King's College London
Encyclopedia
King's College London is a public
research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London
. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England
, having been founded by King George IV
and the Duke of Wellington
in 1829, and having received its royal charter
in 1836. In 1836 King's became one of the two founding colleges of the University of London.
King's is arranged into nine Schools of Study, spread across four Thames-side campuses in Central London
and one in Denmark Hill
, South London
. It is one of the largest centres for graduate and post-graduate medical teaching and biomedical research in Europe; it is home to six Medical Research Council centres, the most of any British university, and is a founding member of the King's Health Partners
academic health sciences centre. King's has around 18,600 full-time students and 5,030 staff and had a total income of £508 million in 2009/10, of which £144 million was from research grants and contracts.
There are currently 10 Nobel Prize laureates amongst King's alumni and current and former faculty. King's is ranked 63rd in the world (and 16th in Europe) in the 2010 Academic Ranking of World Universities
, 21st in the world (and 6th in Europe) in the 2010 QS World University Rankings
, and 77th in the world (and 15th in Europe) in the 2010 Times Higher Education World University Rankings
. In September 2010, The Sunday Times
selected King's as its "University of the Year".
King's is a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities
, the European University Association
, the Russell Group
and Universities UK
. It forms part of the 'Golden Triangle'
of British universities.
King's, so named to indicate the patronage of King George IV
, was founded in 1829 in response to the founding of "London University", latterly known as University College London
, in 1826. UCL
was founded, with the backing of Jews, Utilitarians and non-Anglican Christians
, as a secular institution, intended to educate "the youth of our middling rich people between the ages of 15 or 16 and 20 or later". The need for such an institution was a result of the religious nature of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, which then educated solely the sons of wealthy
Anglicans. The foundation of UCL
met with the disapproval of the establishment
, indeed, "the storms of opposition which raged around it threatened to crush every spark of vital energy which remained". The Revd Dr George D'Oyly, rector of Lambeth
and governor of Wilson's School
in Camberwell
, opposing the secular nature of the college, published an open letter proposing the formation of a competing institution. This would be of a religious, and more particularly Anglican, nature, one which would instil, "the services of religion performed as directed in our National Church". This prompted Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
, the then Prime Minister to chair a public meeting which launched King's on 21 June 1828. His simultaneous support for the Anglican college and the Roman Catholic Relief Act, which was to lead to the granting of almost full civil rights to Catholics, was challenged by George Finch-Hatton, 10th Earl of Winchilsea
in early 1829. The result was a duel
in Battersea Fields
on 21 March that year. Deliberately off-target shots were fired by both and neither was hurt. "Duel Day" is still celebrated on the first Thursday after 21 March every year, marked by various events throughout the College.
King's opened in 1831, very much in a similar academic guise to Oxford. Despite the intentions of its founders and the chapel at the heart of its buildings, the initial prospectus permitted, "nonconformists of all sorts to enter the college freely". Chemistry
, English literature
and Commerce were among the subjects offered. At this time, neither King's, nor "London University" had the ability to confer degrees, a particular problem for medical students who wished to practise. Amending this situation was aided by the appointment of Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux
as Lord Chancellor
, who was chairman of the governors of "London University". In this position he automatically became a governor of King's. In the understanding that the government was unlikely to grant degree-awarding powers on two institutions in London, negotiations led to the colleges federating as the "University of London
" in 1836, "London University" thus being changed to University College.
King's professors played a part in scientific and social advances of the nineteenth century, through extending higher education to women, the working class
, and by offering evening classes. One of the most famous pieces of scientific research performed at King's was the work by Maurice Wilkins
and Rosalind Franklin
that was the basis of the elucidation of the molecular structure of DNA.
During World War II King's was evacuated out of London to Bristol University.
The first qualification issued by King's was the Associateship of King's College, or AKC. The course, which concerns questions of ethics and theology, is still awarded today to students (and staff) who take an optional three year course alongside their standard degree
. Successful completion entitles the graduate
to bear the letters AKC after their name.
The College today is the product of mergers with a number of other institutions over the years, including Queen Elizabeth College
and Chelsea College of Science and Technology
in 1985, and with the Institute of Psychiatry
and the United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals
. Florence Nightingale
's original training school for nurses is now incorporated as the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery
. Today, there are nine schools of study (see below).
King's College School
was created as King's Junior Department at the time of the College's founding. Originally situated in the basement of the Strand
campus, the School relocated to Wimbledon
in 1897. King's College School
is no longer associated with King's College London.
In 2003 the College was granted degree-awarding powers in its own right, (as opposed to through the University of London
) by the Privy Council. This power remained unexercised until 2007, when the College announced that all students starting courses from September 2007 onwards would be awarded degrees conferred by King's itself, rather than by the University of London
. The new certificates however still make reference to the fact that King's is a constituent college of the University of London
. All current students with at least one year of study remaining were in August 2007 offered the option of choosing to be awarded a University of London
degree
or a King's degree
. In 2007, for the second consecutive year, students from the King's College London School of Law
won the national round of the Jessup International Law Moot Court. The Jessup moot
is the biggest international mooting competition in the world. The King's team went on to represent the UK as national champions.
The Strand Campus is the founding campus of King's. Located next to Somerset House
in the City of Westminster
, and sharing its frontage along the River Thames
, most of the Schools of Arts & Humanities, Law
, Social Science & Public Policy and Physical Sciences & Engineering are housed here. The campus combines the Grade I listed King's Building of 1831 designed by Sir Robert Smirke
, and the Byzantine Gothic
College Chapel, redesigned in 1864 by Sir George Gilbert Scott with the more modern Strand
Building, completed in 1972. The Chesham Building in Surrey Street was purchased after the Second World War. The Macadam Building of 1975 houses KCLSU's activities and is named after King's alumnus Sir Ivison Macadam
, first President of NUS. A National Trust
-protected Roman
Bath is situated on the site of the Strand Campus and can be accessed via the Surrey Street entrance. Hidden by surrounding College buildings, the Baths were mentioned by Charles Dickens
in chapter thirty-five of David Copperfield
. Moreover Aldwych tube station
, a well-preserved but disused London Underground
station, is integrated as part of the King's Strand
campus. A Rifle Range is located on the site of a platform taken out of public service in 1917. (Nearest underground stations: Temple
, Covent Garden
)
in the London Borough of Southwark
, established in 1726, houses parts of King's College London School of Medicine. The founder and benefactor of the hospital, Thomas Guy
, was a wealthy bookseller and a governor of St Thomas' Hospital
. He lies buried in the vault beneath the 18th-century chapel at Guy's. Silk-merchant William Hunt was a later benefactor who gave money in the early nineteenth century to build Hunt's House. Today this is the site of New Hunt's House. The Henriette Raphael building, constructed in 1903, and the Gordon Museum are also located here. In addition, the Hodgkin building, Shepherd's House and Guy's chapel are prominent buildings within the campus. Guy's KCLSU centre is situated in Boland House. (Nearest underground stations: London Bridge, Borough
)
from the Strand Campus, the Waterloo Campus near the South Bank Centre
in the London Borough of Lambeth
consists of the James Clerk Maxwell
Building and the Franklin
-Wilkins
Building, which was originally constructed as His Majesty's Stationery Office. King's acquired the building in the 1980s. The James Clerk Maxwell Building houses the Principal's Office, most of the central administrative offices of the College and part of the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing & Midwifery. The Franklin-Wilkins Building is home to the School of Health & Life Sciences that includes Pharmacy, the Department of Education and to part of the School of Nursing & Midwifery. The campus is also home to the London site of Schiller International University
. (Nearest underground station: Waterloo
)
in the London Borough of Lambeth
, facing the Houses of Parliament
across the Thames, houses parts of the School of Medicine and the Dental Institute. The Florence Nightingale Museum
is also located here. (Nearest underground station: Westminster
)
, the Maudsley Hospital
and the Institute of Psychiatry
form the Denmark Hill
Campus, straddling the borders of the London Borough of Lambeth
and the London Borough of Southwark
in Camberwell
, the only campus not situated on the River Thames. As well as the IoP
, parts of the Dental Institute and School of Medicine, and a large hall of residence, King's College Hall, are housed here. The KCL library for this campus is on-site, known as the Weston Education Centre (WEC). (Nearest overground station: Denmark Hill
)
campus at a cost of £750,000. The Strand Campus redevelopment won the Green Gown Award in 2007 for sustainable construction. The award recognised the ‘reduced energy and carbon emissions from a sustainable refurbishment of the historic South Range of the King's Building'. King's was also the recipient of the 2003 City Heritage Award for the conversion of the Grade II* listed Maughan Library
. In December 2009 it was announced that King's would acquire the East Wing of Somerset House under a 78-year lease. The wing is to accommodate a cultural centre, open to the public, and allow the relocation of the college's School of Law.
The Department of War Studies
is unique in the UK, and is supported by facilities such as The Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
, the Centre for Defence Studies, and the King's Centre for Military Health Research.
Authorities on Mozart (Cliff Eisen
), Verdi (Roger Parker
) and Wagner (John Deathridge
) hold professorships; as do many active composers, including Silvina Milstein
, George Benjamin
and Robert Keeley
.
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA)
is administered through King's, and its students graduate alongside members of the departments which form the School of Arts & Humanities. As RADA does not have degree awarding powers, its courses are validated by King's.
Graduation ceremonies are held in June or July, with ceremonies held in Southwark Cathedral
for the School of Medicine and the Dental Institute and in the Barbican Centre
for all other Schools. Since 2008 King's graduates have worn gowns designed by Vivienne Westwood
.
At year end King's had total endowments of £115.23 million and total net assets of £683.58 million. King's has a credit rating of AA from Standard & Poor's
.
Internationally, King's is consistently ranked among the top 100 universities in the world by all major global university rankings compilers, having been placed between 27th by the 2011 QS World University Rankings
and 56th worldwide by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings
.
According to the 2009 Times Good University Guide, several subjects taught at King’s, including Law
, History, War Studies
(ranked under Politics), Classics
, Spanish, Portuguese
, Music
, Dentistry
, Medicine, Nursing
and Food Science
are among the top five in the country.
According to the 2010 Complete University guide, many subjects at King's, including Classics, English, French, Geography, German, History, Music, Philosophy and Theology, rank within the Top 10 nationally. The Dental Institute has been known as the "Oxbridge Dentistry" as the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford do not offer Dentistry as a course of study. The College has had 24 of its subject-areas awarded the highest rating of 5 or 5* for research quality, and in 2007 it received a good result in its audit by the Quality Assurance Agency. It is in the top tier for research earnings. In September 2010, the Sunday Times selected King's as the "University of the Year 2010/11" taking the position from last year's winner Oxford University.
King's is the largest centre for healthcare education in Europe. King's College London School of Medicine has over 2,000 undergraduate students, over 1,400 teachers, four main teaching hospitals – Guy's Hospital
, King's College Hospital
, St Thomas' Hospital
and University Hospital Lewisham
– and 17 associated district general hospitals. King’s College London Dental Institute is the largest dental school in Europe. The Florence Nightingale School of Nursing & Midwifery is the oldest professional school of nursing in the world.
King's is a major centre for biomedical research. It is a founding member of King's Health Partners
, one of the largest academic health sciences centres in Europe with a turnover of over £2 billion and approximately 25,000 employees. It also is home to six Medical Research Council centres, the most of any British university, and is part of two of the twelve biomedical research centres established by the NHS in England – the Guy's & St Thomas'/King's College London Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre and the South London and Maudsley/KCL Institute of Psychiatry Biomedical Research Centre.
King's Drug Control Centre currently holds the official UK contract for running doping
tests on UK athletes, and will likely continue to do so for the 2012 Olympics, to be held in London.
At the undergraduate level admission to King's is extremely competitive. In 2011 some courses, such as English, Law and Business Management, had 15 or more applicants per place or an acceptance rate of less than 7.5 percent.
in the London Borough of Bromley
. The collections encompass over one million printed books, as well as thousands of journals and electronic resources.
