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University of Edinburgh (Scottish University)

 Organization

Biography

The University of Edinburgh was established by Royal Charter in 1582. It was originally called Tounis College, when part of a legacy left by Robert Reid, Bishop of Orkney in 1558 had established a college of which the Town Council had gained control to establish a College of Law on the South side of Edinburgh. The inception of the University took place in 1583. In 1617 when King James VI of Scotland (I of England) visited the College it was decreed that the College should change its name to King James' College, although the College continued to use the older title. The first change in the corporate body of the University was not until 1935 when the first merger took place. This was between the Faculty of Divinity of the University of Edinburgh and New College. This was due to the re-union of the Church of Scotland in 1932.The next merger was in 1951 when the Royal (Dick) Veterinary School was reconstituted as part of the University of Edinburgh. The Royal (Dick) Veterinary School achieved full faculty status in 1964. In 1998 Moray House Institute of Education became the Faculty of Education.

The first classes of the university were held in Hamilton House known as the Duke's Lodge. In 1582 a site that included St Mary in the Fields was acquired. Many new buildings and extensions were made to the site of Hamilton House after 1616. Two prominent stages of building for the University were those undertaken by Robert Adam and William Playfair. In 1869 the site next to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary was acquired. Building on this project was completed by the end of the 19th century. The University today is situated around these areas in the centre of Edinburgh and Kings Buildings and there are also campuses at Holyrood and elsewhere.

Teaching began in 1583 under Robert Rollock, with a four year course in arts to gain a masters of arts. When Rollock was appointed as the first principal of the University, there were four Philosophy regents and one regent of Humanity, whilst Rollock specialized in Divinity. Until the beginning of the 18th century the University remained essentially an Arts College, with a Divinity School attached. Throughout the 17th century the Chairs of Divinity, Oriental Languages, Ecclesiastical History and Mathematics had been created. By the end of the 17th century there was also regular teaching in Medicine, and sporadic teaching in Law. The University was at the centre of European Enlightenment in the 18th century. By 1722 a Faculty of Law had been established. The first medical Chair had been established in 1685 and was closely followed in the first half of the 18th century by six more. Four more medical Chairs were created in the 19th century. New Chairs in other Faculties were not established after 1760 until the latter half of the 19th century when they followed in rapid succession, continuing in the 20th century, which include those produced by the mergers with New College, the Royal (Dick) Veterinary School and Moray House Institute of Education.

The University was governed by the town council until the Universities (Scotland) Act of 1858, when it received self governing status. The archaic teaching and management system of regents was abolished in 1708. The 1858 act dramatically changed the constitution of the University. A University Court and General Council were introduced which decided on matters and management pertaining to the whole University. The Senatus Academicus was already in place before 1858and this managed academic matters, but answered to the Court and Council. This system is still used.

The University of Edinburgh provides validation for a Master of Fine Arts that has run jointly with Edinburgh College of Art since 1943. A joint chair, the Hood Chair of Mining Engineering was established in 1923 with Heriot-Watt College which became Heriot-Watt University.

In 2002, the structure of the university was altered substantially, with the abolition of Faculties and the creation of the College of Humanities & Social Science, the College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine and the College of Science & Engineering. Departments were replaced by Schools within each Faculty.

Found in 63 Collections and/or Records:

Papers of Helen Chassels Drysdale Kerr and Thomas Kerr

 Fonds
Identifier: Coll-1133
Scope and Contents

The material is composed of: family birth and death certificates; newspaper cuttings relating to the family; certificates from James Gillespie's; diplomas and certificates, Edinburgh University 1932-34; Edinburgh University class certificates; two boxes of assorted family photographs; smaller photographs and portraits; graduation portraits; examination papers and essays; and, assorted letters and memorabilia.

