The exact date of the formation of the JCR as we know it today is unclear, there have been many changes to it throughout the colleges history. Students were first granted to have a "Junior Common Room (Reading Room, not Wine Club)" in 1891 by the college, with a set of rooms located within the central quad being allocated to it.
The common room moved to its current location in 1930. The photo above shows students before this date relaxing in the main quad in Worcester. The provost of the time recalls in his memoirs that the growing number of undergraduates being accepted into the college required an expansion of the Junior Common Room.
A number of college-based societies have been created over the history of the college, many of which still exist today. The image above shows the football team in 1909-1913. Buskins is the oldest college drama society in Oxford (formed in 1902) and has been performing summer plays since 1907. Shown below is the advert for the 1949 performance of 'The Merry Wives of Windsor'.
The year in the life of a Worcester College student in 1911-1912 has been documented in a book titled 'A Freshman's Diary' by Willie Elmhirst, who served in the East Yorkshire Regiment from December 1914 and was killed in action during the Battle of the Somme on 13th November 1916. It details a life both different and similar to today, with the extract below detailing his participation in the rowing team, watching rugby matches and taking walks to nearby Port Meadow!
The JCR has been a way for students to get their voice heard within college since its formation. Pictured below is a meeting from 1981-2.
The summer Commemoration Ball is one of the highlights of any Worcester College student's time here. This has been true for decades, with the photo below showing the 'survivors photo', to commemorate those who stayed for the entire event, from 1984.
The student body of Worcester college continues to support a wide range of sports and societies, whilst also creating new ones to reflect the diversity of the community.
A massive thanks to the Worcester College archivist, Emma Goodrum, for aiding with the research into the history of the JCR and the provision of many of these fascinating pictures!