History
Originally the Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College, The Royal College of Science and Technology was formed in 1887. Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College was formed through the amalgamation of Anderson's College, the College of Science and Arts, Allan Glen's Institution, the Young Chair of Technical Chemistry and Atkinson's Institution. Due to the ever increasing number of students attending the college, a larger premesis was required, and so the Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College building was expanded in 1903, taking nine years to complete. Upon completion, it was the largest single educational complex in Europe.
After seeking permission from King George V in 1912 the College changed its name to the Royal Technical College. In 1956 there was another change of name for the College and it became the Royal College of Science and Technology.
The late 1950s also saw a major expansion of the Royal College's campus onto the northern side of the original 1903 building, beginning with the new Mechanical Engineering building in 1958 on Montrose Street (susbsequently named as the James Weir Building), and in 1962 a new Chemistry Building (later named for the College's famous alumnus Thomas Graham). A new Student's Union was built in 1959 on John Street. All four buildings form what is now known as the "Island Site", and have undergone major renovations in recent years. In 1961 the Royal College entered into an agreement with Glasgow Corporation to jointly redevelop the adjacent Richmond Street site which had recently been cleared of its slum housing. The development would give the College a new home for the Andersonian Library - the McCance Building - and ultimately the merged University of Strathclyde would take possession of this entire development which included the 13-storey Livingstone Tower in 1965.
In 1959, renowned physicist Sir Samuel Curran took up the position of principal of the Royal College of Science and Technology, and following extensive discussions with Sir Keith Murray (chairman of the University Grants Committee), the College was granted full university status in 1964 as the University of Strathclyde. Sir Samuel Curran was appointed its first Principal and Vice-Chancellor. This was the first new university in Scotland for 381 years and the first technological university in Britain, thus inititing the trend of formation of modern technical universities in Britain. Sir Samuel remained at the university until retirement in 1980 - the replacement building for the Andersonian Library opened that year was named in his honour.
Under the recommendation of the Robbins Committee, the Scottish College of Commerce amalgamated with the College to form the University of Strathclyde in 1964. Since then, the Royal College Building has served as the centrepiece building of the University of Strathclyde.
The old Glaswegian nickname for the Royal College and its antecedents - The Tech - is nowadays rarely used amongst the younger generations who have only ever known it as Strathclyde University, but it is still used in a derogatory sense by students and alumni of the rival University of Glasgow, who refer to Strathclyders as Techies.
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