Gresham College in its Infancy: Dr Anthony Geraghty

TL;DR

Gresham College was founded by Sir Thomas Gresham and offered lectures on various subjects, heavily focused on mathematical sciences, with a notable exclusion of logic.

Transcript

I'd like to step back from Renz inaugural lecture now and look a fresh at its institutional setting Gresham College this extraordinary institution and it always has been an extraordinary institution was created as many of you doubtless know by Sir Thomas Gresham merchant Prince senior deep diplomat and founder of the Royal Exchange one of the riche... Read More

Key Insights

• 😖 Gresham College was founded by Sir Thomas Gresham, a wealthy merchant and diplomat.
• ⏰ The college was created as an institution for lectureships on seven subjects, with lectures given in Latin in the morning and English in the afternoon.
• 🎓 Gresham College's curriculum differed from traditional university education, with a focus on the mathematical sciences and the exclusion of logic.
• 🧑‍🏫 The subjects taught at Gresham College aligned closely with those taught at Oxford and Cambridge.
• 👮 Gresham College emphasized the importance of divinity, law, and medicine by scheduling them on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday respectively.
• 🔬 The curriculum at Gresham College heavily emphasized the quadrivium, which consists of the mathematical sciences.
• 🎓 The exclusion of logic from Gresham College's curriculum was a notable difference from traditional university education.

Questions & Answers

Q: Who founded Gresham College and what was his background?

Gresham College was founded by Sir Thomas Gresham, a prominent merchant and founder of the Royal Exchange. He was one of the richest men of his time.

Q: What were the conditions given by Gresham when he gave the Royal Exchange to the city?

Gresham gave the Royal Exchange to the city and the Mercer's company on the condition that they establish lectureships in seven subjects, to be given in Latin in the morning and English in the afternoon.

Q: What subjects were taught at Gresham College?

The subjects taught at Gresham College were divinity, law, physic (medicine), geometry, astronomy, rhetoric, and music.

Q: How did Gresham College's curriculum differ from traditional university education?

Gresham College's curriculum focused heavily on the mathematical sciences, with an emphasis on geometry, astronomy, and music. It notably excluded logic, which was a fundamental subject in traditional university education.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Gresham College was founded by Sir Thomas Gresham, a wealthy merchant and founder of the Royal Exchange.

• The college offered lectures in seven subjects: divinity, law, physic (medicine), geometry, astronomy, rhetoric, and music.

• Gresham College's curriculum differed from traditional university education, with a focus on the mathematical sciences and the exclusion of logic.