History of the University of Reading

Our origins lie in the Schools of Art and Science established in Reading in 1860 and 1870. These became part of an extension college opened in 1892 by Christ Church, Oxford. The college thrived, receiving its first treasury grant in 1901. Three years later the local Palmer family, of the famous biscuit manufacturer Huntley & Palmers, donated our London Road site. Their continued support helped to fund expansion, including the opening of Wantage Hall in 1908 and The Research Institute in Dairying in 1912. We received a Royal Charter in 1926, the only university to do so between the two world wars. At the same time, Dr William M Childs became the University's first Vice-Chancellor.

Key milestones

In 1947 we purchased our main Whiteknights campus, the former country estate of the Marquis of Blandford. Our merger with Bulmershe College of Higher Education in 1989 and the site became known as Bulmershe Court home to our Institute of education. The site was vacated for academic purposes in 2011 when the Institute moved to the refurbished London Road site.

In 2008, the University's merger with Henley Management College gave us our Greenlands campus. Our first phase of a Reading presence in the Malaysian city of Johor Bahru began in 2012 in temporary facilities. By 2015, we will have completed the construction of our world-class campus for the University of Reading Malaysia and we look forward to welcoming our first undergraduate and postgraduate students.