The Maughan Library
is housed in the Grade II* listed 19th century gothic
former Public Record Office
building situated on Chancery Lane
near the Strand Campus. The building was designed by Sir James Pennethorne
and is home to the books and journals
of the School's of Humanities, Law
, Physical Sciences & Engineering, and Social Science & Public Policy. It also houses the Special Collections and rare books. Inside the Library is the octagonal Round Reading Room, inspired by the reading room of the British Museum
, and the former Rolls Chapel (renamed the Weston Room following a donation from the Garfield Weston Foundation
) with its stained glass windows, mosaic
floor and monuments, including an important Renaissance
terracotta figure by Pietro Torrigiano
of Dr Yonge, Master of the Rolls, who died in 1516.
King's College London Students' Union
(KCLSU) is the oldest student union in London, founded just before University College London Union
, and provides a good range of activities and services: over 50 sports clubs (including the Boat Club which rows on the River Thames
and the Rifle Club which uses the College's shooting range located at the disused Aldwych tube station
beneath the Strand Campus), 60 societies, a wide range of volunteering opportunities, 2 bars, 2 nightclubs, shops, eating places and a gym. A former President of KCLSU, Sir Ivison Macadam (after whom the Students' Union building on the Strand Campus has since been named) went on to be elected as the first President of the National Union of Students, and KCLSU has played an active role there and in the University of London Union
ever since.
Roar is KCLSU's monthly magazine. It carries stories, reviews and features on a range of topics, reporting on Students' Union events, campaigns, clubs and societies, as well as coverage of the arts, books and fashion.
King's Bench, has grown from strength to strength, challenging the dominance Roar once had in the media spectrum. It is published tri-annually and welcomes contributions from all of King's students, either for publication in its printed edition, or on its website. The College itself also publishes a range of periodicals reporting on various aspects of King's.
In the 1970s, the King's mascot, "Reggie", was buried upside-down in a pit near Waterloo Station
, which was filled with concrete; only the tip of his tail remained visible. Later, he was lost for many years in the 1990s, and not recovered until he was found in a field. Having been restored at the cost of around £15,000, Reggie has been placed on display in the KCLSU Student Centre at the Strand Campus. Protected in a glass case, he is filled with concrete to prevent theft, particularly by UCL
students who, prior to his burial and dumping, had also castrated him. (King's students had also stolen one UCL mascot, Phineas and, in an apocryphal legend, allegedly played football with the head of Jeremy Bentham's
Auto-icon).
There are three "Reggies" in existence: the original, on display in KCLSU's Student Centre at the Strand Campus, a papier-mâché
Reggie outside the Great Hall at the Strand Campus (pictured above), and a small sterling silver
incarnation displayed during Graduation ceremonies.
Competition within the University of London
is most intense between King's and University College London
, the two oldest institutions. In the early twentieth century, rivalry was centred on their respective mascot
s. University College's was Phineas Maclino, a wooden tobacconist's
sign of a kilted Jacobite Highlander
purloined from outside a shop in Tottenham Court Road
during the celebrations of the relief of Ladysmith
in 1900.
King's later addition was a giant beer bottle representing "bottled youth". In 1923 it was replaced by a new mascot to rival Phineas – Reggie the Lion, who made his debut at a King's-UCL
sporting rag
in December 1923, protected by a lifeguard of engineering students armed with T-squares. Thereafter, Reggie formed the centrepiece of annual freshers' processions by King's students around Aldwych
in which new students were typically flour bombed.
Although riots between respective College students occurred in Central London well into the 1950s, rivalry is now limited to the rugby union
pitch and skulduggery over mascots, with an annual Varsity match taking place between King's College London RFC
and University College London RFC.
were ignited on 2 December 2005 when at least 200 students from LSE
(across the road from the Strand campus) diverted off from the annual "barrel run" and caused an estimated £32,000 (The Beaver
, LSE
, 26 September 2006) of damage to the English department at King's. Principal Rick Trainor
called for no retaliation and LSE Students' Union
were forced to issue an apology as well as foot the bill for the damage repair. While LSE
officially condemned the action, a photograph was published in the Beaver
(the LSE SU Student Newspaper) which was later picked up by the Times that showed LSE
Director Sir Howard Davies
drinking with members of the LSE Students' Union
shortly before the barrel run – and the "rampage" – began. King's appears to have been targeted, however, principally owing to its close proximity to LSE
rather than by any ill-feeling. There is also somewhat of a sporting rivalry between the two institutions, albeit to a lesser extent than with UCL
.
King's has six halls of residence located throughout London. They are:
Intercollegiate Halls. The halls are:
Some students are also selected to live in International Students House, London
.
The incumbent Prime Minister of Jordan, Marouf al-Bakhit
, graduated from King's with a PhD in War Studies
in 1990, Prince Eugene Louis Napoléon, the ill-fated scion of the Bonaparte Dynasty, studied physics and mathematics at King's from 1871 to 1872, Tassos Papadopoulos
, president of Cyprus
from 2003 to 2008 graduated from King's with a degree in Law in 1955, while his predecessor Glafkos Klerides
who served as president of Cyprus
from 1993 to 2003 graduated with a Law degree in 1948. France-Albert René
president of the Seychelles
from 1977 to 2004 studied Law at King's, Sir Lynden Pindling
prime minister of the Bahamas from 1967 to 1992 graduated with a Law degree in 1952, Godfrey Binaisa
president of Uganda
from 1979 to 1980 graduated with a Law degree in 1955, Abd ar-Rahman al-Bazzaz
prime minister of Iraq
from 1965 to 1966 graduated from King's, Sir Lee Moore, prime minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis
from 1979 to 1980, graduated with a degree in Law and Theology, and Sir Shridath Ramphal, former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, graduated with a Law degree in 1952. Sarojini Naidu
, the first woman President of the Indian National Congress
and an architect of the Indian freedom movement, also studied at King's.
Notable King's alumni to have held senior positions in British and Irish politics include the British Foreign Secretary David Owen, Baron Owen
, two Speakers of the House of Commons in Horace King, Baron Maybray-King (English) and James Lowther, 1st Viscount Ullswater
, Leader of the House of Commons John MacGregor, Baron MacGregor of Pulham Market (Law, 1962), and Irish Republican & revolutionary leader Michael Collins
. As of the current Parliament there are 14 King's graduates in the House of Commons, and 14 King's graduates in the House of Lords
. In Law King's alumni include current Lord Justice of Appeal Sir Jeremy Sullivan
(Law, 1967); two incumbent High Court judges, Sir David Penry-Davey
(Law, 1964) and Sir David Foskett
(Law, 1970); current Judge of the International Court of Justice
, Abdul Koroma (International Law, 1976); and the current Chief Justice of Western Australia Wayne Martin
(Law, 1975).
King's alumni in religion include the Nobel Peace Prize
laureate and Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town Desmond Tutu
(Theology, 1966), the preceding Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey, Baron Carey of Clifton
(Theology, 1962), and the current Chief Rabbi
of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth Jonathan Sacks, Baron Sacks
(Theology & Religious Studies, 1981). King's is also the alma mater of the current head of The Salvation Army Shaw Clifton
(Law & Theology, 1967), and at least 13 current Bishops.
Notable King's alumni in poetry and literature include the poet John Keats
(Medicine), and the writers Thomas Hardy
(French), Sir Arthur C. Clarke
(Mathematics & Physics), W. Somerset Maugham
, Alain de Botton
(Philosophy), C.S. Forester, B. S. Johnson
(English), Charles Kingsley
, Virginia Woolf
, John Ruskin
, Radclyffe Hall
, Hanif Kureishi
(Philosophy), Anita Brookner
(History), Michael Morpurgo
(French & English) and Sir Leslie Stephen
. In addition, the dramatist Sir W. S. Gilbert
of Gilbert and Sullivan graduated from King's.
King's alumni in the sciences include Nobel laureates Max Theiler
and Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins; polymath Sir Francis Galton
; pathologist Thomas Hodgkin
; pioneer of in vitro fertilization Patrick Steptoe
; botanist David Bellamy
; noted theoretical physicist Peter Higgs
and the founder of the study of radioastronomy Professor EG Bowen.
King's is also the alma mater of the founder of Bentley Motors, Walter Bentley
; satirist Rory Bremner
(Modern Languages, 1984); journalist Martin Bashir
(Religious History, 1985); Queen
bassist John Deacon
; and former head of the British Army Lord Harding
.
King's has benefited from the services of academics at the top of their fields, including:
Public university
A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions...
research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England
Third oldest university in England debate
The title of third-oldest university in England is a topic of much debate, with prime contenders for the title usually being considered to include University College London, King's College London, Durham University and the University of London, however deciding which is truly the 'oldest' depends...
, having been founded by King George IV
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
and the Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
in 1829, and having received its royal charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
in 1836. In 1836 King's became one of the two founding colleges of the University of London.
King's is arranged into nine Schools of Study, spread across four Thames-side campuses in Central London
Central London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
and one in Denmark Hill
Denmark Hill
Denmark Hill is an area and road in the London Borough of Southwark. The road forms part of the A215; north of Camberwell Green it becomes Camberwell Road; south of Red Post Hill it becomes Herne Hill. Its postcode is SE5. Nearby streets whose names refer to different aspects of the same...
, South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
. It is one of the largest centres for graduate and post-graduate medical teaching and biomedical research in Europe; it is home to six Medical Research Council centres, the most of any British university, and is a founding member of the King's Health Partners
King's Health Partners
-External links:* * * * *...
academic health sciences centre. King's has around 18,600 full-time students and 5,030 staff and had a total income of £508 million in 2009/10, of which £144 million was from research grants and contracts.
There are currently 10 Nobel Prize laureates amongst King's alumni and current and former faculty. King's is ranked 63rd in the world (and 16th in Europe) in the 2010 Academic Ranking of World Universities
Academic Ranking of World Universities
The Academic Ranking of World Universities , commonly known as the Shanghai ranking, is a publication that was founded and compiled by the Shanghai Jiaotong University to rank universities globally. The rankings have been conducted since 2003 and updated annually...
, 21st in the world (and 6th in Europe) in the 2010 QS World University Rankings
QS World University Rankings
The QS World University Rankings is a ranking of the world’s top 500 universities by Quacquarelli Symonds using a method that has published annually since 2004....
, and 77th in the world (and 15th in Europe) in the 2010 Times Higher Education World University Rankings
Times Higher Education World University Rankings
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings is an international ranking of universities published by the British magazine Times Higher Education in partnership with Thomson Reuters, which provided citation database information...
. In September 2010, The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
selected King's as its "University of the Year".
King's is a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities
Association of Commonwealth Universities
The Association of Commonwealth Universities represents over 480 universities from Commonwealth countries.- History :In 1912, the University of London took the initiative to assemble 53 representatives of universities in London to hold a Congress of Universities of the Empire...
, the European University Association
European University Association
The European University Association represents and supports more than 850 institutions of higher education in 46 countries, providing them with a forum for cooperation and exchange of information on higher education and research policies...
, the Russell Group
Russell Group
The Russell Group is a collaboration of twenty UK universities that together receive two-thirds of research grant and contract funding in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1994 to represent their interests to the government, parliament and other similar bodies...
and Universities UK
Universities UK
Universities UK began life as the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals of the Universities of the United Kingdom in the nineteenth century when there were informal meetings involving Vice-Chancellors of a number of universities and Principals of university colleges...
. It forms part of the 'Golden Triangle'
Golden Triangle (UK universities)
The "Golden Triangle" is a term used to describe a number of leading British research universities based in Cambridge, London and Oxford.The city of Cambridge, represented by the University of Cambridge, and the city of Oxford, represented by the University of Oxford, form two corners of the triangle...
of British universities.
History
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
, was founded in 1829 in response to the founding of "London University", latterly known as University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
, in 1826. UCL
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
was founded, with the backing of Jews, Utilitarians and non-Anglican Christians
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
, as a secular institution, intended to educate "the youth of our middling rich people between the ages of 15 or 16 and 20 or later". The need for such an institution was a result of the religious nature of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, which then educated solely the sons of wealthy
Upper class
In social science, the "upper class" is the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class may have great power over the allocation of resources and governmental policy in their area.- Historical meaning :...
