University of Hull - History

History

The foundation stone of University College Hull, then an external college of the University of London, was laid in 1927 by the Duke of York (who later became George VI). It was built on land donated by Hull City Council and local benefactors Thomas Ferens and G F Grant. A year later the first 14 departments, in pure sciences and the arts, opened with 39 students. The college at that time consisted of one building, the Venn building (named after the mathematician John Venn, who was born in Hull). The building is the administration centre of the university

The original university coat of arms was designed by Sir Algernon Tudor-Craig in 1928. The symbols are the torch for learning, the rose for Yorkshire, the ducal coronet from the arms of the City of Hull, the fleur-de-lys for Lincolnshire and the dove, symbolising peace, from the arms of Thomas Ferens. These symbols have later been reused to create the modern university logo.