from the archives: 1966 fifty years on college in context by the academic year 1966/67, the new main building had been occupied for 14 years and the new building for 4 years. the queen had visited st mary’s 6 years earlier, having laid the foundation stone 19 years previ- ously. mary holdsworth had been principal for 4 years. the college seemed so well established on the pre- sent site yet it was really relatively new. it was the first college on the hill site, followed by grey and st ai- dan’s. van mildert had just been occupied, consisting of three separate living blocks and a hall with adminis- trative and other public rooms grouped “most effectively in a semi-circle round an artificial lake. the build- ings are tall, beautifully proportioned, and make use of glass, upward lines of portland stone and copper clad- ded roofs. trevelyan, the new women’s college, is rising up in the field to the south-west of st mary’s; it is planned on a hexagonal pattern, of dark purplish hand-made brick, and is somewhat reminiscent of a border castle…the new colleges…have altered the character of the original rural site, but the change, when the nec- essary landscaping and planting is completed, should make a pleasant park-like whole with controlled variety of building.” principal’s report in smcs newsletter 1966 college developments extra rooms, funded by income from conferences, in the underpass (williamson building basement) were now in use: a games room (to replace the one without windows in the main building basement), a sewing room and two non-resident tutors’ rooms so they could meet their students more easily. new carpets, cur- tains and modern furniture were in the west jcr. a loan scheme of paintings from the laing, newcastle, was inaugurated to hang in the main corridor and jcrs. vincent harris presented college with his original architect’s painting which he had exhibited at the royal academy. ann and david loades moved into ‘struan’ 45, south street, part of which was to house 8 st mary’s stu- dents. the college, with its 225 rooms, numbered 270 students, including 32 postgraduates and 2 part-time research students, more students than beds so some of the postgraduates lived in van mildert college. jcr decided that the year of office for their officers and executive should begin at easter to avoid finals term. durham university society celebrated its centenary.