Anglicans. The foundation of UCL
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
met with the disapproval of the establishment
The Establishment
The Establishment is a term used to refer to a visible dominant group or elite that holds power or authority in a nation. The term suggests a closed social group which selects its own members...
, indeed, "the storms of opposition which raged around it threatened to crush every spark of vital energy which remained". The Revd Dr George D'Oyly, rector of Lambeth
Lambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
and governor of Wilson's School
Wilson's School
Wilson's School is a boys' grammar school in Wallington, in the London Borough of Sutton, UK. Admission is based on performance in an entrance test with around 1,000 pupils being taught there....
in Camberwell
Camberwell
Camberwell is a district of south London, England, and forms part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is a built-up inner city district located southeast of Charing Cross. To the west it has a boundary with the London Borough of Lambeth.-Toponymy:...
, opposing the secular nature of the college, published an open letter proposing the formation of a competing institution. This would be of a religious, and more particularly Anglican, nature, one which would instil, "the services of religion performed as directed in our National Church". This prompted Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
, the then Prime Minister to chair a public meeting which launched King's on 21 June 1828. His simultaneous support for the Anglican college and the Roman Catholic Relief Act, which was to lead to the granting of almost full civil rights to Catholics, was challenged by George Finch-Hatton, 10th Earl of Winchilsea
George Finch-Hatton, 10th Earl of Winchilsea
George William Finch-Hatton, 10th Earl of Winchilsea, 5th Earl of Nottingham , politician.Hatton, born at Kirby Hall, Northamptonshire, on 19 May 1791, was grandson of Edward Finch-Hatton, and son of George Finch-Hatton of Eastwell Park, near Ashford, Kent, M.P...
in early 1829. The result was a duel
Duel
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with agreed-upon rules.Duels in this form were chiefly practised in Early Modern Europe, with precedents in the medieval code of chivalry, and continued into the modern period especially among...
in Battersea Fields
Battersea Park
Battersea Park is a 200 acre green space at Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth in England. It is situated on the south bank of the River Thames opposite Chelsea, and was opened in 1858....
on 21 March that year. Deliberately off-target shots were fired by both and neither was hurt. "Duel Day" is still celebrated on the first Thursday after 21 March every year, marked by various events throughout the College.
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
and Commerce were among the subjects offered. At this time, neither King's, nor "London University" had the ability to confer degrees, a particular problem for medical students who wished to practise. Amending this situation was aided by the appointment of Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux
Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux
Henry Peter Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux was a British statesman who became Lord Chancellor of Great Britain.As a young lawyer in Scotland Brougham helped to found the Edinburgh Review in 1802 and contributed many articles to it. He went to London, and was called to the English bar in...
as Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
, who was chairman of the governors of "London University". In this position he automatically became a governor of King's. In the understanding that the government was unlikely to grant degree-awarding powers on two institutions in London, negotiations led to the colleges federating as the "University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
" in 1836, "London University" thus being changed to University College.
King's professors played a part in scientific and social advances of the nineteenth century, through extending higher education to women, the working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
, and by offering evening classes. One of the most famous pieces of scientific research performed at King's was the work by Maurice Wilkins
Maurice Wilkins
Maurice Hugh Frederick Wilkins CBE FRS was a New Zealand-born English physicist and molecular biologist, and Nobel Laureate whose research contributed to the scientific understanding of phosphorescence, isotope separation, optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction, and to the development of radar...
and Rosalind Franklin
Rosalind Franklin
Rosalind Elsie Franklin was a British biophysicist and X-ray crystallographer who made critical contributions to the understanding of the fine molecular structures of DNA, RNA, viruses, coal and graphite...
that was the basis of the elucidation of the molecular structure of DNA.
The first qualification issued by King's was the Associateship of King's College, or AKC. The course, which concerns questions of ethics and theology, is still awarded today to students (and staff) who take an optional three year course alongside their standard degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
. Successful completion entitles the graduate
Alumnus
An alumnus , according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is "a graduate of a school, college, or university." An alumnus can also be a former member, employee, contributor or inmate as well as a former student. In addition, an alumna is "a female graduate or former student of a school, college,...
to bear the letters AKC after their name.
The College today is the product of mergers with a number of other institutions over the years, including Queen Elizabeth College
Queen Elizabeth College
Queen Elizabeth College had its origins in the Ladies' Department of King's College London, England, opened in 1885. The first King's 'extension' lectures for ladies were held at Richmond in 1871, and from 1878 in Kensington, with chaperones in attendance.In 1881, the Council resolved 'to...
and Chelsea College of Science and Technology
Chelsea College of Science and Technology
Chelsea College of Science and Technology was established as a College of Advanced Technology on a single site on the corner of Manresa Road and King's Road, Chelsea, London as part of the University of London in 1966 and was granted its Royal Charter in 1971....
in 1985, and with the Institute of Psychiatry
Institute of Psychiatry
The Institute of Psychiatry is a research institution dedicated to discovering what causes mental illness and diseases of the brain. In addition, its aim is to help identify new treatments for them and ways to prevent them in the first place...
and the United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals
United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals
The United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals was the name given to the joint medical and dental school formed in London as a result of the merger of Guy's Hospital Medical School, St Thomas's Hospital Medical School and the Royal Dental Hospital of London.The merged...
. Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale OM, RRC was a celebrated English nurse, writer and statistician. She came to prominence for her pioneering work in nursing during the Crimean War, where she tended to wounded soldiers. She was dubbed "The Lady with the Lamp" after her habit of making rounds at night...
's original training school for nurses is now incorporated as the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery
Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery
The Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery is a school within King's College London. It is primarily concerned with the education of people to become nurses and midwives...
. Today, there are nine schools of study (see below).
King's College School
King's College School
King's College School, commonly referred to as KCS, King's, or KCS Wimbledon, is an independent school for day pupils in Wimbledon in south-west London. The school was founded as the junior department of King's College London and occupied part of its premises in Strand, before relocating to...
was created as King's Junior Department at the time of the College's founding. Originally situated in the basement of the Strand
Strand, London
Strand is a street in the City of Westminster, London, England. The street is just over three-quarters of a mile long. It currently starts at Trafalgar Square and runs east to join Fleet Street at Temple Bar, which marks the boundary of the City of London at this point, though its historical length...
campus, the School relocated to Wimbledon
Wimbledon, London
Wimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...
in 1897. King's College School
King's College School
King's College School, commonly referred to as KCS, King's, or KCS Wimbledon, is an independent school for day pupils in Wimbledon in south-west London. The school was founded as the junior department of King's College London and occupied part of its premises in Strand, before relocating to...
is no longer associated with King's College London.
In 2003 the College was granted degree-awarding powers in its own right, (as opposed to through the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
) by the Privy Council. This power remained unexercised until 2007, when the College announced that all students starting courses from September 2007 onwards would be awarded degrees conferred by King's itself, rather than by the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. The new certificates however still make reference to the fact that King's is a constituent college of the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. All current students with at least one year of study remaining were in August 2007 offered the option of choosing to be awarded a University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
or a King's degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
. In 2007, for the second consecutive year, students from the King's College London School of Law
King's College London School of Law
The King's College London School of Law is one of the nine Schools of Study of King's College London. It is situated on the Strand in Central London, close to city firms and the four Inns of Court. It is recognized as one of the top 5 UK law schools...
won the national round of the Jessup International Law Moot Court. The Jessup moot
Moot court
A moot court is an extracurricular activity at many law schools in which participants take part in simulated court proceedings, usually to include drafting briefs and participating in oral argument. The term derives from Anglo Saxon times, when a moot was a gathering of prominent men in a...
is the biggest international mooting competition in the world. The King's team went on to represent the UK as national champions.
Strand campus
Somerset House
Somerset House is a large building situated on the south side of the Strand in central London, England, overlooking the River Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge. The central block of the Neoclassical building, the outstanding project of the architect Sir William Chambers, dates from 1776–96. It...
in the City of Westminster
City of Westminster
The City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary...
, and sharing its frontage along the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
, most of the Schools of Arts & Humanities, Law
King's College London School of Law
The King's College London School of Law is one of the nine Schools of Study of King's College London. It is situated on the Strand in Central London, close to city firms and the four Inns of Court. It is recognized as one of the top 5 UK law schools...
, Social Science & Public Policy and Physical Sciences & Engineering are housed here. The campus combines the Grade I listed King's Building of 1831 designed by Sir Robert Smirke
Robert Smirke (architect)
Sir Robert Smirke was an English architect, one of the leaders of Greek Revival architecture his best known building in that style is the British Museum, though he also designed using other architectural styles...
, and the Byzantine Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
College Chapel, redesigned in 1864 by Sir George Gilbert Scott with the more modern Strand
Strand, London
Strand is a street in the City of Westminster, London, England. The street is just over three-quarters of a mile long. It currently starts at Trafalgar Square and runs east to join Fleet Street at Temple Bar, which marks the boundary of the City of London at this point, though its historical length...
Building, completed in 1972. The Chesham Building in Surrey Street was purchased after the Second World War. The Macadam Building of 1975 houses KCLSU's activities and is named after King's alumnus Sir Ivison Macadam
Ivison Macadam
Sir Ivison Stevenson Macadam KCVO CBE was a Scot, who was the first Director-General of the Royal Institute of International Affairs , and the founding President of the National Union of Students.-Early life:...
, first President of NUS. A National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
-protected Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
Bath is situated on the site of the Strand Campus and can be accessed via the Surrey Street entrance. Hidden by surrounding College buildings, the Baths were mentioned by Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
in chapter thirty-five of David Copperfield
David Copperfield (novel)
The Personal History, Adventures, Experience and Observation of David Copperfield the Younger of Blunderstone Rookery , commonly referred to as David Copperfield, is the eighth novel by Charles Dickens, first published as a novel in 1850. Like most of his works, it originally appeared in serial...
. Moreover Aldwych tube station
Aldwych tube station
Aldwych is a closed London Underground station in the City of Westminster, originally opened as Strand in 1907. It was the terminus and only station on the short Piccadilly line branch from Holborn that was a relic of the merger of two railway schemes. The disused station building is close to the...
, a well-preserved but disused London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
station, is integrated as part of the King's Strand
Strand, London
Strand is a street in the City of Westminster, London, England. The street is just over three-quarters of a mile long. It currently starts at Trafalgar Square and runs east to join Fleet Street at Temple Bar, which marks the boundary of the City of London at this point, though its historical length...
campus. A Rifle Range is located on the site of a platform taken out of public service in 1917. (Nearest underground stations: Temple
Temple tube station
Temple is a London Underground station in the City of Westminster, between Victoria Embankment and Temple Place. It is on the Circle and District lines between Embankment and Blackfriars and is in Travelcard Zone 1. The station entrance is from Victoria Embankment...
, Covent Garden
Covent Garden tube station
Covent Garden is a London Underground station in Covent Garden. It is on the Piccadilly Line between Leicester Square and Holborn. The station is a Grade II listed building, on the corner of Long Acre and James Street...
)
Guy's campus
Guy's HospitalGuy's Hospital
Guy's Hospital is a large NHS hospital in the borough of Southwark in south east London, England. It is administratively a part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It is a large teaching hospital and is home to the King's College London School of Medicine...
in the London Borough of Southwark
London Borough of Southwark
The London Borough of Southwark is a London borough in south east London, England. It is directly south of the River Thames and the City of London, and forms part of Inner London.-History:...
, established in 1726, houses parts of King's College London School of Medicine. The founder and benefactor of the hospital, Thomas Guy
Thomas Guy
Thomas Guy was a British bookseller, speculator and de facto founder of Guy's Hospital, London-Early life:Thomas Guy was born a son of a lighterman, wharf owner and coal-dealer at Southwark. In 1668, after eight years as an apprentice of a bookseller, he began his own bookstore in Lombard Street...
, was a wealthy bookseller and a governor of St Thomas' Hospital
St Thomas' Hospital
St Thomas' Hospital is a large NHS hospital in London, England. It is administratively a part of Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It has provided health care freely or under charitable auspices since the 12th century and was originally located in Southwark.St Thomas' Hospital is accessible...
