St John's College, Durham

St John's College
Durham University
Haughton House, St John's College
Arms of St John's College Arms: Quarterly argent and azure, in the first and fourth a cross formy quadrate gules, in the second·an eagle wings elevated and inverted Or, in the third a lion rampant crowned with an ancient crown of the last; all within a bordure quarterly of the second and gold.
Coordinates	54°46′19″N 1°34′33″W / 54.7718825°N 1.5757305°W / 54.7718825; -1.5757305
Latin name	Collegium Sancti Ioannis
Motto	Latin: Fides nostra victoria
Motto in English	Our faith is our victory
Established	1909; 115 years ago (1909)
Namesake	St John the Evangelist
Principal	Jolyon Mitchell
Warden	Nicholas Moore
Undergraduates	392
Postgraduates	160
Senior tutor	Rebecca Bouveng
Mascot	Olav III (an alligator)
Website	St John's College St John's Common Room St John's College Boat Club
Map
Location in Durham, England
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Part of	Durham Castle and Cathedral
Criteria	Cultural: ii, iv, vi
Reference	370
Inscription	1986 (10th Session)

St John's College is one of the recognised colleges of Durham University. The college was established in 1909 as a Church of England theological college and became a full constituent college of the university in 1919. The college consists of John's Hall for students studying on any university course and Cranmer Hall (with its own master or warden), an Anglican theological college in the open evangelical tradition. All part time and distance learning postgraduate students reading for theology are automatically assigned to St John's.^[1] Started as a men's college, it was the first Church of England theological college to train men and women together, where it subsequently became mixed.

St John's is Durham's second smallest college only to St Chad's. Being an independent college, St John's is financially and constitutionally independent of the university and has a greater degree of administrative independence than the other, "maintained", colleges. However, to maintain its status as a recognised college, the university council must approve the appointment of its principal and be notified of changes to its constitution.^[2]

The college has a reputation for being religious due to it being the only college in Durham authorised to train people to priesthood. The college is also strictly traditional and Johnians held their own matriculation ceremony in their 12th-century chapel, in addition to the university wide matriculation at the Cathedral; members of St John's are also required to wear gowns for weekly formal dinners, and still say grace in Latin. St John's is the only college in Durham to not charge its students with laundry cleaning and made the attendance of formals free of charge.^[3] The college chapel (Church of St Mary the Less) is also the final resting place of Dame Elizabeth Bowes. She had ten children and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother was descended from her third son, George Bowes.^[4]