Records of Queen's College, Dundee, being the University of St Andrews in Dundee.

This material is held atUniversity of St Andrews Special Collections

Scope and Content

This is a relatively small accumulation of material which is held alongside the records of other component colleges of the University of St Andrews.

Administrative / Biographical History

Queen's College, Dundee was formed under the terms of the University of St Andrews Act, 1953. It was founded as a result of the investigation by a Royal Commission of 1951 under Lord Tedder into the constitutional relationship between the University of St Andrews and University College, Dundee. It was to include the different constituent elements of the University of St Andrews in Dundee: University College, the Medical School, the Dental School and Dundee School of Economics. In 1967 Queen's College Dundee became the University of Dundee by Royal Charter. The college continued to operate from the Perth Road to Hawkhill area of Dundee which had been the location of University College, Dundee.

Principal T. Malcolm Knox of St Andrews and David Rutherford Dow (1954-58) and Arthur Matheson (1958-66), successive Masters of Queen's College worked closely together to implement the new arrangements under the Tedder plan. It was suggested that St Andrews should concentrate on studies of a more 'academic' character (traditional Arts, Theology and Pure Science), whereas Dundee should specialise in more 'technical' or 'professional' subjects such as Social Sciences, Education, Law and Applied Science as well as Medicine. University of St Andrews degrees continued to be awarded to students at Queen's College, Dundee until the formation of the University of Dundee in 1967.

The Act of 1953 dissolved the governing bodies of University College and placed its property and endowments in the hands of a reorganised University Court. The teachers and students of all parts of the University in Dundee were formed into a society subsequently designated Queen's College. In accordance with the Tedder Commissioners' proposals, the college as such was allotted no administrative functions, but a College Councils was established for Queen's College, to which various duties of a local character were assigned by the Act and might be assigned by the University Court and Senatus Academicus as occasion arose. The head of the college was the Master of Queen's College.

After only a short time it became clear that there was a perceived threat to pure science and arts teaching in Dundee and from 1964 there were moves from Court and Senate towards a proposed University of Dundee, built on the foundation of the established institution with a wider spread of academic disciplines than St Andrews itself. An Academic Advisory Committee of the university court was appointed in 1964 to advise on its constitution and the effect likely on the remnant University of St Andrews. A Universities (Scotland) Act of 1966 was the final constitutional regulation of universities by Act of Parliament, future changes to be by charter. Thus, in 1967, in terms of a Royal Charter, Queen's College became the University of Dundee.

Arrangement

The material has been arranged in accordance with a classification scheme imposed since 1961. UYDC800 Creation of Dundee University (2 boxes) To be classified: University of Dundee Prospectus, 1969-70; UCD The Last Decade by Douglas Wimberley, including Discharge as last Principal of UCD, 1954.

Access Information

By appointment with the Archivist. Access to unpublished records less than 30 years old and other records containing confidential information may be restricted.

Acquisition Information

University of St Andrews.

Note

Description compiled by Rachel Hart, HUB Project Archivist.

Other Finding Aids

Hand list available in Reading Room.

Conditions Governing Use

Applications for permission to quote should be sent to the University Archivist. Reproduction subject to usual conditions: educational use and condition of documents.

Appraisal Information

This material has been appraised in line with standard GB 227 procedures.

Custodial History

Retained in the custody of the University of St Andrews.

Accruals

Unlikely.

Related Material

The main bulk of material relating to the college is held within the main run of non-collegiate records of the University of St Andrews at GB 227 UYUY. More material may be found within the archive of the University of Dundee at GB 254.

Bibliography

D Southgate, University Education in Dundee, a Centenary History, (Edinburgh, 1982), JSG Blair, History of Medicine in the University of St Andrews, (Edinburgh, 1987).

Additional Information

This material is original, some is printed.

Geographical Names