Timeline
Oxford Brookes University began life as the Oxford School of Art in 1865, and then expanded to become a technical college. When it moved to Headington, it became a Polytechnic and finally in 1992 it became the University that we have today.
The Early Days | |
| 1865 | Oxford School of Art is founded, as one room on the ground floor of the Taylor Institution, St Giles. |
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| 1870 |
right: Pupils of Oxford City Technical School |
| 1871 | School is forced to move into cramped basement in the Taylor Institution, to make way for what is now the Ruskin School of Art, founded by Oxford University's Slade Professor of Art John Ruskin. |
| 1888 | New chemistry laboratory is provided at Wesleyan School. |
| 1891 | School is taken over by City Council's Technical Instruction Committee and renamed Oxford City Technical School, incorporating the School of Art. A site is chosen for its permanent home, at the old Blue Coat School for Boys, St Ebbe's. |
| 1894 | St Ebbe's site is opened; used mainly for evening classes, but also used as a day school. |
| 1899 | School's rapid growth leads to the new site being declared inadequate by the Department of Science and Art. Expansion of the site is forbidden - but the School remains here for another 50 years! |
The Brookes Years | |
| 1928 |
right: John Henry Brookes 'Any history of this university's development in the first half of the twentieth century takes on something of a paean of praise for John Henry Brookes.' |
| 1929 | Training courses for architects are introduced within the School of Art. |
| 1931 | Visiting lecturers include Kenneth Clark, Noel Carrington and Clough Williams-Ellis. |
| 1934 | Technical School and School of Art are merged, to form the Schools of Technology, Art and Commerce. John Brookes is elected the first Principal. |
| 1943 | It is envisaged that the institution can be transformed into a City Technical College. Negotiations begin for suitable site. |
| 1949 | Classes in catering are started. Purchase of a 25-acre site on Headington Hill is completed. |
| 1950 | Despite Ministry of Education setting aside £250,000 for first phase of the new technical college's development, City Council rejects plans. Amidst public outcry, public campaign is launched by Kenneth Wheare, Oxford University's Gladstone Professor of Government, to create the new college at Headington Hill. '...most local authorities make some curious decisions in their time, but we cannot recall one so astonishing as the City Council's flat rejection...of the proposed College. It seems almost impossible that such a thing could happen in Oxford, which should be in the forefront of educational matters...' Oxford Times leader, 22 September 1950 |
| 1952 | Proposals for new technical college are approved by City Council. Name of institution is changed to College of Technology, Art and Commerce. |
| 1953 | John Brookes awarded OBE. |
| 1954 | Former student Lord Nuffield lays foundation stone of new college. |
| 1956 | John Brookes retires. Institution's name changed to Oxford College of Technology. "He liked to refer to the move to Headington as setting foot in the Promised Land. And in 1956...John Brookes - the man who had done more than any other to steer the project forward since he came to Oxford to teach stonemasons how to carve - felt confident enough about its future to hand over the reins." Don Chapman, Oxford Mail, 19 November 1990 |
Consolidation | |
| 1960 | First student residence, Cotuit Hall, opened. |
| 1963 |
right: The Duke of Edinburgh at the Headington opening |
| 1967 | Government announces firm proposals for the development of 29 polytechnics, including one in Oxford. |
'Oxford Poly' | |
| 1970 |
right: the front of the polytechnic |
| 1974 | Control of Polytechnic passes to Oxfordshire County Council. |
| 1975 | John Brookes dies. |
| 1976 | Lady Spencer-Churchill teacher training college amalgamates with Oxford Polytechnic, to become its Wheatley campus. |
| 1988 | Oxford Polytechnic becomes one of first polytechnics to achieve accredited status from the Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA).
