Feature: Addison’s university vision comes to pass

Today’s University of Central Lancashire can trace its roots all the way back to the founding of the Institution for the Diffusion of Knowledge, which opened inside a single room on Cannon Street in 1828. It was a place where, for a small subscription, local people could get together to share ideas, listen to thought-provoking lectures and browse a well-stocked library and reading room. As the Institution expanded and evolved it underwent several name changes (over the years it has also been known as The Harris Institute, Harris College, Preston Polytechnic and Lancashire Polytechnic).

At the first open meeting of the Institution, its first President, Thomas Batty Addison, expressed his wish that, one day in the distant future, Preston might have its own university. Referring to the recently established London University, he suggested that “What has been done in London might, upon a corresponding scale, be done in Preston.” Addison never lived to see the realisation of his dream, but it came to pass over 160 years later when, on 1 September 1992, Lancashire Polytechnic officially became The University of Central Lancashire. This came about as a result of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, which elevated the polytechnics to independent universities and allowed them to award their own degrees.

The name change was hotly debated. Lancashire Polytechnic had established a strong national and regional reputation, so there was strong support for maintaining continuity in the new name. Although there was also a lot of support for restoring the name ‘Harris’ to the institution.

The Lancashire Evening Post lampooned the initial proposals for Lancashire Polytechnic to change its name to “The University of Central Lancashire in Preston” – quite a mouthful! It published a satirical cartoon which showed a new student enrolling at the re-branded institution while wrapped in an extraordinarily long university scarf. The words “…in Preston” were omitted from the final name.

The University channelled the words of William Shakespeare in its 1992 poster campaign to promote the name change. “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” proclaimed the poster, quoting from Romeo and Juliet and referencing the red rose symbol of Lancashire (which features prominently in both institutional logos). The tagline read: “New name. Same values.” The campaign sought to emphasise that, while the name may be different, the institution’s core purpose to transform lives through education would remain undimmed.