by Hannah Gay (Imperial College London, UK)

Table of Contents (98k)
Chapter 1: Introduction (189k)

This is the first major history of Imperial College London. The book tells the story of a new type of institution that came into being in 1907 with the federation of three older colleges. Imperial College was founded by the state for advanced university-level training in science and technology, and for the promotion of research in support of industry throughout the British Empire. True to its name the college built a wide number of Imperial links and was an outward looking institution from the start. Today, in the post-colonial world, it retains its outward-looking stance, both in its many international research connections, and with staff and students from around the world. Connections to industry and the state remain important. The College is one of Britain's premier research and teaching institutions, including now medicine alongside science and engineering. This book is an in-depth study of Imperial College; it covers both governance and academic activity within the larger context of political, economic and socio-cultural life in twentieth-century Britain.

• Introduction
• Before Imperial: The Colleges that Federated in 1907
• The Founding of Imperial College
• Governance and Innovation, 1907–43
• Imperial College during the First World War
• Continuity within the Three Old Colleges, 1907–45
• Imperial Science at Imperial College
• Imperial College during the Second World War
• Expansion: Post-War to Robbins, 1945–67 (Part One)
• Expansion: Post-War to Robbins, 1945–67 (Part Two)
• Corporate and Social Life
• The Making of the Modern College, 1967–85: Part One-Governance in a New Political Climate
• The Making of the Modern College, 1967–85: Part Two: Academic Restructuring
• Diversifying the Curriculum
• The Expanding College, 1985–2001…
• Part One: Governance and the Medical School Mergers
• The Expanding College, 1985–2001…
• Part Two: Some Academic Developments
• Conclusion