Centenary Founded in the aftermath of the Great War, the University opened in 1921 as a living memorial to the lost, a symbol of rejuvenation and hope for the future. It was the culmination of an idea that had been brewing for decades, first proposed in 1880 by the Reverend Joseph Wood in his presidential address to the Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society. But it was only when local physician Dr Astley Clarke took over the presidency of the society in 1912 that serious work began on developing the idea. Writing in support of the proposal in 1917, Dr Clarke suggested the creation of a university as a living memorial to those who had sacrificed so much during the fighting in Europe and beyond. He said “To the honour of those who took their part in the Great War, to the glory of those gallant fighters who came through, and to the memory of those devoted heroes who gave their lives in the cause of freedom. Now, every material asset a person possesses may flee; education alone is an asset of which an individual cannot be robbed. Let us, therefore, offer higher education as our war memorial.”
16| University of Leicester
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