Calendar: 1974-1975 Page 21

24 Sketch of the Development of King's College Victorian times It found itself attracted by new ventures in the teach- ing of part-time students in promoting courses with range both commercial and polytechnical In these areas continuing market for efficient instruction for long existed which the College was able to exploit with but little competition from elsewhere Some of its best work was in fact performed for the younger population of the metro- polis when it gave forms of popular education at time when no other provider existed The courses in journalism which came late in the series and were famous for their excellence are still remembered Beginning in 1849 King's College was the pioneer of evening educa- tion in London the staff moreover was active outside the walls in starting educational ventures to help manual workers shop assistants and women teachers some time before new forms of adult education were developed elsewhere by Christian socialists and the extra-mural classes of the older universities Queen's College in Harley Street for the higher education of women was founded 1848 out of lecture hours and with the help of colleagues and friends by Frederick Denison Maurice professor of divinity who at later date was discharged by the council from his college office for the excessive liberalism of his theology The College itself functioned for generations as night school for young bank officers post-office clerks civil-service candi- dates and school teachers in search of higher diplomas The civil-service classes expanded into daylight hours and grew to become major part of the College's life Under the name of the Strand School they took over the classrooms left vacant in 1897 by the migration of King's College School Higher Education for Women One result of the opening of evening classes was to bring number of women on to the student roll Bedford College 1849 had close rela- tions with King's Women were admitted to London degrees from 1878 Following successful experiment 1878 in providing lectures on an extra-mural basis for the ladies of Kensington the Council agreed after importunate persuasion from the staff to open depart- ment there for the higher education of women Powers to provide education for both sexes were enacted in the King's College London Act of 1882 which revised in various ways the legal position under the charter of 1829 For many years the women students had de- tached academic existence in the Ladies' later Women's Department