A university for London

University of London c 1826During the 1820s, reformers such as Thomas Campbell, James Mill and Henry Brougham brought forward proposals for a new university in London.

Campbell, in particular, composed an important letter on the subject to The Times in February 1825, in which he called for a university that would meet the needs of the middle classes by providing a pragmatic, practical education to young men.

Leading Anglicans among the reformers also suggested that in contrast to Oxford and Cambridge, the moral and spiritual welfare of students of the new university would best be served if they continued to live at home under the guidance of their parents and local religious leaders.

The syllabus would be modernised with the inclusion of new subjects and access broadened to students currently excluded by the Test Act.

Further information

For further information please contact us ›