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The Peterhouse MCR, or 'Peterhouse Research Students' and B. A.s Common Room' as it was initially called (it’s been the MCR since the 1980s), was inaugurated on the 18th February 1963 by a sherry party with research students, fellows and the Master. Since then there have been all sorts of hijinks and merriments, many recounted in the minute books safely archived in the Ward Library.

In the early days they dealt with important questions like what art to hang, a portrait of Sir James Dewar was rejected in favour of one of Colonel Hutchinson. For a time we had the Regicide which was restored to hang in the M.C.R. - we now gather under the protective gaze of Bishop John Cosin and his splendidly proportioned nose.

In the 1960s, a ‘sideboard scheme’ with open access to sherry, madeira, vermouth and whisky proved short-lived. In the 1970s, the M.C.R. actively lobbied for the introduction of women members and set up a steering committee to lead the campaign against reactionary fellows. In the 1980s, a committee member being asked why he was wearing his bath-robe, informed the Committee that the President had told him to wear his gown to the meeting and that this was his dressing gown.

Such illustrious history continues to unfurl. Alumni are encouraged to get in touch with other stories.

PAST COMMITTEES

2021/22 Josey Parker (President), Andrew Walker (Secretary); James Thorne (Treasurer), Molly Kiniry and Ollie Holdsworth (Social Secretaries), Pankaj Kumar (Welfare Officers) Ally Louks (First Year Representative); Grant Kynaston (International Officer).

2020/21 Jenny Ward (President), Sally O’Brien (Secretary); Catherine Richards (Treasurer), Molly Kiniry and Tate Lavitt (Social Secretaries) [Julie Uchitel and Daniel McKay - coopted Summer and Michaelmas] Pankaj Kumar and Chiara Scardoni (Welfare Officers)[Charlotte Wright - coopted Summer and Michaelmas] Ally Louks (First Year Representative); Annabel Gooden (International Officer) [Matilda Gillis - coopted Summer and Michaelmas].

2019/20 Sarah Sheard (President), Alex Tsompanidis (Secretary); Krishnan Ram Prasad (Treasurer) [Sam Woodman - coopted Summer and Michaelmas] Ava Lage and Jordan McKittrick (Social Secretaries), Joanna Neville and Ellie Stefiuk (Welfare Officers), Ian King (First Year Representative).

2018/19 Daniel McKay (President), Victor Parchment (Secretary); Sam Woodman (Treasurer), Jenny Ward and Antoine Koen (Social Secretaries), Adam Behan and Mohamed Derbal (Welfare Officers), Alicia Mavor (First Year Representative).

2017/18 Eloise Davies (President), Jennifer Caisley (Secretary); Íñigo Zubeldía Lafuente (Treasurer), Carolina Orozco and Michael Ashby (Social Secretaries), Lukas Hergt and Roshini Prasad (Welfare Officers), Alex Tsompanidis (First Year Representative).

2016/17 L. Paoli (President), S. Hanebaum (Secretary), L. Masullo (Treasurer), F. Van Loock and F. Becher (Social Secretaries), M. Merchant (Welfare Officer), J. McGinn (First Year Representative).

2015/16 O. L. Elder (President), L. N. P. Schuhmacher (Secretary), M. C. Nadarajah (Treasurer), D. Dixon and P. M. Jacob (Social Secretaries), C. K. Tsaknaki (Welfare Officer), M. K. Merchant (First Year Representative).

2014/15 P. M. Jacob (President), S. Veljkovic (Secretary), J. Clearman (Treasurer), E. Greensmith and H. Woods (Social Secretaries), C. K. Tsaknaki (Welfare Officer), M. C. Nadarajah (First Year Representative).

2013/14

2012/13

2011/2012 Jamie Blaza (President), Graham Wheeler (Secretary), Pawda Tjoa (Treasurer), Barry O’Connell (Social Secretary), Britta Kuempers (Welfare Officer), Martin Baker (First Year Representative).

2010/2011 Kelvin Chan (President), Andy Woods (Secretary), James Savage (Treasurer), Sebastian Pender (Social Secretary), Michelle Wood (Welfare Officer), Eddie Lawrence (First Year Representative).

….help us fill in the mysteries of the past…

1984/85 R. J. J. Martin (President), John W. Hancock(Treasurer), S. F. Deakin(Secretary), T. L. Pink (Fourth Member)

1983/84 R. V. Ahilan (President), H. W Hellinga (Treasurer) J. R. V. Straetmans (Fourth Member), David Scott Hole (Secretary), R. J. J. Martin (Secretary), John W. Hancock (Treasurer)

1982/83 J G M Gorthand, (President), R. V. Ahilan (Secretary), E. P. Robinson (Treasurer), S. Pellegrine (Fourth Member)

1981/82 Timothy Auton (President), M Cullinan (Secretary), J S Heslop-Harrison (Treasurer), R V Ahilan (Fourth Member)

1980/81 Christopher Brookes (President), Timothy Auton (Secretary), James ‘Marcel’ Gatheral (Treasurer), Stephen Coghill (Fourth Member) 

1979/80 Werner Kühlbrandt (President), Richard Corkill (Secretary), Christopher Brookes (Treasurer), Timothy Auton (Fourth Member)

1977/78 Geoff Bristow (President), Werner Kühlbrandt (Treasurer), Richard McMahon (Secretary), Noel Thompson (Fourth Member)

1976/77 N. W. Thompson (President), M. Robinson (Secretary), Geoff Bristow (Treasurer), P. Reynolds (Fourth Member)

1975/76 A. K. C. Smith (President), M. E. Robinson (Secretary), R. J. Angus (Treasurer), N. W. Thompson (Fourth Member)

1974/75 J. P. A. A. Chevalier (President), R. Thomson (Secretary), R. J. Angus (Fourth Member)

1974/75 John Bishop (President)

1973/74 Patrick Perry (President), Ian d'Alton (Secretary), John Bishop (Treasurer)

1965/1966 Dermot Fenton (Chairman), Ian Goodall (Secretary), John M. Brown (Treasurer), Graham Plows (Fourth Member)

1964/65T. B. Hadden (Chairman), John M. Brown (Secretary), J. A. Baylis (Treasurer), H. Chan (Fourth Member)

1963/64D. W. Sweet (Chairman), T. B. Hadden (Secretary), I. E. HunterTreasurerJ. A. BaylisFourth Member

1963 R. G. W. Prescott (Chairman), D. B. Roberts (Secretary),  I. E. Hunter (Treasurer), T. B. Hadden (Fourth Member)

1962 Steering Committee: R. G. W. Prescott, T. B. Hadden, I. E. Hunter, R. Minor, D. B. Roberts.