Which Cambridge college gave C.S. Lewis his 1954 chair in medieval and Renaissance literature?

Magdalene College, Cambridge, gave C.S. Lewis his 1954 chair in Medieval and Renaissance Literature. He moved from Oxford to Cambridge after the university created the professorship specifically for him.

Lewis had taught English at Magdalen College, Oxford, since 1925. The Cambridge appointment allowed him to continue his academic specialization while giving him a new institutional home. He remained at Cambridge until his death in 1963.

The names of the two colleges often cause confusion. Magdalen College in Oxford is spelled without a final “e,” whereas Magdalene College in Cambridge includes the final “e.” Their similar names refer to separate colleges at separate universities.

Lewis’s Cambridge position also demonstrates that his professional identity was broader than that of a children’s author or Christian apologist. Medieval and Renaissance literature was his academic field, and his scholarly books include studies of English literary history and criticism.