July 20, 1905] 



NA TURE 



.idvancement of knowledge and the spread of culture among 

 all classes in the city. He had no doubt that the establish- 

 ment of the university would also afford facilities for the 

 technical training which is now essential to success in 

 <vfry industrial enterprise, and concluded by saying that 

 lie should follow the progress of the university with warm 

 interest. It may be mentioned here, as indicating His 

 Majesty's interest in the spread of university teaching, that 

 he has since sent through Lord Londonderry a letter to 

 tile Lord Mayor of Sheffield stating that " the opening of 

 the new university buildings was felt by their Majesties 

 to be an occasion of great importance. His Majesty has 

 recognised with pleasure the desire felt in some of the 

 great centres of industry and commerce that universities 

 should take a prominent part in the promotion of scientific 

 knowledge and research. . . . His Majesty recognises that 

 in these days of constantly increased application of science 

 ;md of scientific method to every department of modern 

 life, it is to the universities that the nation must largely 

 look for maintaining that position in relation to great 

 commercial and industrial problems which is essential to 

 ;lhe social well-being of his Empire." 



His Majesty has also sent the following reply to the 



that wider movement of which this university is but a 

 sign and symbol. The early years of your Majesties' 

 reign must always be remarkable as having witnessed that 

 more general awakening on the part of your Majesties' 

 subjects to the advantages of higher education in all 

 branches of learning and that better understanding of its 

 needs and requirements which is evidenced by the almost 

 simultaneous creation of five independent universities, at 

 Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, and Sheffield. 

 The distinction conferred upon the inauguration of our 

 university by the gracious presence of your Majesties here 

 to-day is of the happiest omen for its future, and we can 

 only hope and pray that the teaching given within these 

 buildings, the learning acquired within these walls, and 

 the influences that will follow from them, may prove not 

 unworthy of the great honour you have done us, and may 

 be a constant source of profit and of ever-increasing useful- 

 ness to all classes of your Majesties' loyal and loving 

 subjects within those districts." 



The Duke of Norfolk then addressed the King, and in 

 the course of his remarks, after paying tribute to the men 

 to whom the university movement in Sheffield is mainlv 

 due, stated that it was now three years since it had been 



sily Buildings from Weslo 



hford, Shejfield. 



address presented to him by the university authorities : — " I 

 view with lively satisfaction the establishment of this and 

 other universities in large industrial centres, and it gives 

 me great pleasure to open the handsome and spacious 

 buildings provided for the Vniversitv of Sheffield. I have 

 never ceased to watch with great interest the great develop- 

 ment of the wide movement for the encouragement of a 

 M'und and liberal education among all classes of my people, 

 imd 1 am well assured that the expectations of those 

 patriotic and enlightened men by whose efforts were estab- 

 lished the institutions from which the University of 

 Sheffield derives its origin will be justified by the achieve- 

 ments of those who are educated within these walls." 



The opening ceremony w'as preceded by the reading of 

 I hi.' above-mentioned address from the University by the 

 Chancellor — the Duke of Norfolk — from which we extract 

 the fol L'\ ring sentences : — " We bear in proud and grateful 

 memory the fact that on more than one previous occasion 

 members of your Royal House have shown an interest in 

 the instructions from which the Univers t; of Sheffield 

 derives its origin, and we gladlv recall what has been 

 iln ;i(lv achieved in the cour^^e of vour reign to advance 



thought necessary to gather into one home the various 

 sources of educational work which the university ought to 

 supply ; and the faculties of arts, of pure science, and of 

 medicine have now been gathered together, .\pplied science 

 is in another very adjacent building. He stated that every 

 class in Sheffield has shown keen interest in the work, and 

 that the sum of 20,000/. is needed to meet the expense of 

 erecting and endcw'ing the university. 



Reference having been made to the granting in May 

 last of the charter to the university, the King was handed 

 a key and requested t. declare the university open. This 

 he did, speaking as fellows : — " I have great pleasure in 

 declaring these beautiful buildings open ; and it is my 

 fervent hope and desire for the long-continued prosperity 

 of the University of .Sheffield." 



The following is a short description of the new build- 

 ings. The illustration (which we are able to give by per- 

 mission of Messrs. Pawson and Brailsford, of Sheffield) is 

 a view of the university from Weston Park. 



The buildings are constructed of red brick and stone in 

 the Tudor style of architecture, form three sides of a quad- 



NO. 1864, VOL. 72] 



