Seward daily gateway., 1925-07-28
FAMOUS OL DENGLISH
 COLLEGE STARTS NEW
 CENTURY THIS MONTH

OXFORD, Eng, Jul. 2S. (P)-Christ Church, the largest and most notable of Oxford Colleges, begins the fifth century of its existence this month. For reasons of convenience, the cele- bration already has been held, so the true birthday of this curious in stitution, which is both a college and a cathedral and yet is called a church, will pass quietly during the long vacation.
 Modern inves tigation has revealed a remarkable continuity ill the his tory of English ecclesiastical founda- tions The Saxons built their church es on the ruins of the great Roman temples, and the Normans in their turn rebuilt the Saxon churches. This continuity is most remarkable in Oxford, where nearly every col lege has ground out of a medieval monastery. Christ Church stands on the site of a priory, a parish church and at least two older mon- astic colleges, its bells were remov- ed from a neighboring abbey, and both the stones and the funds used in it's construction were obtained from the dissolution of more than 40 monastic foundations.
 In 1S46 tercentenary of this same college was celebrated, and in sense properly, for 1546 was the date of it's last foundation. The true ere dit belongs, however, to an earlier date and to Cardinal Wolsey, son of an Ipswich butcher, who began 1t as Cardinal College at time when he was the favorite of King Henry VIII and stood second only to him in power and pomps and fortune. Wolsey was nothing if not man of action. To make room for his col lege a quarter of the city of OK ford was pulled down. In the first year alone he spent sum equiVa- lent to three-Quarters of a million dollars. His plan was so vast that the great church of St. Frideswides which serves as the cathedral of the Oxford diocese was to be razed to make room for his college chapel. His kitchen is one of the largest in the country and the great dining hall is second only to the hall of Westminster in size and grandeur.
 When Wolsey fell from favor his college was taken over by the king, who refounded it under his own name, then suppressed it as a col lege to unite it with his new Oxford diocese.
 Beside W2lsey's great hall aod kitchen, Christ Church boasts two of the finest English examples of the Gothic style of architecture, both built more than a century after Go- thic became merely a historical term. One of these, the stairway to the hall, was designed in 1640 by a ge- nius known only as Smith of Lon don." The other, Tom Tower, car rying the Great Tom bell which ev- cry night rings 101 peals to announce the closing of college gates, was : designed by Christopher Wren, arch itect of St. Pauls, in one of the few happy moments when he really sens ed the feeling of medieval builders.
 Christ Church in its 400 years has contributed it's share of jllustrious names to history, American as we'll as English. William Penn was a student of The House tntil he was sent down for his religion, as was George Grenville whose stamp act led to the Revolution and the loss of the American colonies. Sydney, knight and poet, Hakluyt, the geog- rapher, Ben Jonson, John Locke, the philosopher, Bishop Stubbs, the his- torian and Lewis Carroll" author of Alice in Wonderland, are but a few of the great Christ Church con- pany. The college has been forum ate in it's rulers, nearly all it's deans being men of great ability. One was the greatest smoker of his day, and when bet was made that he would be smoking his pipe at ten in the morning it was only lost because he was cleaning his pipe at the mo- ment Another worthy dean, called "Presence-of-mind Smith" won this unusual designation by humping with an oar boating companion who had fallen overheard and was risking the deans safety by his at- tempts to reenter the boat.