The New Student's Reference Work/Cambridge, University of

Cam′bridge, University of, an English seat of learning in the city of Cambridge, on the river Cam, 58 miles north of London. Tradition places the beginnings of the university as far back as the 7th century; but its definite history begins in the 12th century. Like Oxford, it differs in many ways from the universities of the European continent and of the United States, but especially in what is called its college-system. It is at present made up of 18 colleges, each of which has its special students, teachers and governing body, but is at the same time subject to the general laws of the university. The governing body of the university is the senate, which is made up of graduates who possess the degree of Master of Arts, which is had without examination about four years after graduation. The relation between the colleges and the university is much like that between the individual states of this country and the Union as a whole. The course in any college covers three years, during which the students are called freshmen, junior sophomores and senior sophomores. The students are also divided into four classes, each class paying a different tuition; noblemen, fellow commoners, who receive their name from the privilege of dining or “having their commons” at the table of the fellows of the university; the pensioners; and the sizars. The sizars formerly had to do all sorts of menial tasks; but this practice has ceased. While there is a rivalry between the different colleges, all unite and act as a university, and are known not as members of the different colleges, but as “Cambridge men.” There are now about 126 of a teaching staff, including readers, assistants, etc., and the students number a little over 3,200. There are over 400 fellowships, the fellows being elected from those who have distinguished themselves in examinations. The university sends two members to Parliament, who are elected by the senate. Women are admitted to the examinations for honor students, and reside mostly in Newnham and Girton Colleges. There are a number of fine buildings, the chief being the senate house, the university library with over 400,000 volumes, the Pitt press, the observatory, besides the gardens and the museums. The old Gothic chapel in King's College is of remarkable beauty. Among the eminent men who have studied at Cambridge are Chaucer, Bacon, Spenser, Ben Jonson, Milton, Dryden, Newton, Pitt and Byron.