Type Postgraduate College Number of students 1,606 Founder Alexander Stewart | Provost Derek Woollins Affiliation University of St Andrews Founded 1512 | |
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Former names The College of Poor Clerks of the Church of St Andrews Established 1512
1747 - merged into United College
1972 - reconstituted as a postgraduate college Location St Andrews, Fife, Scotland Affiliations University of St Andrews | ||
St Leonard's College is a postgraduate institute at the University of St Andrews in St Andrews, Scotland. Founded in 1512 as an autonomous theological college of the University of St Andrews, it merged with St Salvator's College in 1747 to form United College. In 1972 it was re-instituted as a postgraduate institute.
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History
St Leonard's College of the University of St Andrews was founded as 'The College of Poor Clerks of the Church of St Andrews' in 1512 by Alexander Stewart, Archbishop of St Andrews and John Hepburn, Prior of St Andrews (receiving Papal recognition by proxy in 1545), on the site of St Leonard's Hospital and Church. Its creation was a result of the poverty and declining status of St John's College/Pedagogy and Arts Faculty of St Andrews.
The first Provost was the Dominican, John Annand (a pupil of Jan Standonck) and a determined reformer of the clergy. St Leonard's was consequently extremely monastic in nature, with members of the college being subjected to a far more rigorous and formal code of conduct than was in practice at St Salvator's.
Because of financial considerations and the general decline of the university, St Salvator's and St Leonard's Colleges were amalgamated to form the The United College of St Salvator and St Leonard in 1747. The buildings of St Leonard's College on South Street were sold and teaching limited to the St. Salvator's College site on North Street.
The old college site was visited by Samuel Johnston and James Boswell in August 1773. The old college site has, since the late 19th century, been occupied by St Leonards School. The college chapel remains the property of the university.
Famous alumni of St Leonard's College include Alexander Ales (Alesius), John Knox, George Buchanan, Patrick Adamson and James Melville.
Re-establishment
St Leonard's College was re-established in 1972 as a non-statutory college exclusively for postgraduates, postdoctoral fellows and research staff. After matriculation such students are de facto members of St Leonard’s College. St Leonard's College does not own any property - its function is to act as a central point of administration for postgraduate and postdoctoral students; as such it organises postgraduate events. The head of the college retains the medieval title of the older St Leonard's College, provost. Previous provosts of St Leonard's College include Prof. Malcolm MacLeod, Prof. Martin Kemp, Dr. Frank Riddell and Prof. Peter Clark.
The current Provost of St Leonard's College is Professor Derek Woolins.