By Julia Mullins, Co Editor-in-Chief
According to a press release on the University of Bristol website from January 9, 2009, the year ahead was going to mark 100 years of the university. 100 years since King Edward VII gave the institution the power to award degrees. Now, 17 years later, the university is celebrating its 150 year anniversary.
The centenary was celebrated with a new centenary garden, public lectures, and exhibitions and launched its Centenary Campaign to raise £100m by 2014. The 2009 campaign press release states that ‘the University has long benefited from philanthropy.’
The money was raised in six key areas, the largest portion of which (£28m) was dedicated to ‘buildings and a general endowment.’
According to the 2009 press release, ‘a dedicated centenary website contains information about all the celebrations, plus a timeline that charts key moments from the past 100 years,’ however all these links lead to 404 error codes.
Talking about the upcoming celebrations, Vice-chancellor at the time, Professor Eric Thomas, said:
‘We are embarking on an imaginative range of projects to make sure 2009 is truly memorable.’
So, why are we celebrating 150 years now?
150 years marks the beginning of University College, Bristol, which, according to the Bristol University's website, existed ‘from 1876-1909.’
University College, Bristol opened its doors on October 10, 1876 but, for the college to become a university, it would need its own royal charter. That charter only came into effect 33 years later after being approved by King Edward VII.
In a blog post, Evelyn Welch, the Vice-chancellor of the University of Bristol, wrote about the upcoming celebrations:
‘Every time things feel a bit bleak, I remind myself that we have survived and thrived for almost 150 years and look forward to celebrating our anniversary next September.’
Posting to Facebook and Instagram on January 1, the University of Bristol account welcomed the new year with a caption that read: ‘It's a big year for the university. We're excited to celebrate our 150th anniversary.’
Featured image: Epigram / Julia Mullins
