Nobel Prize winners

Churchill College counts 32 Nobel Prize winners amongst its Fellowship, both past and present.

These include: 9 in Physics, 8 in Physiology/Medicine, 7 in Economics, and 4 each in Chemistry and Literature. Of the 32: 7 are or were ‘mainstream’ Fellows of the College, 19 were visiting Overseas Fellows, 8 are or were Honorary Fellows, and 1 was a student.

Image: Nobel Prize medal. Source: Wikimedia

  • Philip Anderson (Overseas Fellow 1961–2) Physics
    1977: ‘Electronic structure of magnetic and disordered systems’
  • Kenneth Arrow (Overseas Fellow 1963–64, 1970, 1973, 1986; Honorary Fellow 2012) Economics
    1972: ‘Contributions to general economic equilibrium theory and welfare theory’
  • Felix Bloch (Overseas Fellow 1967) Physics
    1952: ‘New methods for nuclear magnetic precision measurements’
  • Sir Winston Churchill (Founder; Honorary Fellow 1965–5) Literature
    1953: ‘Mastery of historical and biographical description as well as brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values’
  • Sir John Cockcroft (First Master 1960–7) Physics
    1951: ‘The transmutation of atomic nuclei by artificially accelerated atomic particles’
  • Francis Crick (Fellow 1960–2; Honorary Fellow 1965–2004) Physiology/Medicine
    1962: ‘Co–discovering the structure of DNA’
  • Gerard Debreu (Overseas Fellow 1972) Economics
    1983: ‘New analytical methods in economic theory and reformulation of the theory of general equilibrium’
  • Angus Deaton (Overseas Fellow 1990–1) Economics
    2015: ‘Analysis of consumption, poverty, and welfare’
  • Peter Diamond (Overseas Fellow 1965–6) Economics
    2010: ‘Analysis of markets with search frictions’
  • Sir Robert Edwards (Fellow 1979–2013) Physiology/Medicine
    2010: ‘The development of in–vitro fertilisation’
  • Murray Gell-Mann (Overseas Fellow 1966) Physics
    1969: ‘Work on the theory of elementary particles’
  • Vitali Ginzburg (Overseas Fellow 1967) Physics
    2003: ‘Contributions to the theory of superconductors and superfluids’
  • Sir John Gurdon (Fellow 1973–95; Honorary Fellow 2007–present) Physiology/Medicine
    2012: ‘The discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent’
  • Professor Oliver Hart (Fellow 1975-81) Economics
    2016: ‘For work in the field of contracts’
  • Antony Hewish (Fellow 1961–present) Physics
    1974: ‘Development of radio aperture synthesis and its role in the discovery of pulsars’
  • Roald Hoffman (Overseas Fellow 1978) Chemistry
    1981: ‘Theory concerning the course of chemical reactions’
  • Pyotr Kapitza (Honorary Fellow 1976–84) Physics
    1978: ‘Inventions and discoveries in the area of low–temperature physics’

 

  • Har Gobind Khorana (Overseas Fellow 1967) Physiology/Medicine
    1968: ‘Interpretation of the genetic code and its function in protein synthesis’
  • Arthur Kornberg (Overseas Fellow 1970) Physiology/Medicine
    1959: ‘Discovery of mechanisms in the biological synthesis of DNA’
  • William Lipscomb (Overseas Fellow 1966) Chemistry
    1976: ‘Studies on the structure of boranes illuminating problems of chemical bonding’
  • Mario Vargas Llosa (Overseas Fellow 1977–8; Honorary Fellow 2012–present) Literature
    2010: ‘Cartography of structures of power and trenchant images of the individual’s resistance, revolt, and defeat’
  • Eric Maskin (Overseas Fellow 1980–2) Economics
    2007: ‘Laying the foundations of mechanism design theory’
  • Sir Paul Nurse (Honorary Fellow 2010–present) Physiology/Medicine
    2001: ‘Discoveries of key regulators of the cell cycle’
  • Octavio Paz (Overseas Fellow 1970) Literature
    1990: ‘Impassioned writing with wide horizons, characterised by sensuous intelligence and humanistic integrity’
  • Robert Solow (Overseas Fellow 1983–4) Economics
    1987: ‘Contributions to the theory of economic growth’
  • Wole Soyinka (Overseas Fellow 1973–4; Honorary Fellow 2012–) Literature
    1986: ‘In a wide cultural perspective and with poetic overtones he fashions the drama of existence’
  • David Thouless (Fellow 1961–5) Physics
    2016: ‘Theoretical discoveries of topological phase transitions and topological phases of matter.’
  • Alexander Todd (Founder Trustee; Honorary Fellow 1991–7) Chemistry
    1967: ‘Work on nucleotides and nucleotide co–enzymes’
  • Roger Tsien (Postgraduate 1972–6; Honorary Fellow 2009–present) Chemistry
    2008: ‘The discovery and development of the green fluorescent protein’
  • George Wald (Overseas Fellow 1963–4) Physiology/Medicine
    1967: ‘Discoveries concerning the primary physiological and chemical visual processes in the eye’
  • Ernest Walton (By–Fellow 1972; Honorary Fellow 1989–95) Physics
    1951: ‘The transmutation of atomic nuclei by artificially accelerated atomic particles’
  • James Watson (Overseas Fellow 1962) Physiology/Medicine
    1962: ‘Co–discovering the structure of DNA’