History of The University
The establishment of The University of Warwick was given approval by the government in 1961 and received its Royal Charter of Incorporation in 1965.
The idea for a university in Coventry was mooted shortly after the conclusion of the Second World War but it was a bold and imaginative partnership of the City and the County which brought the University into being on a 400-acre site jointly granted by the two authorities. Since then, the University has incorporated the former Coventry College of Education and has extended its land holdings by the purchase of adjoining farmland.
The University initially admitted a small intake of graduate students in 1964 and took its first 450 undergraduates in October 1965. By the end of 2023, the student population was over 28,000 of which over 9,000 are postgraduates. Around a third of the student body comes from overseas and around 250 countries are represented on the campus.
1960's
The main campus of the University is situated on land granted by Coventry City Council and Warwickshire County Council in the early 1960s. The first buildings were completed in 1965 (and now house Biological Sciences); by 1970 the Library, Science and Arts Buildings and Rootes Residences had been built on central campus.
Chancellors
1963 - 1977
Lord Radcliffe
The University's first Chancellor was Lord Radcliffe, who continued in office until his death in April 1977
1977 - 1989
Lord Scarman
He was succeeded by Lord Scarman, who retired from office in 1989
1989 - 2002
Sir Shridath Ramphal
Warwick's third Chancellor was Sir Shridath Ramphal, who presided over the University from 1989 - 2002.
2002 - 2008
Sir Nicholas Scheele
Sir Nicholas Scheele, was appointed as Warwick's fourth Chancellor in 2002 continuing in office until 2008.
2008 - 2017
Sir Richard Lambert
Sir Richard Lambert, took up the position in August 2008. Sir Richard is the former Director-General of the CBI.
2017 - Present
Baroness Ashton
In January 2017, Sir Richard Lambert was succeeded by our present Chancellor,
Vice-Chancellors
1963 – 1985, Lord Butterworth
The University's founding Vice-Chancellor was Mr J.B. Butterworth (Lord Butterworth), who guided the University through its formative years and provided much of the vision for the University's future growth and success. His achievement was to establish Warwick firmly on the national stage, to set a basic strategy and culture for the University which still obtains today and to oversee the building of a university on what was a greenfield site.
1985 – 1992, Dr C.L. Brundin
He was succeeded in September 1985 by Dr C.L. Brundin. As Vice-Chancellor from 1985 until 1992, Dr. Brundin presided over a period of expansion and success: student numbers doubled, postgraduates increased by >250% and Warwick established itself firmly in the top tier of UK research universities.
1993 – 2001, Professor Sir Brian Follett
Dr Brundin was succeeded in 1993 by Professor Sir Brian Follett, formerly Biological Secretary and Vice-President of the Royal Society. In 1994, Sir Brian launched the Warwick Research Fellowships, a £10m scheme, entirely financed by the University, which brought to Warwick a cohort of some of the brightest young researchers in the UK and abroad. His successful academic leadership resulted in the excellent results for the University in the Research Assessment Exercises of 1996 and 2001.Sir Brian also presided over an ambitious building programme that resulted in >£100m of new capital projects during his leadership.
2001 – 2006, Professor David VandeLinde
Sir Brian retired in 2001 and was succeeded by Professor David VandeLinde, formerly Dean of the Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins University and Vice-Chancellor at the University of Bath. His period as Vice-Chancellor was marked by an emphasis on building links and partnerships with the local community, an enhanced international strategy and welcoming of HRI researchers to the University as Warwick HRI.
The Vice-Chancellor played a key role in assisting government to reduce the amount of bureaucracy faced by British universities.
2006 – 2016, Professor Sir Nigel Thrift
Professor VandeLinde was succeeded in 2006 by Professor Sir Nigel Thrift. Educated at Aberystwyth where he graduated with a BA Hons in Geography in 1971 Professor Thrift went on to gain his PhD in Geography from the University of Bristol in 1979 and his DSc from Bristol in 1992 as well as being granted an MA (Oxon) in January 2004.
He is an Emeritus Professor of the University of Bristol and a Visiting Professor at the University of Oxford. He joined Warwick from the University of Oxford where he was made Head of the Division of Life and Environmental Sciences in 2003 before becoming Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research in 2005.
2016 – Present, Professor Stuart Croft
In February 2016, Professor Thrift was succeeded by Professor Stuart Croft.
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University art collection
Learn about art on campus, from how our collection started, up to how it is currently managed.
What was here before campus?
Find out more about the local area and some of the architectural discoveries that have been made on and around campus.