2012 is a doubly significant year for the University of Southampton, marking 60 years since the granting of the Royal Charter that transformed the former University College, Southampton into the University we know today. It is also the 150th anniversary of the creation of the original Hartley Institution from which the University evolved.
Click on the links below to find out more about our remarkable history.
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In the beginning
The University of Southampton developed from the Hartley Institution, the educational legacy of the heir of a family of successful wine merchants in the city.
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From Institution to University College
The Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston, declared the Hartley Institution open in 1862, but it was another year before it began to function. More...
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A new century
New status as Hartley University College brought fresh issues in the early years of the 20th Century. More...
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War and the years between
The first half of the last century was a turbulent period for the renamed Southampton University College as the financial and political troubles of the time made their mark. More...
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Becoming a University
On 29 April 1952, in the very early days of her reign, Queen Elizabeth II founded the University of Southampton by granting it a Royal Charter. Fifty years after it had become a University College, the Hartley Institution had evolved into a fully independent university. More...
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Swinging into the sixties
Expansion was the key word for the University of Southampton during the 1960s. More...
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Silver in the seventies
The 1970s were a time for celebration – as the University marked its Silver Jubilee in 1977 – but also challenges. More...
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From silver towards gold
The University of Southampton continued to diversify and develop during the 1980s and 1990s, earning its place on the national and international stage for tertiary education and research. More...