Dates: 1870-1970

Papers of Jacobus Louw Potter FRCP FACP Executive Dean Faculty of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, and Dr Elizabeth Mackay Potter

 Fonds — Multiple Containers
Identifier: Coll-1651
Scope and Contents The Papers of Jacobus Louw Potter, and of Dr Elizabeth Mackay Potter, are comprised of: 1 x folder - correspondence, 1981-1987 1 x folder - correspondence, contracts and other material relating to film And so goodbye, 2003-2004 1 x folder - graduation material, programmes, seating plans, dinner menus etc - 1981-1987 2 x...
Dates: 1942-2007

Papers of Margaret Melville Rae Martin MB ChB Edin., (1941-2005)

 Fonds
Identifier: Coll-1541
Scope and Contents 3 x newspaper cuttings of Dr. Russell D. Martin on his wedding to Dr. Margaret Thomas 2 x photographs showing an elderly couple, and a house 1 x Birth Certificate, Margaret Melville Rae Martin 1 x Abbreviated Certificate of Birth, Margaret Melville Rae Martin 1 x autograph book with autograph signatures, 1953-1955 1 x certificate...
Dates: 1941-2001

Papers of Rev. Earle Monteith Macphail

 Fonds
Identifier: Coll-91
Scope and Contents The papers at shelfmark Gen. 2044-2073 consist of notebooks of notes from lectures at Edinburgh University and in India, 1878-1890.At MSS 2592-2593 there are personal papers including correspondence, a school notebook of handwriting dated 1875, and a school fees receipt dated 1869; photographs; notes of Natural Philosophy classes, 1879; and, essays, 1879. There is material marking celebrations of Edinburgh University Tercentenary; material of the Dialectic Society and the...
Dates: circa 1869-1930

Photographs of student life in the 1950s, Edinburgh University

 Fonds
Identifier: Coll-1104
Scope and Contents The collection is composed of: - b/w mounted group photograph showing the members of the National Council, SUS, 1952-1953, taken in Glasgow, May 1953, including Hills - b/w mounted group photograph showing the members of the Executive Committee of Edinburgh University, SRC, 1952-1953, Old College Quad., including Hills - b/w mounted group photograph showing members of...
Dates: 1949-1954

Physicus medal of Cargill G. Knott, 1873-74

 Fonds
Identifier: Coll-1451
Scope and Contents

The item, a bronze medal, has an unmilled and uninscribed edge. On one side the medal features the University arms of the saltire, castle, book and thistle, and around the edge the Latin: SCOT.REG.EDIN.ACAD.JACOB.VI. On the other is inscribed PHYSICUS CARGILL G. KNOTT, with the year 1873-74 framed by laurel branches.

Dates: 1873-1874

Prize certificates of Patrick George Craigie, 1859-60, 1860-61

 Fonds
Identifier: Coll-1457
Scope and Contents 2 prize certificates verifying that Patrick George Craigie attended classes in Mathematics and in Natural Philosophy. These are, in detail: 10 April 1860: Class of Mathematics, session 1859-1860, attending 'with the utmost regularity', and taking 'a very active' part in the oral examinations, and acquitting himself 'most satisfactorily' in the written examinations, Craigie 'obtained a prize', signed by...
Dates: 1859-1861

Susan Binnie Anderson

 Fonds
Identifier: Coll-1052
Scope and Contents The material is composed of high school exam passes, photographs, pass certificates, class cards and tickets, degree scroll, and letters. In the collection there is the Intermediate Certificate, dated 1913, issued by Airdrie Academy Higher Grade Public School, certifying that Binnie had gained the Intermediate Certificate in English, Mathematics, Science and Drawing, and that she continued at school for three further years passing in Lower Latin and Lower French. The...
Dates: 1913-1922

Theology and Religious Experience, c1908

 Item
Identifier: BAI 1/3/20
Scope and Contents

A lecture written by John Baillie as a student at the University of Edinburgh or New College, examining conflicts between theology, as taught to and learned by students of divinity, and the religious experience they have as individuals.

Dates: c1908

Three medical notebooks, two of which relate to Alexander Woodcock fl. 1833-1845

 Fonds
Identifier: Coll-1483
Scope and Contents The Alexander Woodcock notebooks contain: Lectures on Anatomy and Physiology - Alexander Jardine Lizar - notebook noted 5 November 1833 Lectures on Chemistry - Doctor Hope - 11 July 1845 A third volume contains: Notes from 1 September 1843 - 20 July 1844 -...
Dates: 1833-1845