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A Brief History

Sir Stafford Northcote

"Nearly a century ago a son of Devon, Sir Stafford Northcote, urged that Exeter should be made the centre of education for the West of England. His good advice was followed, and that imaginative proposal has been so expanded that this University now serves not only the people of the South West, but the whole country, and also contains many students from overseas, including representatives of many of the countries of the Commonwealth."

Extract from the speech made on 8 May 1956 by Her Majesty the Queen when she presented the University with its Charter and unveiled the foundation stone of the Queen’s Building.

Find out more on the following pages:

• In the beginning... 1850 to 1900
• The Battle for University Status... 1900 to 1950
• A Royal Charter at last!.. 1950 to 1960
• The Streatham Campus takes shape... 1960 to 1970
• A Tale of Two campuses... 1970 to 1980
• Balancing the Books... 1980 - 1990
• Problems and Opportunities... 1990 - 2000
• From 2000 Onwards

This website was funded by the University of Exeter Convocation as one of Convocation's gifts to the University during its Golden Jubilee year 2005/06.