University reflects on its 150-year history

A university has celebrated its 150th birthday with a series of events and exhibitions and by remembering its first ever lecture - in maths.

The very first lecture at University College Bristol, which would go onto become the University of Bristol, took place on 10 October 1876, with men and women admitted on the same basis.

Professor Evelyn Welch, the university's pro-vice chancellor, said it was "amazing" to have an almost 50-50 gender split at a time when women had almost no access to higher education.

Highlights of the anniversary programme include the second-ever showing of Pollenarium, an immersive artwork by Bristol artist Luke Jerram, and a talk with renowned historian David Olusoga.

The university's predecessor University College Bristol was set up in 1876 after campaigning by Clifton College headmaster John Percival and financial support from the Fry family, who made their fortune from the chocolate trade.

The college would not be formally recognised as a university for another 33 years when it received its Royal Charter in 1909.

An important step in making this happen was a huge donation a year earlier from Henry Wills, the founder of the Bristol-based tobacco and cigarette company.

In 1925, King George V and Queen Mary officially opened the Wills Memorial Building at the top of Park Street. Four years later, Winston Churchill was welcomed as chancellor, a role he held for more than 30 years.

Today the university, which has recently opened a new £500m campus on Temple Island, has more than 31,000 students and 9,000 staff.

To mark the 150th anniversary, there were more than 80 events and experiences across the Clifton campus and the new Temple Quarter campus, including talks, exhibitions, artwork displays and hands-on demos from student ambassadors.

The university's very first lecture was delivered by mathematician William Robert Bousfield to 10 men and six women.

In the first year, there were two professors and five lecturers who taught 15 subjects to 337 students - registered 173 men and 164 women.

Exactly 150 years later, Professor Oliver Johnson, head of the school of mathematics, reflected that the way the subject is taught has not changed all that much:

"A lot of what we do it still somebody stood in front of a blackboard with chalk and explaining things, but then on the other hand obviously the technology has changed a lot.

"AI is taking over the world so we are moving with the times but are still faithful to our routes," he said.

"In 1876, Bristol was offering degrees to women on an equal basis, which most universities weren't, so right from the start there was an equality baked into it."

Professor Welch said: "The city of Bristol wanted higher education for Bristol and they wanted it for all Bristolians and that's a philosophy we're proud to continue 150 years later.

"So much has happened in those 150 years, but actually we still try to create that continuity across time while being at the absolute cutting edge for the future," she said.

Alumni who sent birthday wishes included actor and comedian Simon Pegg, who studied theatre, film and television at Bristol, actor Hugh Sachs, best known for his roles in Bridgerton and Benidorm and TV presenter Susanna Reid, who began her journalism career writing for the university's student newspaper, Epigram.

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