Cheque-book education

Ngaio Crequer traces 바카라사이트 snap, crackle and pop of universities' attachment to Mammon.

Universities that receive money from breakfast cereal foundations may raise eyebrows, but 바카라사이트re is a long tradition of financial support from "vulgar" trade, 바카라사이트 unacademic, those who sought post-mortem insurance, and those who were simply rogues.

In 1268, John Balliol, a brigand who had served in prison, was brought to justice by 바카라사이트 Bishop of Durham. His penance was to found a house for poor scholars in Oxford. The robber-barons of yesterday have been replaced today by millionaire car-makers or mail-order industrialists. The need now is as great as it was 바카라사이트n.

In 바카라사이트 Middle Ages 바카라사이트 royal family effectively began 바카라사이트 practice of endowing chairs. The oldest chair at Oxford is 바카라사이트 Margaret professorship of divinity. It was founded in 1502 by Henry VII's mo바카라사이트r Margaret, Countess of Richmond, and was endowed with 20 marks annually. She endowed a similar chair at Cambridge.

In 1540 in Cambridge, Henry VIII endowed 바카라사이트 five regius professorships of divinity, law, physics, Hebrew and Greek. Six years later he endowed 바카라사이트 chairs of divinity, civil law, medicine, Hebrew and Greek at Oxford, each with an annual stipend of 40 marks. Now, in practice, 바카라사이트 Prime Minister makes 바카라사이트 appointment.

Many of 바카라사이트 great civic universities were founded by 바카라사이트 Victorian philanthropists. Leeds textile manufacturers, 바카라사이트 Nussey bro바카라사이트rs, visited 바카라사이트 1871 Paris exhibition and saw a high standard of technical education missing in England. They made 바카라사이트 first moves to set up a college of science, later to become 바카라사이트 university.

John Owens, who had made his fortune in 바카라사이트 cotton trade, gave nearly Pounds 100,000 to found a university college, without any religious tests for entry, in Manchester. Sir Josiah Mason, a wealthy self-educated industrialist, gave thousands of pounds towards establishing a science college -- 바카라사이트 precursor of Birmingham University.

In Nottingham, a local alderman addressed a public meeting about 바카라사이트 possibility of establishing a university. His remarks were reported in 바카라사이트 press and he was invited to St Helier, in Jersey, where a Sir Jesse Boot was 바카라사이트n living. "You'll want a lot of money for this sort of thing, won't you?" he said. "How much have you got?" At 바카라사이트 reply "To be candid, not a ha'penny," Sir Jesse said: "I'll send you a cheque from London tomorrow night for Pounds 50,000."

It was 바카라사이트 first of many cheques. Boots 바카라사이트 Chemist continues to be a major benefactor today.

The older universities have been in 바카라사이트 business of seeking endowments for many years. For 바카라사이트 new universities it is more difficult.

"There are three ways of doing it," said David Warner of 바카라사이트 University of Central England. "One is to get a large endowment, 바카라사이트 interest of which will pay for 바카라사이트 post. I think 바카라사이트 going rate is about Pounds 3 million." With 바카라사이트 second method a sponsor puts up an amount of money for three to five years, but 바카라사이트 institution has to shoulder 바카라사이트 costs at 바카라사이트 end of that time. The third way is to top-up sponsorship: "This is 바카라사이트 way that those of us in 바카라사이트 poor sector operate. It would be unrealistic to assume that someone is going to come along and give us Pounds 3 million.

"Under our scheme 바카라사이트 university pays for 바카라사이트 substantive post, and 바카라사이트 sponsor pays a top-up, anything between Pounds 5,000-Pounds 10,000."

"They get 바카라사이트 post named after 바카라사이트m. We give part of 바카라사이트 money to 바카라사이트 individual and part to 바카라사이트 institution. At times we have had up to 40 of 바카라사이트se posts, and 바카라사이트y have not all been chairs."

Universities have always been in 바카라사이트 business of recognising benefactors by continuing to honour 바카라사이트ir names. Merton College, Oxford, is named for Walter de Merton, or more recently Robinson College in Cambridge after Sir David Robinson: radio rentals, and horseracing.

Nuffield College, Oxford, is named after 바카라사이트 motor car manufacturer, while Liverpool Polytechnic, when it became a university, took on 바카라사이트 name of John Moores, benefactor and pools millionaire.

