heart of the building is the large common room, which has a bar and other leisure facilities. The college library, formerly a chapel,[11] includes shared computing facilities for college members. As well as the main library there is also Gilbert Ryle's personal library, part of which he donated in 1968, and the remainder after his death in 1976.[12]

The first major addition to the main college site was the Bamborough Building, which opened in 1985 and was officially named in 1986. It is located beside the OC Tanner Building to form a quad featuring an ornamental fountain. A plaque on the Bamborough Building commemorates it winning an Oxford Preservation Trust award in 1987.

The Edward & Asbjörg Abraham Building, completed in 1995, is primarily a residential building offering single bedrooms for students. It was designed and built as part of a movement within Linacre to raise environmental awareness and promote sustainable development. The building was named UK Green Building of the Year 1996[13] and won the BCE Environmental Leadership Award as well as the Oxfordshire special conservation award of 1995.[14] A photovoltaic system was installed on the roofs of Abraham and Griffiths Buildings in 2011. The quad enclosed by the Tanner, Abraham and Griffiths buildings was named in 2012 after Jaki Leverson a former student,[15][16] and contains a sculpture entitled 'The Dancing Phoenix' by Hugo Powell.[17][18]

The basement of the Abraham Building houses a music practice room and the college gym, which has four ergometers, a good range of weights, various other gym equipment and space for several classes.

The newest residence on the main site is the Griffiths Building, named after former student and Honorary Fellow Rodney Griffiths. Completed in 2008, the building has 28 en suite single rooms and 4 en suite double rooms with shared kitchens. It was a finalist for two awards of The Brick Development Association.[19][20]

Between the OC Tanner and Abraham Buildings is Linacre's large dining hall, added in 1977, which operates a canteen service most weekdays for lunch and evening meal.

The most recent major development at Linacre has been the completion of a garden extension on the main site of the college in 2010. This is a quiet spot with flowers and outdoor seating. Rom Harré is a former Vice-Principal and Emeritus Fellow.

Linacre also owns or leases a number of buildings off the main site, including properties on Banbury Road, Bradmore Road, Divinity Road, Iffley Road, Stanley Road and Walton Street, which provide a further 102 rooms (including rooms for couples).[21] The college generally offers accommodation to all first-year students (freshers) and the percentage of graduate students housed within college accommodation exceeds the university average. Students typically move into private shared housing in and around Oxford after their first year.

Much of the college's social and sporting life is coordinated through the Common Room, of which all students, fellows and staff are members. The Common Room's elected executive committee oversees activities and works closely with college officials to represent its members' interests.

The Common Room organises numerous events during term time. Particular highlights include termly bops, which are among the largest student-run parties in Oxford. Operating across two floors and outside areas, the bops are themed parties open to members of other colleges. The biggest bop of the year is usually the matriculation bop (“sexy sub-fusc” theme) which usually attracts a queue far in excess of the 450 person capacity. In 2015, 750 people enjoyed the event at any given time, and more than 950 people attended it throughout the night. Other social events include smaller college parties, movie nights, cake baking, cheese and wine tasting and lectures.

Linacre College rowing blades.

Like all colleges, Linacre has many active sports teams and its members also represent the university in various sports. Active societies and clubs include the Linacre Music Society, Linacre College Boat Club, Linacre Recreational Football Society, Linacre Ladies that Lift weightlifting society, Linacre Yoga Society, Linacre Green Society, and Linacre Intercultural Society and Linacre Photo Society, among others.

Throughout its history the college has run an annual series of Linacre Lectures open to non-members, the first of which were given by Brian Aldiss, Robert Graves and Isaiah Berlin.[38] Since 1991 these public lectures have focused on environmental challenges.[39]

• 2017: John Knox, “Global Threats to Environmental Human Rights Defenders".[40]
• 2014: Michael Oppenheimer, “Migration, Interconnection, Conflict: Emergent Issues and Indirect Impacts in IPCC’s Fifth Assessment”[41]
• 2013: Mike Gidney, David Heath, and Gordon McGranahan on "Food Security and Sustainability"[42]
• 2012: Carl Folke, Robert Costanza, and others on "Environmental Governance and Resilience"[42]
• 2011: Lester R. Brown, Paul Ekins, and others on "Riding the Perfect Storm"[43]

• 2019: Strobe Talbott, "A President for Dark Times: the Age of Reason Meets the Age of Trump".[44]
• 2018: Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo, "Economics for the Human Race".[45]
• 2017: George F. R. Ellis, "On the Origin and Nature of Values".[46]
• 2016: Shirley Williams, "The Value of Europe and European Values".[47]
• 2015: Peter Singer, "From Moral Neutrality to Effective Altruism: The Changing Scope and Significance of Moral Philosophy".[48]
• 2014: Shami Chakrabarti, "Human Rights as Human Values".[49]
• 2013: Michael Ignatieff, "Representation and Responsibility: Ethics and Public Office".[50]

Paul Nurse

• Silke Ackermann, Director of the Museum of the History of Science at Oxford, and the first woman to direct a museum at the university
• Martin Aitken, FRS, Oxford professor of archaeometry[52]
• Hazel Assender, Associate Professor in Materials at Oxford
• Hermann Blaschko, Reader in Biochemical Pharmacology at Oxford
• Brian Catling, Professor of Fine Art at the Ruskin School of Art
• Rupert Cecil, World War II bomber pilot (DFC and Bar), scientific intelligence officer, and first Dean and Vice Principal of Linacre College[53]
• Chris Dobson, chemist and structural biologist, and Master of St John's College, Cambridge
• Ursula Dronke, former Vigfússon Reader in Old Norse at Oxford
• Terry Eagleton, literary critic and theorist, Distinguished Professor of English Literature at Lancaster University
• Margaret Gowing, CBE, FBA, FRS, holder of the first chair in the History of Science at Oxford
• Rom Harré, former Director of the Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Science at the London School of Economics
• Sir John Hicks, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics
• Ursula Hicks, economist and founder of The Review of Economic Studies
• Sir Paul Nurse, Nobel Prize–winning biochemist, former President of the Royal Society, Chancellor of the University of Bristol
• Michael Stumpf, Professor of Theoretical Systems Biology at Imperial College
• Henri Tajfel, former Chair of Social Psychology at the University of Bristol
• Michael J. Whelan, Professor in the Department of Materials at Oxford, and recipient of multiple awards for work in crystallography and microscopy including the Hughes Medal, the C.V. Boys Prize, and the Gjønnes Medal

• David Hope, Baron Hope of Thornes
• Obert C. Tanner
• Geoffrey Thomas

• 1962–1988: John Bamborough, founding principal
• 1988–1996: Sir Bryan Cartledge
• 1996–2010: Paul Slack
• 2010–present: Nick Brown[54]