. He lies buried in the vault beneath the 18th-century chapel at Guy's. Silk-merchant William Hunt was a later benefactor who gave money in the early nineteenth century to build Hunt's House. Today this is the site of New Hunt's House. The Henriette Raphael building, constructed in 1903, and the Gordon Museum are also located here. In addition, the Hodgkin building, Shepherd's House and Guy's chapel are prominent buildings within the campus. Guy's KCLSU centre is situated in Boland House. (Nearest underground stations: London Bridge, Borough
Borough tube station
Borough tube station is a London Underground station in The Borough area of the London Borough of Southwark. It is on the Bank branch of the Northern Line between Elephant & Castle and London Bridge stations. It is in Travelcard Zone 1....
)
Waterloo campus
Across Waterloo BridgeWaterloo Bridge
Waterloo Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge crossing the River Thames in London, England between Blackfriars Bridge and Hungerford Bridge. The name of the bridge is in memory of the British victory at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815...
from the Strand Campus, the Waterloo Campus near the South Bank Centre
South Bank Centre
Southbank Centre is a complex of artistic venues in London, UK, on the South Bank of the River Thames between County Hall and Waterloo Bridge. It comprises three main buildings , and is Europe’s largest centre for the arts. It attracts more than three million visitors annually...
in the London Borough of Lambeth
London Borough of Lambeth
The London Borough of Lambeth is a London borough in south London, England and forms part of Inner London. The local authority is Lambeth London Borough Council.-Origins:...
consists of the James Clerk Maxwell
James Clerk Maxwell
James Clerk Maxwell of Glenlair was a Scottish physicist and mathematician. His most prominent achievement was formulating classical electromagnetic theory. This united all previously unrelated observations, experiments and equations of electricity, magnetism and optics into a consistent theory...
Building and the Franklin
Rosalind Franklin
Rosalind Elsie Franklin was a British biophysicist and X-ray crystallographer who made critical contributions to the understanding of the fine molecular structures of DNA, RNA, viruses, coal and graphite...
-Wilkins
Maurice Wilkins
Maurice Hugh Frederick Wilkins CBE FRS was a New Zealand-born English physicist and molecular biologist, and Nobel Laureate whose research contributed to the scientific understanding of phosphorescence, isotope separation, optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction, and to the development of radar...
Building, which was originally constructed as His Majesty's Stationery Office. King's acquired the building in the 1980s. The James Clerk Maxwell Building houses the Principal's Office, most of the central administrative offices of the College and part of the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing & Midwifery. The Franklin-Wilkins Building is home to the School of Health & Life Sciences that includes Pharmacy, the Department of Education and to part of the School of Nursing & Midwifery. The campus is also home to the London site of Schiller International University
Schiller International University
Schiller International University is a private American university with its main campus and administrative headquarters in Largo, Florida. It has campuses on two continents in five countries, each offering its own unique experiences to students: Largo; Paris, France; Madrid, Spain; Heidelberg,...
. (Nearest underground station: Waterloo
Waterloo tube station
Waterloo tube station is a London Underground station located at Waterloo station. It is the second busiest station on the network and is served by the Bakerloo, Jubilee, Northern and the Waterloo & City lines...
)
St Thomas' campus
The St Thomas' CampusSt Thomas' Hospital
St Thomas' Hospital is a large NHS hospital in London, England. It is administratively a part of Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It has provided health care freely or under charitable auspices since the 12th century and was originally located in Southwark.St Thomas' Hospital is accessible...
in the London Borough of Lambeth
London Borough of Lambeth
The London Borough of Lambeth is a London borough in south London, England and forms part of Inner London. The local authority is Lambeth London Borough Council.-Origins:...
, facing the Houses of Parliament
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
across the Thames, houses parts of the School of Medicine and the Dental Institute. The Florence Nightingale Museum
Florence Nightingale Museum
The Florence Nightingale Museum is located at St Thomas' Hospital, which faces the Palace of Westminster across the River Thames in South Bank, central London, England. It is open to the public seven days a week...
is also located here. (Nearest underground station: Westminster
Westminster tube station
Westminster is a London Underground station in the City of Westminster. It is served by the Circle, District and Jubilee lines. On the Circle and District lines, the station is between St. James's Park and Embankment and, on the Jubilee line it is between Green Park and Waterloo. It is in...
)
Denmark Hill campus
Further south, King's College HospitalKing's College Hospital
King's College Hospital is an acute care facility in the London Borough of Lambeth, referred to locally and by staff simply as "King's" or abbreviated internally to "KCH"...
, the Maudsley Hospital
Maudsley Hospital
The Maudsley Hospital is a British psychiatric hospital in South London. The Maudsley is the largest mental health training institution in the country...
and the Institute of Psychiatry
Institute of Psychiatry
The Institute of Psychiatry is a research institution dedicated to discovering what causes mental illness and diseases of the brain. In addition, its aim is to help identify new treatments for them and ways to prevent them in the first place...
form the Denmark Hill
Denmark Hill
Denmark Hill is an area and road in the London Borough of Southwark. The road forms part of the A215; north of Camberwell Green it becomes Camberwell Road; south of Red Post Hill it becomes Herne Hill. Its postcode is SE5. Nearby streets whose names refer to different aspects of the same...
Campus, straddling the borders of the London Borough of Lambeth
London Borough of Lambeth
The London Borough of Lambeth is a London borough in south London, England and forms part of Inner London. The local authority is Lambeth London Borough Council.-Origins:...
and the London Borough of Southwark
London Borough of Southwark
The London Borough of Southwark is a London borough in south east London, England. It is directly south of the River Thames and the City of London, and forms part of Inner London.-History:...
in Camberwell
Camberwell
Camberwell is a district of south London, England, and forms part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is a built-up inner city district located southeast of Charing Cross. To the west it has a boundary with the London Borough of Lambeth.-Toponymy:...
, the only campus not situated on the River Thames. As well as the IoP
Institute of Psychiatry
The Institute of Psychiatry is a research institution dedicated to discovering what causes mental illness and diseases of the brain. In addition, its aim is to help identify new treatments for them and ways to prevent them in the first place...
, parts of the Dental Institute and School of Medicine, and a large hall of residence, King's College Hall, are housed here. The KCL library for this campus is on-site, known as the Weston Education Centre (WEC). (Nearest overground station: Denmark Hill
Denmark Hill
Denmark Hill is an area and road in the London Borough of Southwark. The road forms part of the A215; north of Camberwell Green it becomes Camberwell Road; south of Red Post Hill it becomes Herne Hill. Its postcode is SE5. Nearby streets whose names refer to different aspects of the same...
)
Refurbishment
King's is coming to the end of a decade of restorative and refurbishment projects, with investment of £550 million. These include the Franklin-Wilkins Building at the Waterloo campus, the Maughan Library on Chancery Lane and the renovation of the chapel at the StrandStrand, London
Strand is a street in the City of Westminster, London, England. The street is just over three-quarters of a mile long. It currently starts at Trafalgar Square and runs east to join Fleet Street at Temple Bar, which marks the boundary of the City of London at this point, though its historical length...
campus at a cost of £750,000. The Strand Campus redevelopment won the Green Gown Award in 2007 for sustainable construction. The award recognised the ‘reduced energy and carbon emissions from a sustainable refurbishment of the historic South Range of the King's Building'. King's was also the recipient of the 2003 City Heritage Award for the conversion of the Grade II* listed Maughan Library
The Maughan Library
The Maughan Library and Information Services Centre is a 19th-century neo-Gothic building located on Chancery Lane in the City of London. Since 2001 it has been in use as the main library of King's College London...
. In December 2009 it was announced that King's would acquire the East Wing of Somerset House under a 78-year lease. The wing is to accommodate a cultural centre, open to the public, and allow the relocation of the college's School of Law.
Schools and departments
King's currently has the following nine constituent Schools of Study:- Arts & HumanitiesKing's College London School of Arts and HumanitiesThe King's College London School of Arts & Humanities is one of the nine academic Schools of Study of King's College London and one of the best in the world...
- Biomedical & Health Sciences
- Dental Institute
- Institute of PsychiatryInstitute of PsychiatryThe Institute of Psychiatry is a research institution dedicated to discovering what causes mental illness and diseases of the brain. In addition, its aim is to help identify new treatments for them and ways to prevent them in the first place...
- LawKing's College London School of LawThe King's College London School of Law is one of the nine Schools of Study of King's College London. It is situated on the Strand in Central London, close to city firms and the four Inns of Court. It is recognized as one of the top 5 UK law schools...
- Medicine
- Natural & Mathematical Sciences
- Nursing & MidwiferyFlorence Nightingale School of Nursing and MidwiferyThe Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery is a school within King's College London. It is primarily concerned with the education of people to become nurses and midwives...
- Social Science & Public Policy
The Department of War Studies
Department of War Studies, KCL
The Department of War Studies at King's College London is a political and military research and teaching facility, considered a world leader in the quality of its work output, as well as for the career prospects of its graduates...
is unique in the UK, and is supported by facilities such as The Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
The Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives at King's College London was set up in 1964. The Centre holds the private papers of over 700 senior British defence personnel who held office since 1900. Individual collections range in size from a single file to the 1000 boxes of Captain Sir Basil...
, the Centre for Defence Studies, and the King's Centre for Military Health Research.
Authorities on Mozart (Cliff Eisen
Cliff Eisen
Cliff Eisen is a Canadian musicologist and a Mozart expert. He has been based, since 1997, in the Department of Music at King's College London. As part of the Department's strong connections with the Royal Academy of Music, Eisen also leads courses there...
), Verdi (Roger Parker
Roger Parker
Roger Parker is an English musicologist, and is currently Thurston Dart Professor of Music at King's College London....
) and Wagner (John Deathridge
John Deathridge
John Deathridge is a British musicologist. He was educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham, and at Lincoln College, Oxford culminating with a dissertation on Wagner's sketches for Rienzi, and is currently Professor of Music at King's College London...
) hold professorships; as do many active composers, including Silvina Milstein
Silvina Milstein
Silvina Milstein is an Argentine composer and scholar of twentieth century music, living in the United Kingdom and teaching at King's College London...
, George Benjamin
George Benjamin (composer)
George William John Benjamin, CBE is a British composer of classical music. He is also a conductor, pianist and teacher....
and Robert Keeley
Robert Keeley (composer)
Robert Keeley is a British composer and pianist. He studied with Oliver Knussen at the Royal College of Music, at Magdalen College, Oxford, under Bernard Rose, and later with Robert Saxton...
.
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA)
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art is a drama school located in London, United Kingdom. It is generally regarded as one of the most renowned drama schools in the world, and is one of the oldest drama schools in the United Kingdom, having been founded in 1904.RADA is an affiliate school of the...
is administered through King's, and its students graduate alongside members of the departments which form the School of Arts & Humanities. As RADA does not have degree awarding powers, its courses are validated by King's.
Academic year
King's academic year runs from the last Monday in September to the first Friday in June.Graduation ceremonies are held in June or July, with ceremonies held in Southwark Cathedral
Southwark Cathedral
Southwark Cathedral or The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie, Southwark, London, lies on the south bank of the River Thames close to London Bridge....
for the School of Medicine and the Dental Institute and in the Barbican Centre
Barbican Centre
The Barbican Centre is the largest performing arts centre in Europe. Located in the City of London, England, the Centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhibitions. It also houses a library, three restaurants, and a conservatory...
for all other Schools. Since 2008 King's graduates have worn gowns designed by Vivienne Westwood
Vivienne Westwood
Dame Vivienne Westwood, DBE, RDI is a British fashion designer and businesswoman, largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream.-Early life:...
.
Finances
In the financial year ended 31 July 2010 King's had a total income of £508.05 million (2008/09 – £485.62 million) and total expenditure of £497.58 million (2008/09 – £484.88 million). Key sources of income included £151.89 million from Funding Council grants (2008/09 – £150.21 million), £144.05 million from research grants and contracts (2008/09 – £134.96 million), £118.4 million from tuition fees and education contracts (2008/09 – £100.48 million) and £6.61 million from endowment and investment income (2008/09 – £11.78 million).At year end King's had total endowments of £115.23 million and total net assets of £683.58 million. King's has a credit rating of AA from Standard & Poor's
Standard & Poor's
Standard & Poor's is a United States-based financial services company. It is a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies that publishes financial research and analysis on stocks and bonds. It is well known for its stock-market indices, the US-based S&P 500, the Australian S&P/ASX 200, the Canadian...
