St Leonard's College (University of St Andrews)

St Leonard's College

Coat of arms of St Leonard's College
Former names	The College of Poor Clerks of the Church of St Andrews
Type	Postgraduate College
Established	1512 1747 - merged into United College 1972 - reconstituted as a postgraduate college
Provost	Derek Woollins
Students	1,606
Location	St Andrews, Fife, Scotland
Affiliations	University of St Andrews
Website	St Leonard's College

St Leonard's College is a postgraduate institute at the University of St Andrews in St Andrews, Scotland. Founded in 1512 as an autonomous theological college of the University of St Andrews, it merged with St Salvator's College in 1747 to form United College. In 1972 it was re-instituted as a postgraduate institute.

St Leonard's College of the University of St Andrews was originally founded as 'The College of Poor Clerks of the Church of St Andrews' in 1512 by Alexander Stewart, Archbishop of St Andrews and John Hepburn, Prior of St Andrews (receiving Papal recognition by proxy in 1545), on the site of St Leonard's Hospital and Church. Its creation was a result of the poverty and declining status of St John's College/Pedagogy and Arts Faculty of St Andrews.

The first Provost was the Dominican, John Annand (a pupil of Jan Standonck) and a determined reformer of the clergy. St Leonard's was consequently extremely monastic in nature, with members of the college being subjected to a far more rigorous and formal code of conduct than was in practice at St Salvator's.

Because of financial considerations and the general decline of the university, St Salvator's and St Leonard's Colleges were amalgamated to form the The United College of St Salvator and St Leonard in 1747. The buildings of St Leonard's College on South Street were sold and teaching limited to the St. Salvator's College site on North Street.

The old college site was visited by Samuel Johnston and James Boswell in August 1773. The old college site has, since the late 19th century, been occupied by St Leonards School. The college chapel remains the property of the university.