Robert Gordon's College Explained

Robert Gordon's College
Motto:Omni nunc arte magistra which translates to "Now is the time for all of your masterly skill"
Former Name:Robert Gordon's Hospital
Type:Private day school
Head Label:Head of College
Head:Robin Macpherson
Principal Label:Head of Senior School
Principal:Clare Smith
Principal Label2:Head of Junior School
Principal2:Jane Tulloch
Chair Label:Chairman of the Governors
Chair:Kevin Reynard
Address:Schoolhill
Country:Scotland
Postcode:AB10 1FE
Local Authority:Aberdeen City
Staff:415
Enrolment:1,600~
Gender:Coeducational
Lower Age:3
Upper Age:18
Houses:Blackfriars, Collyhill, Sillerton and Straloch
Colours: Navy and Gold
Publication:The Gordonian
Free Label 1:Former pupils
Free 1:Gordonians
Website:http://www.rgc.aberdeen.sch.uk

Robert Gordon's College is a co-educational private school for day pupils in Aberdeen, Scotland. The school caters for pupils from Nursery through to S6.

History

Robert Gordon, an Aberdeen merchant, made his fortune in 18th century Poland trading from the Baltic port of Danzig, (Gdansk). Upon his death in 1731, he left his entire estate in a 'Deed of Mortification, dated 13 December 1729, for the foundation of Robert Gordon's Hospital, a residential school for poor boys. The fine building, designed by William Adam, was completed by 1732, but lay empty until the Governors had sufficient funds to complete the interior. A statue of the Founder was added in 1753 in a niche above the door. During the Jacobite Rising in 1746, the building was requisitioned by Hanoverian troops under the command of the Duke of Cumberland and was known as Fort Cumberland. The hospital opened its doors to its first 14 pupils in July 1750. East and West wings with classical colonnades, designed by the architect John Smith, were added in 1830–33, partly funded by the generous bequest of Alexander Simpson of Collyhill.

Robert Gordon's intention was to found “an Hospital for the maintenance, aliment, entertainment and education of young boys, whose parents are poor and indigent and not able to maintain them at schools and put them to trades and employment”, in other words, to give poor boys of Aberdeen a solid education and foundation for life. Until 1881, the pupils received their education, board and lodging and a uniform free of charge but in 1881, the status of the institution changed and it became a fee-paying day school with the new name of Robert Gordon's College. The charitable aspect continued, with Foundations and Bursaries being available for boys whose parents could not afford to send them to be educated there. In 1882, evening and day classes in vocational subjects were instituted and made available to adults who were seeking to further their education. In 1903, the vocational arm was designated a Central Institution. Its name changed in 1910 to Robert Gordon's Technical College and, in 1965, to Robert Gordon's Institute of Technology. In 1992, RGIT gained university status and became the Robert Gordon University. The school has continued to be known as Robert Gordon's College.

Boarding facilities for pupils returned in 1937 with the establishment of Sillerton House in the west end of Aberdeen. It closed in 1995. In 1989, RGC became a co-educational school. In 2010, the new Junior School was officially opened and six years later, the Wood Centre for Science and Technology and the Craig Centre for Performing Arts were officially opened by HRH The Princess Royal.

Robert Gordon's College consists of a Nursery, Junior School and Senior School for children aged 3 to 18 years. Robert Gordon's College follows the Scottish curriculum.

Arms and motto

The coat of arms shows the boar of the Gordon family, and a fort or keep on a red background, similar to the towers on a red background on the coat of arms of Aberdeen.

The current coat of arms dates from 1917. They were changed when it was discovered that the college had not registered the coat of arms that were previously in use as was legally required. A new college seal was produced once new arms had been approved by the Lord Lyon.

The Latin motto of the college, "Omni nunc arte magistra" translates to "Now is the time for all your masterly skill"; it is more commonly presented as "Be The Best That You Can Be". It dates from 1882, after the school had been converted into a day school and a new coat of arms and seal came into use. The motto was suggested by William Geddes, a professor of Greek at Aberdeen University, and comes from the Aeneid, reporting the words of the god Vulcan.[1] The original seal of the hospital contained the motto "Imperat hoc natura potens", translating as "by nature's sovereign command", which was taken from the Satires of Horace.[2]

House system

The school has four houses, to one of which each student is allocated upon entering the school. The houses compete in various activities (such as netball, football, mathematics, cross country, poetry, and various other events) throughout the year and gain points which contribute to the annual John Reid Trophy award. The house system was introduced at Christmas 1928 to encourage competition in various sports.[3] [4]

The four houses are:

Notable former pupils

Former pupils include:

External links

Notes and References

  1. Strathdee . RB . The Seals of the Hospital and Colleges, Part II . 180 . The Gordonian . December 1950.
  2. Strathdee . RB . The Seals of the Hospital and Colleges . 84 . The Gordonian . June 1950.
  3. (title missing) . The Pelican . 25 . Winter 2017–18 . 12.
  4. The Gordonian . May 1929 . 280 . School Sport Notes.
  5. News: Kirsty Blackman: 'Excuse me, I'd rather shake hands' . Heather . Stewart . . 2 January 2018.
  6. The Gordonian . June 1931 . 121 . Sir Arthur Keith.
  7. Web site: Son of famous scientist helps launch Kosterlitz Centre . University of Aberdeen.
  8. Book: NIVEN, William Dickie . Who Was Who . . 1920 . 2007 . online . Oxford University Press . 30 March 2014.
  9. Web site: Nicol Stephen . . 7 December 2006 . 26 January 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070126174649/http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msp/membersPages/nicol_stephen/index.htm . dead .
  10. News: Celebrity-toppling Alastair Storey sees catering trade as table laden with opportunity . . 24 December 2012.
  11. Book: Marshall, John . John Marshall (railway historian) . A Biographical Dictionary of Railway Engineers . 1978 . . Newton Abbot . 0-7153-7489-3 . 214.
  12. Web site: '97-'98 Class List . Rgc.aberdeen.sch.uk . 2013-10-12 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110728024126/http://www.rgc.aberdeen.sch.uk/index.php?id=282 . 28 July 2011 . dmy-all.
  13. Web site: John West . . 17 September 2007 . 25 November 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081125062337/http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/acci/web/site/xac_CouncillorBiography.asp?ID=81 . dead .
  14. News: Kirsty . Scott . Fresh-faced challenge . . 13 June 2007 . 12 October 2013.

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