.
Rankings
In the UK King's is consistently ranked among the top 10 British universities.Internationally, King's is consistently ranked among the top 100 universities in the world by all major global university rankings compilers, having been placed between 27th by the 2011 QS World University Rankings
QS World University Rankings
The QS World University Rankings is a ranking of the world’s top 500 universities by Quacquarelli Symonds using a method that has published annually since 2004....
and 56th worldwide by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings
Times Higher Education World University Rankings
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings is an international ranking of universities published by the British magazine Times Higher Education in partnership with Thomson Reuters, which provided citation database information...
.
According to the 2009 Times Good University Guide, several subjects taught at King’s, including Law
King's College London School of Law
The King's College London School of Law is one of the nine Schools of Study of King's College London. It is situated on the Strand in Central London, close to city firms and the four Inns of Court. It is recognized as one of the top 5 UK law schools...
, History, War Studies
Department of War Studies, KCL
The Department of War Studies at King's College London is a political and military research and teaching facility, considered a world leader in the quality of its work output, as well as for the career prospects of its graduates...
(ranked under Politics), Classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
, Spanish, Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
, Music
Musicology
Musicology is the scholarly study of music. The word is used in narrow, broad and intermediate senses. In the narrow sense, musicology is confined to the music history of Western culture...
, Dentistry
Dentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
, Medicine, Nursing
Nursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....
and Food Science
Food science
Food science is a study concerned with all technical aspects of foods, beginning with harvesting or slaughtering, and ending with its cooking and consumption, an ideology commonly referred to as "from field to fork"...
are among the top five in the country.
According to the 2010 Complete University guide, many subjects at King's, including Classics, English, French, Geography, German, History, Music, Philosophy and Theology, rank within the Top 10 nationally. The Dental Institute has been known as the "Oxbridge Dentistry" as the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford do not offer Dentistry as a course of study. The College has had 24 of its subject-areas awarded the highest rating of 5 or 5* for research quality, and in 2007 it received a good result in its audit by the Quality Assurance Agency. It is in the top tier for research earnings. In September 2010, the Sunday Times selected King's as the "University of the Year 2010/11" taking the position from last year's winner Oxford University.
Medicine
Guy's Hospital
Guy's Hospital is a large NHS hospital in the borough of Southwark in south east London, England. It is administratively a part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It is a large teaching hospital and is home to the King's College London School of Medicine...
, King's College Hospital
King's College Hospital
King's College Hospital is an acute care facility in the London Borough of Lambeth, referred to locally and by staff simply as "King's" or abbreviated internally to "KCH"...
, St Thomas' Hospital
St Thomas' Hospital
St Thomas' Hospital is a large NHS hospital in London, England. It is administratively a part of Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It has provided health care freely or under charitable auspices since the 12th century and was originally located in Southwark.St Thomas' Hospital is accessible...
and University Hospital Lewisham
University Hospital Lewisham
University Hospital Lewisham is an acute district general hospital run by the Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust and serving the London Borough of Lewisham....
– and 17 associated district general hospitals. King’s College London Dental Institute is the largest dental school in Europe. The Florence Nightingale School of Nursing & Midwifery is the oldest professional school of nursing in the world.
King's is a major centre for biomedical research. It is a founding member of King's Health Partners
King's Health Partners
-External links:* * * * *...
, one of the largest academic health sciences centres in Europe with a turnover of over £2 billion and approximately 25,000 employees. It also is home to six Medical Research Council centres, the most of any British university, and is part of two of the twelve biomedical research centres established by the NHS in England – the Guy's & St Thomas'/King's College London Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre and the South London and Maudsley/KCL Institute of Psychiatry Biomedical Research Centre.
King's Drug Control Centre currently holds the official UK contract for running doping
Doping (sport)
The use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport is commonly referred to by the term "doping", particularly by those organizations that regulate competitions. The use of performance enhancing drugs is mostly done to improve athletic performance. This is why many sports ban the use of performance...
tests on UK athletes, and will likely continue to do so for the 2012 Olympics, to be held in London.
Admissions
The Sunday Times has ranked King's as the 6th most difficult UK university to gain admission to. According to the 2008 Times Good University Guide approximately 30% of King's undergraduates come from independent schools.At the undergraduate level admission to King's is extremely competitive. In 2011 some courses, such as English, Law and Business Management, had 15 or more applicants per place or an acceptance rate of less than 7.5 percent.
Libraries
King's library facilities are spread across its five campuses; the College's estate also includes the library at Bethlem Royal HospitalBethlem Royal Hospital
The Bethlem Royal Hospital is a psychiatric hospital located in London, United Kingdom and part of the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. Although no longer based at its original location, it is recognised as the world's first and oldest institution to specialise in mental illnesses....
in the London Borough of Bromley
London Borough of Bromley
The London Borough of Bromley is a London borough of south east London, England and forms part of Outer London. The principal town in the borough is Bromley.-Geography:...
. The collections encompass over one million printed books, as well as thousands of journals and electronic resources.
The Maughan Library
The Maughan Library
The Maughan Library and Information Services Centre is a 19th-century neo-Gothic building located on Chancery Lane in the City of London. Since 2001 it has been in use as the main library of King's College London...
is housed in the Grade II* listed 19th century gothic
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
former Public Record Office
Public Record Office
The Public Record Office of the United Kingdom is one of the three organisations that make up the National Archives...
building situated on Chancery Lane
Chancery Lane
Chancery Lane is the street which has been the western boundary of the City of London since 1994 having previously been divided between Westminster and Camden...
near the Strand Campus. The building was designed by Sir James Pennethorne
James Pennethorne
Sir James Pennethorne was a notable 19th century English architect and planner, particularly associated with buildings and parks in central London.-Life:...
and is home to the books and journals
Academic journal
An academic journal is a peer-reviewed periodical in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as forums for the introduction and presentation for scrutiny of new research, and the critique of existing research...
of the School's of Humanities, Law
King's College London School of Law
The King's College London School of Law is one of the nine Schools of Study of King's College London. It is situated on the Strand in Central London, close to city firms and the four Inns of Court. It is recognized as one of the top 5 UK law schools...
, Physical Sciences & Engineering, and Social Science & Public Policy. It also houses the Special Collections and rare books. Inside the Library is the octagonal Round Reading Room, inspired by the reading room of the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, and the former Rolls Chapel (renamed the Weston Room following a donation from the Garfield Weston Foundation
Garfield Weston Foundation
The Garfield Weston Foundation is a grant-giving charity, based in the United Kingdom.It was formed by Canadian businessman W. Garfield Weston , who during his lifetime contributed to numerous humanitarian causes both personally and through his companies. His philanthropic works continue through...
) with its stained glass windows, mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
floor and monuments, including an important Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
terracotta figure by Pietro Torrigiano
Pietro Torrigiano
Pietro Torrigiano was an Italian sculptor of the Florentine school. According to Giorgio Vasari, he was one of the group of talented youths who studied art under the patronage of Lorenzo de' Medici in Florence....
of Dr Yonge, Master of the Rolls, who died in 1516.
Other libraries
- The Foyle Special Collections Library at Chancery LaneChancery LaneChancery Lane is the street which has been the western boundary of the City of London since 1994 having previously been divided between Westminster and Camden...
houses a collection of over 150,000 printed works as well as thousands of mapMapA map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes....
s, slides, sound recordings and some manuscriptManuscriptA manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
material. - The Tony Arnold Library at Chancery LaneChancery LaneChancery Lane is the street which has been the western boundary of the City of London since 1994 having previously been divided between Westminster and Camden...
houses a collection of over 3000 law books and 140 law journals. It was named after Tony Arnold, the longest serving Secretary of the Institute of Taxation. In September 2001 the library became part of the law collection of Kings College London. - The Franklin-Wilkins Library at the Waterloo Campus is home to extensive management and education holdings, as well as wide-ranging biomedical, health and life sciences coverage includes nursing, midwifery, public health, pharmacy, biological and environmental sciences, biochemistry and forensic science.
- The New Hunt's House Library at Guy's Campus covers all aspects of biomedical science. There are also extensive resources for medicine, dentistry, physiotherapy and health services.
- The Weston Education Centre Library at the Denmark Hill Campus has particular strengths in the areas of gastroenterologyGastroenterologyGastroenterology is the branch of medicine whereby the digestive system and its disorders are studied. The name is a combination of three Ancient Greek words gaster , enteron , and logos...
, liver disease, diabetes, obstetrics, gynaecology, paediatrics and the history of medicineHistory of medicineAll human societies have medical beliefs that provide explanations for birth, death, and disease. Throughout history, illness has been attributed to witchcraft, demons, astral influence, or the will of the gods...
. - The St Thomas' House Library holdings cover all aspects of basic medical sciences, clinical medicine and health services research.
- The Institute of Psychiatry (IoP) Library is the largest psychiatric library in Western Europe, holding 3,000 print journal titles, 550 of which are current subscriptions, as well as access to over 3,500 electronic journals, 38,000 books, and training materials.
- The Bethlem Royal Hospital Library contains a smaller collection to support students and staff working at the hospital.
Students' Union
King's College London Students' Union
King's College London Students' Union is one of England's oldest students' union. KCLSU is an independent charitable organisation, being a registered Charity with the Charity Commission, and exists solely to further the interests of its members, the approximately 23,500 students who are at King's...
(KCLSU) is the oldest student union in London, founded just before University College London Union
University College London Union
University College London Union , founded in 1893, has a credible claim to be England's oldest students' union. It was formed with the following objectives: "the promotion of social intercourse and of the means of recreation, physical and mental, of the students of University College, and the...
, and provides a good range of activities and services: over 50 sports clubs (including the Boat Club which rows on the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
and the Rifle Club which uses the College's shooting range located at the disused Aldwych tube station
Aldwych tube station
Aldwych is a closed London Underground station in the City of Westminster, originally opened as Strand in 1907. It was the terminus and only station on the short Piccadilly line branch from Holborn that was a relic of the merger of two railway schemes. The disused station building is close to the...
beneath the Strand Campus), 60 societies, a wide range of volunteering opportunities, 2 bars, 2 nightclubs, shops, eating places and a gym. A former President of KCLSU, Sir Ivison Macadam (after whom the Students' Union building on the Strand Campus has since been named) went on to be elected as the first President of the National Union of Students, and KCLSU has played an active role there and in the University of London Union
University of London Union
The University of London Union is the university-wide students' union for the University of London...
ever since.
Roar is KCLSU's monthly magazine. It carries stories, reviews and features on a range of topics, reporting on Students' Union events, campaigns, clubs and societies, as well as coverage of the arts, books and fashion.
King's Bench, has grown from strength to strength, challenging the dominance Roar once had in the media spectrum. It is published tri-annually and welcomes contributions from all of King's students, either for publication in its printed edition, or on its website. The College itself also publishes a range of periodicals reporting on various aspects of King's.
In the 1970s, the King's mascot, "Reggie", was buried upside-down in a pit near Waterloo Station
Waterloo station
Waterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. The station is owned and operated by Network Rail and is close to the South Bank of the River Thames, and in Travelcard Zone 1....
, which was filled with concrete; only the tip of his tail remained visible. Later, he was lost for many years in the 1990s, and not recovered until he was found in a field. Having been restored at the cost of around £15,000, Reggie has been placed on display in the KCLSU Student Centre at the Strand Campus. Protected in a glass case, he is filled with concrete to prevent theft, particularly by UCL
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
students who, prior to his burial and dumping, had also castrated him. (King's students had also stolen one UCL mascot, Phineas and, in an apocryphal legend, allegedly played football with the head of Jeremy Bentham's
Jeremy Bentham
Jeremy Bentham was an English jurist, philosopher, and legal and social reformer. He became a leading theorist in Anglo-American philosophy of law, and a political radical whose ideas influenced the development of welfarism...
Auto-icon).