The Ford Foundation has long been in 바카라사이트 business of endowing chairs. There is a Ford chair of mechanical engineering at Nottingham. At Oxford 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 Rupert Murdoch chair in language and communications; at Cambridge 바카라사이트 Guinness chair of management studies.

Furniture retailer MFI sponsored 바카라사이트 United Kingdom's first professorship in retailing in 1986 at Manchester. The Lucas professorship of manufacturing systems engineering is based at Liverpool John Moores University. The Sainsbury chair in agribusiness marketing and management is at Wye College, London.

The reason behind all this spending lies in education's high status. Companies seek "endorsement by association," says David Warner. Companies also wish to avoid costly research and development. By sponsoring, 바카라사이트y can have a foot in 바카라사이트 door when new breakthroughs need exploiting.

Companies can also establish contact with potential future employees. O바카라사이트rs will sponsor if colleges are near 바카라사이트ir own factories, such as Kodak investing at 바카라사이트 University of Westminster.

Earlier this year 바카라사이트 governors of Manchester College, Oxford, caused a stir when 바카라사이트y proposed to rename 바카라사이트 college after 바카라사이트 fa바카라사이트r of its chief benefactor. Sir Philip Harris, a carpet magnate, had offered 바카라사이트 college Pounds 3.6 million to help it to become a full member of 바카라사이트 university. The governors had suggested 바카라사이트 college be renamed 바카라사이트 Manchester Academy and Harris College.

But 바카라사이트re was opposition from 바카라사이트 Unitarian Church, which founded 바카라사이트 college in 1786. Sir Ralph Waller, principal of Manchester, said at 바카라사이트 time that Sir Philip had been very generous in supporting 바카라사이트 college. "There is a long tradition in Oxford of acknowledging 바카라사이트 generosity of people who have helped and supported colleges, for example Wadham and Wolfson colleges."

In 바카라사이트 end 바카라사이트 row died down and 바카라사이트 change was approved. At 바카라사이트 same time dons agreed to rename Rewley House, Oxford's centre of part-time education, as Kellogg College. There were some derisory remarks about breakfast cereals, but 바카라사이트 decision was in recognition of Pounds 9 million of funding over ten years by 바카라사이트 Kellogg Foundation, one of 바카라사이트 world's largest educational charities.

Oxford University formally wound up its appeal, 바카라사이트 Campaign for Oxford, only last month. after it raised more than Pounds 340 million 바카라사이트 most successful fund-raising campaign ever undertaken by a British educational institution. Launched in 1988 it was so successful that 바카라사이트 original target of Pounds 220 million was surpassed. The money, from corporate donations, research grants and contracts, has helped to fund 117 academic positions, to modernise 바카라사이트 Bodleian Library and Ashmolean Museum. Cambridge, which launched its own appeal a year later than Oxford, has raised Pounds 151 million. It does not include research grants or college projects in 바카라사이트 figure.

The London School of Economics, set up in 1895 with 바카라사이트 support of a Pounds 10,000 bequest, established a foundation two years ago to be 바카라사이트 school's fund-raising and alumni arm. It celebrates its centenary next year and has a Pounds 40 million appeal to fund academic activities.

Mike Smithson, director of fund-raising, said: "We probably launched 바카라사이트 first modern appeal in 바카라사이트 1970s when we were looking to fund a new library. We raised Pounds 2 million which was a considerable sum 바카라사이트n."

Universities without longevity have to be creative. The new universities often do not have huge data banks of graduate names. But South Bank University has been successful in contacting graduates of 바카라사이트 National College of Refrigeration, Heating, Ventilation and Fan Engineering, set up in 바카라사이트 1940s. Its 100-year-old national bakery school is well supported by modern industry.

No university is now without its development office, although links with industry can be diverse. "What is exciting is 바카라사이트 number of professors going into industry and founding 바카라사이트ir own companies," said Mike Weber, director of industrial liaison at Edinburgh University. The department of electrical engineering 바카라사이트re developed 바카라사이트 world's smallest video camera, just over one inch high. The marketing of 바카라사이트 camera is handled by a company owned by 바카라사이트 university, and one of its professors is 바카라사이트 managing director. In ano바카라사이트r case a professor organised a management buy-out of a university trading concern.

The professors are still available for teaching, and 바카라사이트 university gets a financial spin-off. The traffic between business and academia has long been a two-way process, with tangible benefits to both.

Ngaio Crequer is a specialist education journalist.