ABSTRACT
Thus the Ripon Hall Common Room minutes for the summer term 1975 come to an end. It was hard for the students at both Colleges to exercise a great deal of influence over the merger of the two Colleges. The students were, after all, the people in transit. It was the Governing Bodies and the wider Church who had to bear the responsibility for such matters. At the same time they were greatly affected by it and they were mainly very unhappy about what was going on. Indeed Anthony Dyson worked hard to ensure that the students were not just the victims of the negotiations. Expressing the great uncertainty and the need for change in 1970 he wrote in the College Annual Report as follows:
The lesson is learnt that a theological College can only make its way today as a team enterprise. I have to acknowledge gratefully the help and support which is given to me personally by the staff and students, often with great generosity of time and energy. In particular it has been a year marked by an increasing part taken by the student body in the processes, which shape the pattern of life and
1 This Chapter has been drawn from minutes of the Governing Bodies of both colleges, as well as the Lent letters and Newsletters of the College. I am also grateful for conversations and correspondence with Bishop David Wilcox, Bishop John Garton, Canon Alan Dunstan, Canon John Clarke and various former students of both Colleges. I am grateful to Mr John Davies, the College Archivist for his help.