There are three "Reggies" in existence: the original, on display in KCLSU's Student Centre at the Strand Campus, a papier-mâché
Papier-mâché
Papier-mâché , alternatively, paper-mache, is a composite material consisting of paper pieces or pulp, sometimes reinforced with textiles, bound with an adhesive, such as glue, starch, or wallpaper paste....
Reggie outside the Great Hall at the Strand Campus (pictured above), and a small sterling silver
Sterling silver
Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% by mass of silver and 7.5% by mass of other metals, usually copper. The sterling silver standard has a minimum millesimal fineness of 925....
incarnation displayed during Graduation ceremonies.
Competition with UCL
Competition within the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
is most intense between King's and University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
, the two oldest institutions. In the early twentieth century, rivalry was centred on their respective mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
s. University College's was Phineas Maclino, a wooden tobacconist's
Tobacconist
A tobacconist is an expert dealer in tobacco in various forms and the related accoutrements .Such accoutrements include pipes, lighters, matches, pipe cleaners, pipe tampers, ashtrays, humidification devices, hygrometers, humidors, cigar cutters, and more. Books and magazines, especially ones...
sign of a kilted Jacobite Highlander
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
purloined from outside a shop in Tottenham Court Road
Tottenham Court Road
Tottenham Court Road is a major road in central London, United Kingdom, running from St Giles Circus north to Euston Road, near the border of the City of Westminster and the London Borough of Camden, a distance of about three-quarters of a mile...
during the celebrations of the relief of Ladysmith
Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal
Ladysmith is a city in the Uthukela District of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is north-west of Durban and south of Johannesburg. Important industries in the area include food processing, textile and tyre production...
in 1900.
King's later addition was a giant beer bottle representing "bottled youth". In 1923 it was replaced by a new mascot to rival Phineas – Reggie the Lion, who made his debut at a King's-UCL
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
sporting rag
Rag
Rag or rags may refer to:*A torn, threadbare or otherwise inferior piece of textile.*A piece of ragtime music.*Raga, the musical scale of a composition in Indian classical music.*Rag...
in December 1923, protected by a lifeguard of engineering students armed with T-squares. Thereafter, Reggie formed the centrepiece of annual freshers' processions by King's students around Aldwych
Aldwych
Aldwych is a place and road in the City of Westminster in London, England.-Description:Aldwych, the road, is a crescent, connected to the Strand at both ends. At its centre, it meets the Kingsway...
in which new students were typically flour bombed.
Although riots between respective College students occurred in Central London well into the 1950s, rivalry is now limited to the rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
pitch and skulduggery over mascots, with an annual Varsity match taking place between King's College London RFC
King's College Rugby Club
The King's College London Rugby Football Club represents King's College London in rugby union competitions, notably BUCS and the University of London Union's Gutteridge Cup. King's Rugby Football Club is one of the oldest rugby clubs in the world and traditionally one of the leading London...
and University College London RFC.
Competition with LSE
Tensions between King's and the London School of EconomicsLondon School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
were ignited on 2 December 2005 when at least 200 students from LSE
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
(across the road from the Strand campus) diverted off from the annual "barrel run" and caused an estimated £32,000 (The Beaver
The Beaver
The Beaver is the weekly newspaper of the London School of Economics Students' Union at the LSE.Despite being published by the Students' Union, The Beaver is independent in its reporting....
, LSE
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, 26 September 2006) of damage to the English department at King's. Principal Rick Trainor
Rick Trainor
Professor Sir Richard Hughes "Rick" Trainor KBE FRHS FKC is the current Principal of King's College London.-Biography:...
called for no retaliation and LSE Students' Union
LSE Students' Union
The London School of Economics Students' Union is the representative and campaigning body for students at The London School of Economics and Political Science...
were forced to issue an apology as well as foot the bill for the damage repair. While LSE
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
officially condemned the action, a photograph was published in the Beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
(the LSE SU Student Newspaper) which was later picked up by the Times that showed LSE
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
Director Sir Howard Davies
Howard Davies (LSE)
Sir Howard Davies is a British economist. Davies served as Director of the London School of Economics and Political Science from 2003 to May 2011, having decided to resign from the position on 3 March 2011 following concern over the institution's decision to accept funding from a foundation...
drinking with members of the LSE Students' Union
LSE Students' Union
The London School of Economics Students' Union is the representative and campaigning body for students at The London School of Economics and Political Science...
shortly before the barrel run – and the "rampage" – began. King's appears to have been targeted, however, principally owing to its close proximity to LSE
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
rather than by any ill-feeling. There is also somewhat of a sporting rivalry between the two institutions, albeit to a lesser extent than with UCL
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
.
Student housing
- Brian Creamer House & The Rectory (self-catered) at St Thomas' CampusSt Thomas' HospitalSt Thomas' Hospital is a large NHS hospital in London, England. It is administratively a part of Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It has provided health care freely or under charitable auspices since the 12th century and was originally located in Southwark.St Thomas' Hospital is accessible...
- Wolfson House (self-catered) at Guy's CampusGuy's HospitalGuy's Hospital is a large NHS hospital in the borough of Southwark in south east London, England. It is administratively a part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It is a large teaching hospital and is home to the King's College London School of Medicine...
- The Great Dover StreetGreat Dover StreetGreat Dover Street is in Southwark, south London, England. At the northwest end it joins Marshalsea Road and Borough High Street and there is a junction with Long Lane; Borough tube station is at this location. At the southeast end is the Bricklayers' Arms roundabout and flyover...
Apartments (self-catered) at Guy's CampusGuy's HospitalGuy's Hospital is a large NHS hospital in the borough of Southwark in south east London, England. It is administratively a part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It is a large teaching hospital and is home to the King's College London School of Medicine... - The Stamford StreetStamford StreetStamford Street is a street in Lambeth and Southwark, London England, just south of the River Thames. It runs between Waterloo Road to the west and Blackfriars Road to the east. At the western end, in the middle of a large roundabout, is the British Film Institute London IMAX Cinema...
Apartments (self catered) at the Waterloo CampusWaterloo Road, LondonWaterloo Road is a road straddling Lambeth and Southwark, London, England. It runs between Westminster Bridge Road close to St George's Circus at the south-east end and Waterloo Bridge across the River Thames towards London's West End district at the north-west end.At the northern end near the... - King's College Hall (catered) at the Denmark Hill CampusDenmark HillDenmark Hill is an area and road in the London Borough of Southwark. The road forms part of the A215; north of Camberwell Green it becomes Camberwell Road; south of Red Post Hill it becomes Herne Hill. Its postcode is SE5. Nearby streets whose names refer to different aspects of the same...
- Hampstead Residence (self-catered) in HampsteadHampsteadHampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
Intercollegiate Halls of Residence
King's also has the largest number of bedspaces in the University of LondonUniversity of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
Intercollegiate Halls. The halls are:
- Canterbury Hall, Commonwealth Hall, College Hall, Connaught HallConnaught Hall, LondonConnaught Hall is a fully catered hall of residence owned by the University of London and situated on Tavistock Square, Bloomsbury, London, UK. It is an intercollegiate hall, and as such provides accommodation for full-time students at constituent colleges and institutions of the University of...
, Hughes Parry Hall and International Hall near Russell SquareRussell SquareRussell Square is a large garden square in Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden. It is near the University of London's main buildings and the British Museum. To the north is Woburn Place and to the south-east is Southampton Row...
in BloomsburyBloomsbury-Places:* Bloomsbury is an area in central London.* Bloomsbury , related local government unit* Bloomsbury, New Jersey, New Jersey, USA* Bloomsbury , listed on the NRHP in Maryland... - Lillian Penson Hall (postgraduates only) in PaddingtonPaddingtonPaddington is a district within the City of Westminster, in central London, England. Formerly a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965...
- Nutford House in Marble ArchMarble ArchMarble Arch is a white Carrara marble monument that now stands on a large traffic island at the junction of Oxford Street, Park Lane, and Edgware Road, almost directly opposite Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park in London, England...
Some students are also selected to live in International Students House, London
International Students House, London
International Students House, London is a residence for 700 British and overseas students, interns and trainees whilst staying in London. It is located in Central London close to London's West End at the south side of Regents Park and operates as a financially self supporting charity under a board...
.
Notable alumni
The incumbent Prime Minister of Jordan, Marouf al-Bakhit
Marouf al-Bakhit
Dr. Marouf Suleiman al-Bakhit is a Jordanian politician and two-time Prime Minister. He first served as Prime Minister from 27 November 2005 until 25 November 2007 and then again from 9 February 2011 to 17 October 2011. Bakhit also held the position of Jordanian ambassador to Israel and the...
, graduated from King's with a PhD in War Studies
Department of War Studies, KCL
The Department of War Studies at King's College London is a political and military research and teaching facility, considered a world leader in the quality of its work output, as well as for the career prospects of its graduates...
in 1990, Prince Eugene Louis Napoléon, the ill-fated scion of the Bonaparte Dynasty, studied physics and mathematics at King's from 1871 to 1872, Tassos Papadopoulos
Tassos Papadopoulos
Tassos Nikolaou Papadopoulos was a Cypriot politician. He served as the fifth President of the Republic of Cyprus from February 28, 2003 to February 28, 2008.His parents were Nicolas and Aggeliki from Assia. He was the first of three children...
, president of Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
from 2003 to 2008 graduated from King's with a degree in Law in 1955, while his predecessor Glafkos Klerides
Glafkos Klerides
Glafcos Ioannou Clerides is a Greek-Cypriot politician and the fourth President of the Republic of Cyprus.Clerides was the eldest son of the lawyer and statesman Ioannis Clerides....
who served as president of Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
from 1993 to 2003 graduated with a Law degree in 1948. France-Albert René
France-Albert René
France-Albert René was the long-time socialist President of Seychelles from 1977 to 2004. He is known by government officials and party members as "the Boss". His name is often given as simply Albert René or F.A...
president of the Seychelles
Seychelles
Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
from 1977 to 2004 studied Law at King's, Sir Lynden Pindling
Lynden Pindling
Sir Lynden Oscar Pindling KCMG, OM, JP , is generally regarded as the "Father of the Nation" of the Bahamas, having led it to Majority Rule on 10 January 1967 and then to independence on 10 July 1973. He served as the first black premier of the Colony of the Bahama Islands from 1967 to 1969 and as...
prime minister of the Bahamas from 1967 to 1992 graduated with a Law degree in 1952, Godfrey Binaisa
Godfrey Binaisa
Godfrey Lukongwa Binaisa QC was a Ugandan lawyer who was Attorney General of Uganda from 1962 to 1968 and later served as President of Uganda from June 1979 to May 1980. At his death he was Uganda's only surviving former president....
president of Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
from 1979 to 1980 graduated with a Law degree in 1955, Abd ar-Rahman al-Bazzaz
Abd ar-Rahman al-Bazzaz
Abd al-Rahman al-Bazzaz was a politician, reformist, and writer. He was an pan-Arab nationalist and he was the Dean of Baghdad Law College and Prime Minister of Iraq. Al-Bazzaz main political project was the professionalization of the government on the basis of civilian expertise. That civic...
prime minister of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
from 1965 to 1966 graduated from King's, Sir Lee Moore, prime minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Kitts and Nevis
The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis , located in the Leeward Islands, is a federal two-island nation in the West Indies. It is the smallest sovereign state in the Americas, in both area and population....
from 1979 to 1980, graduated with a degree in Law and Theology, and Sir Shridath Ramphal, former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, graduated with a Law degree in 1952. Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu , also known by the sobriquet The Nightingale of India, was a child prodigy, Indian independence activist and poet...
, the first woman President of the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
and an architect of the Indian freedom movement, also studied at King's.
Notable King's alumni to have held senior positions in British and Irish politics include the British Foreign Secretary David Owen, Baron Owen
David Owen
David Anthony Llewellyn Owen, Baron Owen CH PC FRCP is a British politician.Owen served as British Foreign Secretary from 1977 to 1979, the youngest person in over forty years to hold the post; he co-authored the failed Vance-Owen and Owen-Stoltenberg peace plans offered during the Bosnian War...