Oxford School of Nursing incorporated into University, becoming School of Health Care Studies. |
| 1989 | Polytechnic becomes independent statutory corporation and ceases to be maintained by Oxfordshire County Council. |
| 1991 | Oxford Polytechnic becomes one of first polytechnics allowed to confer degrees on behalf of the CNAA. Government announces creation of universities from polytechnics. |
The new university | |
| 1992 |
The Polytechnic becomes a university under government legislation. It honours John Brookes' memory by choosing the name Oxford Brookes University. right: Unveiling the new name |
| 1993 |
Princess of Wales visits the University as part of the celebrations to mark its new status. University acquires the 14-acre Headington Hill Hall site, former home of Robert Maxwell and Pergamon Press. right: The Princess of Wales with students |
| 1994 |
right: Chancellor Baroness Helena Kennedy QC Opening of Warneford Hall increases hall of residence places to over 2,000. The Oxford Institute of Legal Practice (OILP), a joint venture with Oxford University, received its first students. |
| 1995 | Sir Tim Rice opens new £1.3m state-of-the-art Centre for Sport and one of its members is former England rugby union international, Jonathan Webb. Brookes wins three Partnership Awards, the prestigious national prizes celebrating innovation in teaching and learning. Archbishop Desmond Tutu visits the University. |
| 1996 | Eight former Students' Union Presidents join Chancellor Helena Kennedy at the official opening of the new Student Centre named in her honour. Brookes judged top new university in the influential league table published by the national newspaper The Times. Brookes wins three Partnership Awards, the prestigious national prizes celebrating innovation in teaching and learning. School of Art, Publishing and Music moves in to newly refurbished building on Headington Hill Campus named Richard Hamilton Building in honour of founding father of Pop Art movement. |
| 1997 - 1998 | Brookes judged top new university for the second year running by The Times. Professor Graham Upton appointed as new Vice-Chancellor. New research centre opened, providing a central resource for research students. Brookes awarded Lottery funding to develop a new football pitch at Wheatley Campus. HRH The Duke of Edinburgh visits Brookes to see undergraduates at work in the automotive engineering laboratory. New halls of residence opened, named in honour of former governor Dr Paul Kent and built on the site of former military barracks in Headington. |
| 1999 | Brookes judged top new university for the fourth year running by The Times. New Brookes award-winning restaurant, funded by a personal donation from hotelier and restaurateur David Levin, was opened by The Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, Mr Hugo Brunner. The men's VIII rowing team were crowned British University Sports Association champions for the eighth successive year. |
| 2000 | The University hosts Venturefest, Oxford's education, innovation and business showcase. Brookes merges with Westminster College to create an Institute of Education. The Centre for Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism was officially launched one of 24 Government funded centres promoting high quality teaching Three Brookes rowers win Olympic gold medals, Rowley Douglas, Ben Hunt-Davis and Fred Scarlett, who were also awarded MBEs. Royal Literary Fund appoint one of its Fellows, Poet Mario Petrucci, to take up residence at Brookes as part of the Fellowship Scheme for Writers in Higher and Further Education. |
| 2001 | Brookes wins prestigious Queen's Anniversary Prize for MSc course in Development Practice a pioneering course run by the Centre for Development and Emergency Practice, for humanitarian professionals who work with victims of war, disaster and urban poverty around the world Brookes joins elite top 50 universities in The Times Good University Guide for the first time, and is top new university for the sixth year running. New state-of-the-art Media Centre opened housing the reprographics unit, communications and graphics teams.
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| 2002 | Top new university for 7th year in a row in The Times league tables. The School of Architecture celebrates its 75th anniversary. |
| 2003 | Brookes purchases the former Milham Ford School in Marston to relocate the School of Health and Social Care on one site.
Opening of the first phase of the new Hall of Residence on the Marston Road. The accommodation is named Clive Booth Hall after the former Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Clive Booth. |
| 2004 | Cheney Student Village, a new 750-room hall of residence, opened. Opening of the Cholsey Boat House for the highly-rated Oxford Brookes rowing team. Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development, the first research institute at Oxford Brookes is launched. |
| 2005 | The School of Health and Social Care's new building in Marston Road is opened by HRH the Princess Royal, providing a dedicated centre for professional health and social care education. Oxford Brookes Business School opens a Postgraduate Centre. |
| 2006 | The Buckley Building is opened by Chancellor, Jon Snow. The building is dedicated to research and provides a focal point for the University's thriving research community who have already helped Oxford Brookes win research grants and contracts totalling £17m over the last three years. The School of Technology moves to the Wheatley Campus. A new three storey, steel frame and concrete building, houses new lecture theatres and classrooms together with workshops and laboratories for the Departments of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering and the new Motorsport Engineering Centre. Public consultations are held to inform a major redesign of the Headington and Wheatley campuses. Vice-Chancellor Professor Graham Upton announces his intention to retire in summer 2007. Professor Janet Beer appointed to take his place from September 2007. |
| 2007 | Preparatory work begins for new building on Headington and Wheatley campuses. |
| 2008 | Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty and respected human rights campaigner installed as Chancellor of the University. |
| 2009 | Oxford Brookes is named the UK’s best post-1992 university for the ninth year running in The Sunday Times’ University Guide and also becomes the first university to win a Gold EcoCampus award in recognition of its approach to sustainability. |
| 2010 | Oxford Brookes is named the UK’s best post-1992 university for the tenth year running in The Sunday Times’ University Guide. |
School of Science is incorporated into the School of Art; offers a wide range of scientific and technical subjects, plus evening classes in the University Museum.
John Brookes is appointed Vice-Principal of the Oxford City Technical School and Head of the School of Art; the two are scattered over 19 different sites.
Headington accommodation is completed, and opened by Duke of Edinburgh. Degree-level work develops rapidly; less advanced courses gradually transferred to the newly-instituted Oxford College of Further Education.
College of Technology becomes Oxford Polytechnic.
Dorset House School of Occupational Therapy becomes part of Oxford Polytechnic.
Oxford Brookes University's new signs officially unveiled by Chair of Governors, Andrew Smith MP and the Vice-Chancellor, Dr Clive Booth.
University elects its first Chancellor, Helena Kennedy QC for a seven year term, and moves into Headington Hill Hall.
Channel Four news presenter Jon Snow is elected for a seven year term as the second Chancellor of Oxford Brookes.