St Edmund Hall may only have become an official college in 1957, but its roots lie far deeper. Teddy Hall can claim to be the oldest undergraduate academic community in any university. It is the only surviving medieval hall in the University of Oxford, tracing its origins to the late thirteenth century.

A long history of independent thought, with St Edmund Hall often conflicting with church and state, has given rise to a college renowned for its sporting prowess and academic success.