Jesus College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in 1571 by Queen Elizabeth I at the request of Hugh Price, a Welsh clergyman, who was Treasurer of St David's Cathedral in Pembrokeshire. The college still has strong links with Wales, and about 15% of students are Welsh. There are 340 undergraduates and 190 students carrying out postgraduate studies. Women have been admitted since 1974, when the college was one of the first five men's colleges to become co-educational. Old members of Jesus College are sometimes known as "Jesubites".

Three Archbishops of Wales have studied at Jesus College. A. G. Edwards, the first archbishop of the Church in Wales after its disestablishment, read Literae Humaniores from 1871 to 1874, and was archbishop from 1920 to 1934. Glyn Simon, a student from 1922 to 1926, was Archbishop of Wales from 1968 to 1971. He was succeeded by Gwilym Williams, who was archbishop from 1971 to 1982. Other bishops to have held office in Wales include Francis Davies, Roy Davies, John Harris and Morgan Owen (who were all Bishops of Llandaff), Humphrey Humphreys, Daniel Lewis Lloyd and Humphrey Lloyd (who were Bishops of Bangor), William Lloyd and John Wynne (who were Bishops of St Asaph), and John Owen and William Thomas (who were Bishops of St David's). William Havard was a Welsh rugby international before becoming Bishop of St Asaph, then Bishop of St David's.

Several former students have been appointed as cathedral deans; many others became parish priests in Wales and elsewhere in the Anglican church, some also finding time for other activities such as writing poetry or pursuing antiquarian interests. At least five have been Dean of Bangor: Henry Edwards, Henry James, Evan Lewis, John Pryce and James Vincent. Llewelyn Hughes was Dean of Ripon from 1951 to 1967, Alex Wedderspoon was Dean of Guildford from 1987 to 2001, and Wesley Carr was Dean of Westminster Abbey from 1997 to 2006. Edmund Meyrick, who studied at the college between 1656 and 1659, became Treasurer of St David's Cathedral; he left money in his will to the college to fund scholarships for Welsh students, which are still awarded. The lexicographer John Davies of Mallwyd, who translated the Bible into Welsh, studied at the college. In the mid-19th century, some Anglican priests were influenced by John Henry Newman and converted to Roman Catholicism, including David Lewis; Edmund Ffoulkes also converted, but later returned to Anglicanism, becoming vicar of the University Church of St Mary the Virgin in Oxford. John David Jenkins, who was Canon of Pietermaritzburg for a time, was later nicknamed the "Rail men's Apostle" for his ministry to railway workers in Oxford. David Thomas, a priest in Gwynedd, was instrumental in the foundation of a Welsh church in the Welsh settlement in Argentina.

Some students became ministers in other denominations of Christianity. Methodists include David Charles and Christopher Bassett; Baptists include Gwilym Davies (the first person to broadcast on the radio in Welsh, in 1923); Welsh Presbyterians include William David Davies and Gwilym Edwards; Unitarians include John Islan Jones; and Catholics include John Hugh Jones and the Benedictine monk and poet Sylvester Houédard.

Alumni

Abbreviations used in the following table M – Year of matriculation at Jesus College (a dash indicates that the individual did not matriculate at the college) G – Year of graduation / conclusion of study at Jesus College (a dash indicates that the individual moved to another college before graduating or concluding studies) DNG – Did not graduate: left the college without obtaining a degree ? – Year unknown; approximate year used for table-sorting purposes (F/P) – later became a fellow or principal of Jesus College, and included on the list of principals and fellows (HF) – later became an honorary fellow of Jesus College, and included on the list of honorary fellows

Degree abbreviations Undergraduate degree: BA – Bachelor of Arts Postgraduate degrees: BCL – Bachelor of Civil Law BD – Bachelor of Divinity BLitt – Bachelor of Letters BTh – Bachelor of Theology MA – Master of Arts MB – Bachelor of Medicine MD – Doctor of Medicine DCL – Doctor of Civil Law DD – Doctor of Divinity DPhil – Doctor of Philosophy

The subject studied and the degree classification are included, where known. Until the early 19th century, undergraduates read for a Bachelor of Arts degree that included study of Latin and Greek texts, mathematics, geometry, philosophy and theology. Individual subjects at undergraduate level were only introduced later: for example, Mathematics (1805), Natural Science (1850), Jurisprudence (1851, although it had been available before this to students who obtained special permission), Modern History (1851) and Theology (1871). Geography and Modern Languages were introduced in the 20th century. Music had been taught as a specialist subject, rather than being part of the BA course, before these changes; medicine was studied as a postgraduate subject.