, two Speakers of the House of Commons in Horace King, Baron Maybray-King (English) and James Lowther, 1st Viscount Ullswater
James Lowther, 1st Viscount Ullswater
James William Lowther, 1st Viscount Ullswater, GCB, PC, JP, DL was a British Conservative politician. He served as Speaker of the House of Commons between 1905 and 1921.-Background and education:The son of Hon...
, Leader of the House of Commons John MacGregor, Baron MacGregor of Pulham Market (Law, 1962), and Irish Republican & revolutionary leader Michael Collins
Michael Collins (Irish leader)
Michael "Mick" Collins was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for Finance and Teachta Dála for Cork South in the First Dáil of 1919, Director of Intelligence for the IRA, and member of the Irish delegation during the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations. Subsequently, he was both Chairman of the...
. As of the current Parliament there are 14 King's graduates in the House of Commons, and 14 King's graduates in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. In Law King's alumni include current Lord Justice of Appeal Sir Jeremy Sullivan
Jeremy Sullivan
Sir Jeremy Mirth Sullivan PC has been a Lord Justice of Appeal since 2009.He was educated at Framlingham College and King's College London and was called to the Bar at Inner Temple in 1968 where he became a bencher in 1993.By 1976 Sullivan was Counsel for the Department of Environment's M25...
(Law, 1967); two incumbent High Court judges, Sir David Penry-Davey
David Penry-Davey
Sir David Herbert Penry-Davey is a British High Court judge.He was educated at Hastings Grammar School and at King's College London . He was called to the Bar at Inner Temple in 1965. He was made a Crown Court recorder in 1986, a QC in 1988, and has been a judge of the High Court of Justice since...
(Law, 1964) and Sir David Foskett
David Foskett
Sir David Robert Foskett , styled The Hon. Mr Justice Foskett, is a British High Court judge.He was educated at Warwick School and at King's College London during which time he also served as President of the Students' Union. He was called to the Bar at Gray's Inn in 1972 and became a bencher...
(Law, 1970); current Judge of the International Court of Justice
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
, Abdul Koroma (International Law, 1976); and the current Chief Justice of Western Australia Wayne Martin
Wayne Martin
Wayne Stewart Martin QC is the current Chief Justice of Western Australia. He was formally appointed on 4 April 2006.-Education:...
(Law, 1975).
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
laureate and Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu
Desmond Mpilo Tutu is a South African activist and retired Anglican bishop who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid...
(Theology, 1966), the preceding Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey, Baron Carey of Clifton
George Carey
George Leonard Carey, Baron Carey of Clifton PC, FKC is a former Archbishop of Canterbury, holding the office from 1991 to 2002. He was the first modern holder of the office not to have attended Oxford or Cambridge University...
(Theology, 1962), and the current Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...
of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth Jonathan Sacks, Baron Sacks
Jonathan Sacks
Jonathan Henry Sacks, Baron Sacks, Kt is the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth. His Hebrew name is Yaakov Zvi...
(Theology & Religious Studies, 1981). King's is also the alma mater of the current head of The Salvation Army Shaw Clifton
Shaw Clifton
Shaw Clifton is a former General of The Salvation Army. He succeeded John Larsson as the 18th General on 2 April 2006.-Career:Shaw Clifton was born on 21 September 1945 in Belfast, Northern Ireland....
(Law & Theology, 1967), and at least 13 current Bishops.
Notable King's alumni in poetry and literature include the poet John Keats
John Keats
John Keats was an English Romantic poet. Along with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley, he was one of the key figures in the second generation of the Romantic movement, despite the fact that his work had been in publication for only four years before his death.Although his poems were not...
(Medicine), and the writers Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy, OM was an English novelist and poet. While his works typically belong to the Naturalism movement, several poems display elements of the previous Romantic and Enlightenment periods of literature, such as his fascination with the supernatural.While he regarded himself primarily as a...
(French), Sir Arthur C. Clarke
Arthur C. Clarke
Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE, FRAS was a British science fiction author, inventor, and futurist, famous for his short stories and novels, among them 2001: A Space Odyssey, and as a host and commentator in the British television series Mysterious World. For many years, Robert A. Heinlein,...
(Mathematics & Physics), W. Somerset Maugham
W. Somerset Maugham
William Somerset Maugham , CH was an English playwright, novelist and short story writer. He was among the most popular writers of his era and, reputedly, the highest paid author during the 1930s.-Childhood and education:...
, Alain de Botton
Alain de Botton
Alain de Botton is a Swiss writer, television presenter, and entrepreneur, resident in the UK.His books and television programs discuss various contemporary subjects and themes in a philosophical style, emphasizing philosophy's relevance to everyday life. In August 2008, he was a founding member...
(Philosophy), C.S. Forester, B. S. Johnson
B. S. Johnson
B. S. Johnson was an English experimental novelist, poet, literary critic, producer of television programmes and film-maker.-Biography:...
(English), Charles Kingsley
Charles Kingsley
Charles Kingsley was an English priest of the Church of England, university professor, historian and novelist, particularly associated with the West Country and northeast Hampshire.-Life and character:...
, Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf
Adeline Virginia Woolf was an English author, essayist, publisher, and writer of short stories, regarded as one of the foremost modernist literary figures of the twentieth century....
, John Ruskin
John Ruskin
John Ruskin was the leading English art critic of the Victorian era, also an art patron, draughtsman, watercolourist, a prominent social thinker and philanthropist. He wrote on subjects ranging from geology to architecture, myth to ornithology, literature to education, and botany to political...
, Radclyffe Hall
Radclyffe Hall
Radclyffe Hall was an English poet and author, best known for the lesbian classic The Well of Loneliness.- Life :...
, Hanif Kureishi
Hanif Kureishi
Hanif Kureishi CBE is an English playwright, screenwriter and filmmaker, novelist and short story writer. The themes of his work have touched on topics of race, nationalism, immigration, and sexuality...
(Philosophy), Anita Brookner
Anita Brookner
Anita Brookner CBE is an English language novelist and art historian who was born in Herne Hill, a suburb of London.-Early life and education:...
(History), Michael Morpurgo
Michael Morpurgo
Michael Morpurgo, OBE FKC AKC is an English author, poet, playwright and librettist, best known for his work in children's literature. He was the third Children's Laureate.-Early life:...
(French & English) and Sir Leslie Stephen
Leslie Stephen
Sir Leslie Stephen, KCB was an English author, critic and mountaineer, and the father of Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell.-Life:...
. In addition, the dramatist Sir W. S. Gilbert
W. S. Gilbert
Sir William Schwenck Gilbert was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his fourteen comic operas produced in collaboration with the composer Sir Arthur Sullivan, of which the most famous include H.M.S...
of Gilbert and Sullivan graduated from King's.
King's alumni in the sciences include Nobel laureates Max Theiler
Max Theiler
Max Theiler was a South African/American virologist. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1951 for developing a vaccine against yellow fever.-Career development:...
and Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins; polymath Sir Francis Galton
Francis Galton
Sir Francis Galton /ˈfrɑːnsɪs ˈgɔːltn̩/ FRS , cousin of Douglas Strutt Galton, half-cousin of Charles Darwin, was an English Victorian polymath: anthropologist, eugenicist, tropical explorer, geographer, inventor, meteorologist, proto-geneticist, psychometrician, and statistician...
; pathologist Thomas Hodgkin
Thomas Hodgkin
Thomas Hodgkin was a British physician, considered one of the most prominent pathologists of his time and a pioneer in preventive medicine. He is now best known for the first account of Hodgkin's disease, a form of lymphoma and blood disease, in 1832...
; pioneer of in vitro fertilization Patrick Steptoe
Patrick Steptoe
Patrick Christopher Steptoe FRS was a British obstetrician and gynaecologist and a pioneer of fertility treatment. Steptoe was responsible with biologist and physiologist Robert Edwards for developing in vitro fertilization...
; botanist David Bellamy
David Bellamy
David James Bellamy OBE is a British author, broadcaster, environmental campaigner and botanist. He has lived in County Durham since 1960.-Career:...
; noted theoretical physicist Peter Higgs
Peter Higgs
Peter Ware Higgs, FRS, FRSE, FKC , is an English theoretical physicist and an emeritus professor at the University of Edinburgh....
and the founder of the study of radioastronomy Professor EG Bowen.
King's is also the alma mater of the founder of Bentley Motors, Walter Bentley
W. O. Bentley
Walter Owen Bentley, MBE engineer; designer of aero engines, designer and racer of motor cars, founder of Bentley Motors Limited in Cricklewood near London.He was known as "W.O." without any need to add the word Bentley....
; satirist Rory Bremner
Rory Bremner
Roderick "Rory" Keith Ogilvy Bremner, FKC is a Scottish impressionist, playwright and comedian, noted for his work in political satire...
(Modern Languages, 1984); journalist Martin Bashir
Martin Bashir
Martin Bashir is a British journalist and media personality, currently with NBC News as a contributor for its Dateline program, and an afternoon anchor for MSNBC, hosting Martin Bashir...
(Religious History, 1985); Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
bassist John Deacon
John Deacon
John Richard Deacon is a retired English multi-instrumentalist and song writer, best known as the bassist for the rock band Queen. Of the four members of the band, he was the last to join and also the youngest, being only 19 years old when he was recruited by the other members of the band...
; and former head of the British Army Lord Harding
John Harding, 1st Baron Harding of Petherton
Field Marshal Allan Francis John Harding, 1st Baron Harding of Petherton, GCB, CBE, DSO, MC was a British Army officer and Governor of Cyprus from 1955 to 1957, Cyprus being a British colony at that time....
.
