Calendar: 1975-1976 Page 25

Sketch of the Development of King's College 29 Generally speaking the work of the College has been conducted within the confines of the narrow rectangle originally made over by the Crown To this have been added in recent years multiplicity of small plots of land within the quadrilateral between Surrey Street and the eastern boundary of Somerset House and it is within this perimeter that further improvements of lecturing tutorial research and common service amenities have been developed The first stage of the reconstruction programme on the Strand frontage was occupied in 1971 and the second stage of the redevelopment pro- gramme was completed early in 1975 the building which occupies site fronting the lower end of Surrey Street and Temple Place provides facilities for the Students' Union refectories and some engineer- ing laboratories The space available is indisputably meagre and with view to allowing more reasonable expansion attempts in one quarter and another have been made from time to time to persuade the College to move as was done in the early 1920s with proposal to make over in exchange some acres in Bloomsbury near the present Senate House The theological side of the College government seeing constitutional difficulties and thinking the financial bargain was poor one decided to remain and other efforts to move King's have contrived so far only to enhance the attractions for it of its present highly eligible location and of the contiguous buildings Even so sites for hostels have been developed in Vincent Square at Clapham Common and on Denmark Hill and teaching and research accommo- dation for science has been taken in Drury Lane and at Heme Hill Limitations of space have allowed but little expansion in the enrol- ment of full-time students in fact strict quota restricts the intake of each faculty Nevertheless considerable changes have occurred in the scope and direction of College activities Nearly all these have been conditioned and in some cases their development has been tempered to fine edge by an appreciation of the space problem The law school with its present concentration on preparation for law degrees has been developing wider variety of collegiate courses for full-time students Developments in molecular physics and biophysical research have made the College unique centre of development in these fields and have provided justification for the creation of an out-stationed department in Drury Lane Medical researches in severely cramped surroundings have covered circulation problems and the raising of body defences against infection and cancer the pharmacology and biochemistry sections of the physiology division have grown into full