Archbishops and bishops

NameMGDegreeNotesRef17641775BA (1768), MA (1770), DCLMethodist bishop (HF)19311934BA Modern History (2nd) (1934), DPhil (1950)Assistant Bishop of Jerusalem (1970–1973) and writer on Muslim–Christian relationsWho's Who, sub nom. (F)16211628BA (1625), MA (1628), BD (1640), DD (1661)Bishop of Llandaff (1667–1675)1955?1959BLittBishop of Llandaff (1985–1999)19201923BA Literae Humaniores (3rd)Assistant Bishop of Melanesia (1931–1937)Who Was Who, sub nom.Honours Supplement 1930 (HF)18711874BA Literae Humaniores (3rd)First Archbishop of the disestablished Church in Wales (1920–1934)18601863BA Natural Science (honorary 4th)Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney (1906–1911)16971701BA (1701), MA (1714)Bishop of Llandaff (1729–1738), also Dean of Hereford (1729–1736) and of Wells (1736–1738)19191921BA Modern HistoryCollege chaplain (1919–1921) who won his "Blue" for rugby and represented Wales against New Zealand Services in 1919 (his only international) before becoming Bishop of St Asaph (1934–1950) and Bishop of St David's (1950–1956)16071612BA (1609), MA (1612), BD and DD (1630)Bishop of Bristol (1644–1645), who was ejected during the English Civil War (F)16661672BA (1669), MA (1672), BD (1679), DD (1682)Bishop of Bangor (1689–1701) and Bishop of Hereford (1701–1712)18841888BA Literae Humaniores (3rd)Bishop Coadjutor of Jamaica (1905–1913)Oxford Men18621867BA Literae Humaniores (2nd) (1867), MA (1871)Headmaster of Dolgelley Grammar School, Friars School, Bangor and Christ College, Brecon; later Bishop of Bangor1628——Graduated from Oriel College; Bishop of Bangor (1674–1689) (F)16401642BA (1642), MA (1646), BD and DD (1667)Bishop of St Asaph (1680–1692), Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry (1692–1699) and Bishop of Worcester (1699–1717)—1575BA (1573), MA (1575)Matriculated in 1568, later moving to Jesus College; Bishop of Leighlin (1579–1597)18721876BA Mathematics (2nd) (2nd in Mods in Classics and in Mathematics)Professor of Welsh (1879–1889) and principal (1892–1897) at St David's College, Lampeter before becoming Bishop of St David's (1897–1926)1608——Graduated BA from New College and MA from Hart Hall, later becoming Bishop of Llandaff (1639 – c. 1644)16891693BA (1691), MA (1693)Bishop of Chester (1726–1752)—1652BAMatriculated at Trinity College, Dublin in 1648 before moving to Oxford; Bishop of Ossory (January to October 1678)1578?1583BA (1581), MALexicographer and Bishop of Killaloe (1612–1632)19501962BA French and German (2nd, 1953), Dip Th, DPhil (1962)Bishop of Huntingdon (1980–1997) (HF)19221926BA Literae Humaniores (2nd)Archbishop of Wales (1968–1971) (F)—1635BA (1632), MA (1635), DD (1660)Matriculated from St John's College in 1629 but later moved to Jesus College; Bishop of St David's (1677–1683) and Bishop of Worcester (1683–1689) (HF)19061911BA Literae Humaniores (1st) (1910) (1st in Mods in Classics), BA Modern History (1st) (1911)President of the JCR and Captain of Boats whilst at college; Fellow of All Souls (1911–1918); Bishop of Durham (1939–1952) and Bishop of Winchester (1952–1961)Baker, p. 108 (HF)19301933BA English (1st)Bishop of Bangor (1957–1982) and Archbishop of Wales (1971–1982) (HF)18971901BA Literae Humaniores (2nd)Bishop of Bristol (1933–1946) and Bishop of Gloucester (1946–1953)Members List, sub nom. (F/P)16821685BA (1685), BD (1696), DD (1706)Bishop of St Asaph (1715–1727) and Bishop of Bath and Wells (1727–1743)

Deans

NameMGDegreeNotesRef19601964BA Literae Humaniores (2nd)Dean of Westminster Abbey (1997–2006)Honours Supplement 196518571860BADean of Bangor (1876–1884)19131921BA Modern HistoryDean of Ripon (1951–1967)Baker, p. 12119291932BA Modern History (2nd)Dean of Brecon (1967–1978)18821886BA Literae Humaniores (2nd) (1886), MA (1891), BD and DD (1924)Dean of Bangor (1934–1940)18891893BA Theology (3rd)Dean of Llandaff (1931–1948)19191922BA Dean of Brecon (1950–1964)19021904??Dean of Jersey (1937–1959)18181827BA Literae Humaniores (1st, 1822), MA (1824), BCL (1827), DCL (1829)First Principal of St David's College, Lampeter (1828–1878), also Dean of St David's (1843–1878)Honours18381841BA (1841), MA (1863)Dean of Bangor (1884–1901), and younger brother of David Lewis1966?1970BA Mathematics (1969), Diploma in Applied Statistics (1970)Dean of Llandaff since 200018471851BADean of Bangor (1902–1903)18961899?BADean of Brecon (1939–1949)16381640BADean of Chichester (1672–1688) (F)18111815BA (1815), MA (1817)Dean of Bangor (1862–1876)19511955?BA Modern History (2nd, 1954), BDDean of Guildford (1987–2001)

Other cathedral clergy