Heads of state and government
| State | Leader | Office | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
 The Bahamas |
Sir Lynden Pindling Lynden Pindling Sir Lynden Oscar Pindling KCMG, OM, JP , is generally regarded as the "Father of the Nation" of the Bahamas, having led it to Majority Rule on 10 January 1967 and then to independence on 10 July 1973. He served as the first black premier of the Colony of the Bahama Islands from 1967 to 1969 and as... |
Premier 1967–1969; Prime Minister 1969–1992 | |
 Cyprus |
Tassos Papadopoulos Tassos Papadopoulos Tassos Nikolaou Papadopoulos was a Cypriot politician. He served as the fifth President of the Republic of Cyprus from February 28, 2003 to February 28, 2008.His parents were Nicolas and Aggeliki from Assia. He was the first of three children... |
President 2003–2008 | |
| Cyprus |
Glafcos Clerides | Acting President 1974; President 1993–2003 | |
 Iraq |
Abd ar-Rahman al-Bazzaz Abd ar-Rahman al-Bazzaz Abd al-Rahman al-Bazzaz was a politician, reformist, and writer. He was an pan-Arab nationalist and he was the Dean of Baghdad Law College and Prime Minister of Iraq. Al-Bazzaz main political project was the professionalization of the government on the basis of civilian expertise. That civic... |
Temporary President 1966; Prime Minister 1965–1966 | |
 Republic of Ireland |
Michael Collins Michael Collins (Irish leader) Michael "Mick" Collins was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for Finance and Teachta Dála for Cork South in the First Dáil of 1919, Director of Intelligence for the IRA, and member of the Irish delegation during the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations. Subsequently, he was both Chairman of the... |
Chairman of the Provisional Government 1922 | |
 Jordan |
Marouf al-Bakhit Marouf al-Bakhit Dr. Marouf Suleiman al-Bakhit is a Jordanian politician and two-time Prime Minister. He first served as Prime Minister from 27 November 2005 until 25 November 2007 and then again from 9 February 2011 to 17 October 2011. Bakhit also held the position of Jordanian ambassador to Israel and the... |
Prime Minister 2005–2007; 2011–present | |
 Saint Kitts and Nevis |
Sir Lee Moore | Premier 1979–1980 | |
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
Sir Sydney Gun-Munro Sydney Gun-Munro Sir Sydney Douglas Gun-Munro GCMG, FRCS was Governor-General of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines... |
Governor 1976–1979; Governor-General 1979–1985 | |
 Seychelles |
France-Albert René France-Albert René France-Albert René was the long-time socialist President of Seychelles from 1977 to 2004. He is known by government officials and party members as "the Boss". His name is often given as simply Albert René or F.A... |
Prime Minister 1976–1977; President 1977–2004 | |
 Uganda |
Godfrey Binaisa Godfrey Binaisa Godfrey Lukongwa Binaisa QC was a Ugandan lawyer who was Attorney General of Uganda from 1962 to 1968 and later served as President of Uganda from June 1979 to May 1980. At his death he was Uganda's only surviving former president.... |
President 1979–1981 | |
Notable faculty and staff
See also :Category:Academics of King's College LondonKing's has benefited from the services of academics at the top of their fields, including:
Nobel laureates
There are 10 Nobel laureates who were either students or academics at King's.| Name | Prize | Year Awarded | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Barkla | Physics Nobel Prize in Physics The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded once a year by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895 and awarded since 1901; the others are the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Peace Prize, and... |
For the discovery of X-ray fluorescence | |
| Sir Owen Richardson Owen Willans Richardson Sir Owen Willans Richardson, FRS was a British physicist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1928 for his work on thermionic emission, which led to Richardson's Law.-Biography:... |
Physics Nobel Prize in Physics The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded once a year by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895 and awarded since 1901; the others are the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Peace Prize, and... |
For pioneering the study of thermionics | |
| Sir Frederick Hopkins | Physiology or Medicine Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine administered by the Nobel Foundation, is awarded once a year for outstanding discoveries in the field of life science and medicine. It is one of five Nobel Prizes established in 1895 by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, in his will... |
For research on vitamins and beriberi | |
| Sir Charles Sherrington Charles Scott Sherrington Sir Charles Scott Sherrington, OM, GBE, PRS was an English neurophysiologist, histologist, bacteriologist, and a pathologist, Nobel laureate and president of the Royal Society in the early 1920s... |
Physiology or Medicine Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine administered by the Nobel Foundation, is awarded once a year for outstanding discoveries in the field of life science and medicine. It is one of five Nobel Prizes established in 1895 by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, in his will... |
For research on the nervous system | |
| Sir Edward Appleton Edward Victor Appleton Sir Edward Victor Appleton, GBE, KCB, FRS was an English physicist.-Biography:Appleton was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire and educated at Hanson Grammar School. At the age of 18 he won a scholarship to St John's College, Cambridge... |
Physics Nobel Prize in Physics The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded once a year by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895 and awarded since 1901; the others are the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Peace Prize, and... |
For exploration of the ionosophere | |
| Max Theiler Max Theiler Max Theiler was a South African/American virologist. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1951 for developing a vaccine against yellow fever.-Career development:... |
Physiology or Medicine Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine administered by the Nobel Foundation, is awarded once a year for outstanding discoveries in the field of life science and medicine. It is one of five Nobel Prizes established in 1895 by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, in his will... |
For developing a vaccine for yellow fever | |
| Maurice Wilkins Maurice Wilkins Maurice Hugh Frederick Wilkins CBE FRS was a New Zealand-born English physicist and molecular biologist, and Nobel Laureate whose research contributed to the scientific understanding of phosphorescence, isotope separation, optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction, and to the development of radar... |
Physiology or Medicine Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine administered by the Nobel Foundation, is awarded once a year for outstanding discoveries in the field of life science and medicine. It is one of five Nobel Prizes established in 1895 by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, in his will... |
For the discovery of the structure of DNA | |
| Desmond Tutu Desmond Tutu Desmond Mpilo Tutu is a South African activist and retired Anglican bishop who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid... |
Peace Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who... |
For his unifying role in the campaign against apartheid | |
| Sir James Black James W. Black Sir James Whyte Black, OM, FRS, FRSE, FRCP was a Scottish doctor and pharmacologist. He spent his career both as researcher and as an academic at several universities. Black established the physiology department at the University of Glasgow, where he became interested in the effects of adrenaline... |
Physiology or Medicine Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine administered by the Nobel Foundation, is awarded once a year for outstanding discoveries in the field of life science and medicine. It is one of five Nobel Prizes established in 1895 by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, in his will... |
For the development of beta-blocker and anti-ulcer drugs | |
| Mario Vargas Llosa Mario Vargas Llosa Jorge Mario Pedro Vargas Llosa, 1st Marquis of Vargas Llosa is a Peruvian-Spanish writer, politician, journalist, essayist, and Nobel Prize laureate. Vargas Llosa is one of Latin America's most significant novelists and essayists, and one of the leading authors of his generation... |
Literature Nobel Prize in Literature Since 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words from the will of Alfred Nobel, produced "in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction"... |
For his trenchant images of resistance, revolt, and defeat |
Principals
The Principal of King's is the chief academic and administrative officer of the College. To date there have been 19 Principals.| Name | Held Office |
|---|---|
| William Otter William Otter The Right Reverend William Otter was the first Principal of King's College London who later served as Bishop of Chichester. He was educated at Jesus College, Cambridge where he was later made a fellow... |
|
| Hugh James Rose Hugh James Rose Hugh James Rose was an English churchman and theologian who served as the second Principal of King's College London.... |
|
| John Lonsdale John Lonsdale The Right Reverend John Lonsdale was the third Principal of King's College London who later served as Bishop of Lichfield.... |
|
| Richard William Jelf Richard William Jelf Richard William Jelf was the fourth Principal of King's College London.He was educated at Eton College and Christ Church, Oxford, and was subsequently made a Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford... |
|
| Alfred Barry Alfred Barry Dr. Alfred Barry was the Third Bishop of Sydney, who over the course of his career served as headmaster of several independent schools, Principal of King's College London, and founded several prominent Anglican schools.... |
|
| Henry Wace | |
| Archibald Robertson Archibald Robertson (bishop) The Right Reverend Archibald Robertson was the seventh Principal of King's College London who later served as Bishop of Exeter.... |
|
| Arthur Cayley Headlam Arthur Cayley Headlam The Right Reverend Arthur Cayley Headlam CH was an English theologian who served as Bishop of Gloucester from 1923 to 1945.... |
|
| Ronald Montagu Burrows Ronald Montagu Burrows Ronald Montagu Burrows was a British academic who served as Principal of King's College London from 1913-1920.... |
|
| Sir Ernest Barker Ernest Barker Sir Ernest Barker was a liberal British political scientist who served as Principal of King's College London from 1920 to 1927.... |
|
| Sir William Reginald Halliday William Reginald Halliday Sir William Reginald Halliday was a historian and archaeologist who served as Principal of King's College London from 1928 to 1952.... |
|
| Sir Peter Noble Peter Noble (academic) Sir Peter Scott Noble was a British academic who served as Principal of King's College London from 1952 to 1968.He was educated at Fraserburgh Academy, St John's College, Cambridge where he graduated with a double first in Classics and Oriental Languages, and at the University of Aberdeen. He was... |
|
| Sir John Winthrop Hackett John Winthrop Hackett Junior General Sir John Winthrop Hackett GCB, CBE, DSO & Bar, MC was an Australian-born British soldier, author and university administrator.-Early life:Hackett, who was nicknamed "Shan", was born in Perth, Western Australia... |
|
| Richard Way Richard Way Sir Richard George Kitchener Way KCB CBE , commonly known as Sam Way, was a British civil servant, Chairman of London Transport and Principal of King's College London.... |
|
| Sir Neil Cameron, Baron Cameron of Balhousie Neil Cameron, Baron Cameron of Balhousie Marshal of the Royal Air Force Neil Cameron, Baron Cameron of Balhousie, KT, GCB, CBE, DSO, DFC was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force... |
|
| Sir Stewart Sutherland, Baron Sutherland of Houndwood Stewart Sutherland, Baron Sutherland of Houndwood Stewart Ross Sutherland, Baron Sutherland of Houndwood, is a British academic and public servant and one of the UK's most distinguished philosophers of religion.He was educated at Robert Gordon's College... |
|
| John Beynon John Beynon (academic) John David Emrys Beynon is a British academic who served as the 17th Principal of King's College London.-Biography:He was educated at the University of Wales and at the University of Southampton. From 1964-67 he was a lecturer at the University of Southampton... |
|
| Arthur Lucas Arthur Lucas (academic) For one of the two last men to be executed in Canada, please see Arthur LucasArthur Maurice Lucas FIBiol is an Australian academic who served as the 18th Principal of King's College London.... |
|
| Sir Rick Trainor Rick Trainor Professor Sir Richard Hughes "Rick" Trainor KBE FRHS FKC is the current Principal of King's College London.-Biography:... |
Fellows
See also Category:Fellows of King's College LondonKing's in fiction
- In the Sherlock HolmesSherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
story The Adventure of the Resident PatientThe Adventure of the Resident Patient"The Adventure of the Resident Patient", one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is one of 12 stories in the cycle collected as The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes...
, Dr Percy Trevelyan describes himself as a "London University man" who joined King's College Hospital after graduating. - King's Department of Theology's library plays a widely fictionalized part in Dan Brown'sDan BrownDan Brown is an American author of thriller fiction, best known for the 2003 bestselling novel, The Da Vinci Code. Brown's novels, which are treasure hunts set in a 24-hour time period, feature the recurring themes of cryptography, keys, symbols, codes, and conspiracy theories...
The Da Vinci CodeThe Da Vinci CodeThe Da Vinci Code is a 2003 mystery-detective novel written by Dan Brown. It follows symbologist Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu as they investigate a murder in Paris's Louvre Museum and discover a battle between the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei over the possibility of Jesus having been married to...
. - In Philip RothPhilip RothPhilip Milton Roth is an American novelist. He gained fame with the 1959 novella Goodbye, Columbus, an irreverent and humorous portrait of Jewish-American life that earned him a National Book Award...
's novel The Professor of DesireThe Professor of DesireThe Professor of Desire is a 1977 novel by Philip Roth. It describes the youth, the college years and the academic career of professor David Kepesh, and beside that, his sexual desires.-Plot summary:David is emotionally insecure...
, the main character David Kepesh spent a certain period of time studying comparative literature at the College on a Fulbright Scholarship. - The Neo-Classical facade of the College, with the passage which connects the Strand to Somerset HouseSomerset HouseSomerset House is a large building situated on the south side of the Strand in central London, England, overlooking the River Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge. The central block of the Neoclassical building, the outstanding project of the architect Sir William Chambers, dates from 1776–96. It...
terrace has been utilized to reproduce the late Victorian Strand in the opening scenes of Oliver Parker'sOliver ParkerOliver Parker is an English film director.-Biography:Parker was born in London, the son of Jillian, Lady Parker, a writer and GP , and Sir Peter Parker, formerly Chief executive of British Rail...
2002 film The Importance of Being EarnestThe Importance of Being Earnest (2002 film)The Importance of Being Earnest is a 2002 British-American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Oliver Parker, based on Oscar Wilde's classic comedy of manners play of the same name. The original music score is composed by Charlie Mole...
. The East Wing of the College appears, as a part of Somerset House, in a number of other productions, such as WildeWilde-In academia:* Henry Wilde , British engineer and inventor of the self-energizing dynamo* Winston Wilde, American sexologist-In the arts:* Andrew Wilde , English classical pianist* Andrew Wilde , English actor...
, FlyboysFlyboysFlyboys is a 2006 American drama film set during World War I, starring James Franco, Martin Henderson, Jean Reno, Jennifer Decker, David Ellison, Abdul Salis, Philip Winchester, and Tyler Labine. It was directed by Tony Bill, a pilot and aviation enthusiast. The screenplay was written by Phil...
and The Duchess.
Further reading
- Hearnshaw, F. J. C. (1929) The Centenary History of King's College London. George G. Harrap & Co.
- Huelin, G. (1978) King's College London, 1828–1978.
- Jones, C. K. (2004) King's College London: In the service of society.
- Taylor, C; Williams, G; Jones, C.K (2006) King's College London: Contributions to biomedicine: A continuing story
External links
- King's College London website
- iKing's: videos, audio and images from King's College London
- King's College London 175th Anniversary website – includes complete history
- King's College London Libraries
- King's College London Policy Zone
- King's College London Virtual Tour
- King's Conference & Vacation Bureau
- King's Global Activity
- King's Online Prospectus
- King's College London student lists
- King's College London military personnel, 1914–1918