Cambridge Colleges: St. Johns

                  With a mouthful of a full formal name as 
"The Master, Fellows and Scholars of the College of St John the Evangelist in the University of Cambridge" it's no wonder that at times St. Johns, traditionally one of the wealthiest of Cambridge's Constituent Colleges (currently ranked second) and the current college of Prince William, comes across as a little stuffy.  And with an alumni record of nine Nobel prize winners, six prime ministers from across the globe, two princes and three saints, the college can be forgiven, at least a little bit.
       One of Cambridge's "old" Colleges, St. Johns was founded in 1511 by the estate of Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby and mother to King Henry VII.  Having founded another Cambridge College before her death in 109 (Christs's), St Johns went forward at the behest, more or less, of her personal Chaplain, John Fisher, who insisted that the late Countess would have wanted her estate dedicated to another college.  With the support of her grandson, Henry VIII, a religious hospital was closed and then converted into the first of the buildings for St. Johns College, and 500 year legacy began.

     St. Johns College has more or less been continually renovated and added onto in the intervening five centuries since it was founded, and as a result the interlocking series of courts that make up much of the college grounds display a wide range of architectural styles and eras, beginning with the "first court" which retains the original Great Gate, the college library constructed in the 1620's, the "new" chapel which was constructed during the 19th century, and even includes the more modern Fisher Building finished in 1987.  To this day, there continues to be construction on various of the St. Johns buildings.  St John's 

       "The Bridge of Sighs" designed by Henry Hutchinson is one

of the most-photographed buildings in the city of Cambridge, and has come to represent some of the stylistic charm of the university town, cobbled together over the centuries.  St. Johns is also one of the few Cambridge Colleges to span the river Cam, with land and college buildings that are currently in use on both sides of the water.  St. Johns buildings date from 1200 (School of Pythagoras), although most of more traditional highlights of Cambridge Colleges, the Library (1600's) Great Hall (1500's) and Chapel (1800's) were built over the course of St. John's history.
       Becoming a fellow at St. Johns College brings with it the rather odd honor of being permitted to eat unmarked mute swans.  Only direct members of the royal family, and fellows of St. Johns are permitted to eat these birds, and while they are no longer in use, there are various swan traps built into the very walls of some of St. Johns older riverside buildings.

       St. Johns College shares an old and storied rivalry with Trinity College, another of Cambridge's ancient and wealthy traditional colleges, with students to this day enjoying a health competition at any given opportunity.  Both colleges fare well in sports and on the fabled Tompkins Table of academic ranking within the University of Cambridge.  St. Johns boat club, known as the Lady Margaret Boat Club, was  the first founded in Cambridge, opening it's doors in 1825, shortly before the first Trinity boat club was formed.

       St. John's roughly 550 undergraduates and 330 graduate students each year have almost exclusive access to the St. Johns May Ball, known as one of the best, and most expensive annual parties thrown the UK,and with tickets priced in excess of £450.00, my guess is that it had better be a party that doesn't disappoint.

       St. Johns was the collegiate home of poet William Wordsworth and abolitionist Thomas Clarkson.  Today, St. Johns remains open to the public daily from around 10am-3pm, and the renowned St. Johns choir performs evensong services in the chapel throughout term time.