Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge

Sidney Sussex College (often referred to informally as "Sidney") is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England.

The college was founded in 1596 and named after its foundress, Frances Sidney, Countess of Sussex. It was from its inception an avowedly Puritan foundation: some good and godlie moniment for the mainteynance of good learninge. Oliver Cromwell was among the first students (although his father became ill and he never graduated), and his head is now buried beneath the College's Ante-Chapel.

History
While the College's geographic size has changed little since 1596, an additional range was added to the original E-shaped buildings in the early 17th century and the appearance of the whole college was changed significantly in the 1820s and 1830s, under the leadership of the Master at the time, William Chafy. By the early 19th century, the buildings' original red brick was unfashionable and the hall range was suffering serious structural problems. The opening up of coal mines on estates left to the College in the 18th century provided extra funds which were to be devoted to providing a new mathematical library and accommodation for Mathematical Exhibitioners. As a result, the exterior brick was covered with a layer of cement, the existing buildings were heightened slightly, and the architectural effect was also heightened, under the supervision of Sir Jeffry Wyatville.

In the late nineteenth century, the College's finances received a further boost from the development of the resort of Cleethorpes on College land on the Lincolnshire coast that was purchased in 1616, following a bequest for the benefit of scholars and fellows by Peter Blundell, a merchant from Tiverton, Devon. A new wing added in 1891, to the designs of John Loughborough Pearson, is stylistically richer than the original buildings, and has stone staircases whereas the stairs in the older buildings were of timber. In the early twentieth century, a High Church group among the Fellows were instrumental in the rebuilding and enlargement of the chapel, which was provided with a richly carved interior in late seventeenth-century style, designed by T.H. Lyon, and somewhat at odds with the College's original Puritan ethos.

Reputation
Sidney Sussex is recognised as one of the smaller, more classical Cambridge colleges. Its current student body consists of roughly 350 undergraduate students and 190 graduates. Academically speaking, Sidney Sussex has, of late, tended towards a mid-table position in the unofficial Tompkins Table (placing 14th out of 29 in 2008). However, the college has traditionally excelled in certain subjects, notably Engineering, History and Law.

In the television show University Challenge, Sidney Sussex had a winning team in both 1971 and 1978–79. The 1978 team, comprising John Gilmore, John Adams, David Lidington, and Nick Graham, went on to win the "Champion of Champions" University Challenge Reunion competition in 2002.

Activities
Sidney's sporting performance is unexceptional, although it currently has a decent women's and mixed netball team and performs well at darts. The college is musically strong.

It is known for producing a well-regarded May Ball for a smaller college, notably creating an artificial lake and canal in 2010 to enable punting at the landlocked college.

Confraternitas Historica
The Confraternitas Historica, or Confraternitas Historica Dominae Franciscae Comitis Sussexiae, is the history society of Sidney Sussex College and is reputed to be the longest-running student history society in Cambridge University, having existed since 1910. In fact, no meetings were held from 1914 to 1919 but since, during the First World War, "the University itself almost ceased to function ... the hiatus of 1914-19 is not counted as a break in the continuity of the society". The Latin name of the society reflects the tastes of Jack Reynolds, the High Church Fellow who presided over its creation, who also "endowed the Society with an elaborate Latin initiation ceremony".

Notable alumni
Former members of the college include the political and military leader Oliver Cromwell, the noted early historian Thomas Fuller and the 17th century poet and dramatist Thomas May.

Other notable politicians to have attended the college include Sir Basil Engholm, the civil servant, and Lord Owen, the former Foreign Secretary and leader of the Social Democratic Party. Former students also include current MPs, Chris Grayling, Minister of State at the Department for Work and Pensions, and David Lidington, Minister for Europe at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Brian Lenihan, the Minister of Finance in the Republic of Ireland is another notable alumnus.

The college's strong tradition in the sciences was certified by the Nobel-prize-winning physicists Cecil Frank Powell and C. T. R. Wilson, and more recently by John E. Walker (1997 Nobel Prize in Chemistry) and the New Zealand-born Alan MacDiarmid (2002 Nobel prize in Chemistry). Sir Benjamin Lockspeiser, the first president of CERN was also an undergraduate at the college and psychiatrist W. Ross Ashby gained a substantial amount of material for his landmark writings Design For A Brain and An Introduction To Cybernetics whilst in residence.

More recently, Paddy Lowe, the director of the Formula One team McLaren was at Sidney Sussex, as was Carol Vorderman, the popular television host, known primarily for her role on the game show Countdown.

John Madden, the Hollywood director, known for the Academy-award-winning Shakespeare In Love and television series such as Inspector Morse and Prime Suspect also studied at Sidney Sussex.

Musical alumni include Al Doyle (1998) and Felix Martin (1999) of the electronic band Hot Chip — lead guitar and percussion/keyboards respectively.

Chris Green MBE, known for his work with Colony Holidays and ATE Superweeks, studied at Sidney Sussex, and was awarded an MBE for services to education in the 2011 New Year Honours List.

In 2010, American composer Eric Whitacre was named Visiting Fellow and Composer-in-Residence.

Never short of comedians, Sidney can also count funnyman Alex Horne among their recent alumni.