A lunch was held yesterday to mark a double celebration: 50 years ago the Wolfson Foundation was founded; 40 years ago Wolfson College was founded.

The Wolfson Foundation is a registered charity established in 1955 which aims to support the arts, education, health, humanities, research, science and technology. The Foundation was established by and named after Sir Isaac Wolfson, Chairman of Great Universal Stores (GUS). It began supporting the University and Colleges in 1959 and, over the succeeding years, has made a huge contribution to a multitude of projects and initiatives across a wide spectrum of University and College activities.

Highlights of the Foundation’s support for the University have been the Institute of Criminology, the Department of Biochemistry, the University Centre, the Clinical School (in particular the Wolfson Brian Imaging Centre), the Department of Chemistry, the Centre for Mathematical Sciences, and the Nanoscience Centre. The Foundation’s grants have focused their support on new buildings, major refurbishments and new areas of research.

Wolfson College is enjoying a year of celebrations to mark the 40 years since it was founded. Beginning with the official opening of the Chancellor’s Centre by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh last December, a series of events have been held including official visits and an eminent lecture series.

Wolfson College was founded in 1965 as ‘University College’, but changed its name to Wolfson College in 1972 in recognition of the generous benefaction of the Wolfson Foundation which contributed to the cost of the main buildings of the College.

Wolfson was the first Cambridge College to be established for both men and women and it was to be for graduate students with a focus on research and scholarship.

The College is one of Cambridge's most cosmopolitan, boasting students from over 70 countries. It also admits a limited number of mature students wishing to study for a first degree.

The University and the Colleges owe a great deal of their development and successes to the generosity of the Wolfson Foundation. The University looks forward to building on this relationship as it approaches its own 800th anniversary celebrations in 2009.


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