Appeal for memories and stories for online archive
The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) needs you and your memories.
Former and current students and staff, or indeed anyone who has had a connection with the University, are being asked to come forward and share their stories for an online archive which is now being developed as it begins a year of celebration marking its 190th anniversary.
Back in 1828, the Institution for the Diffusion of Knowledge was established in the city centre by local cheesemonger, philanthropist and founder of the Temperance Movement, Joseph Livesey. By 1882, financial support from Edmund Harris led to the renaming as the Harris Institute.
By 1956 it became Harris College and 17 years later another name change saw the institution renamed as Preston Polytechnic. 1984 saw it named Lancashire Polytechnic and then in 1992 it was confirmed as the University of Central Lancashire.
"This year’s 190th celebrations will be a fantastic opportunity to celebrate our rich heritage and look towards our exciting future."
Vice-Chancellor Professor Mike Thomas said: “During our long and proud history the name above the door might have changed but the values have remained the same. Today we are a thriving global community with 38,000 students and staff and more than 181,000 alumni based around the world but our heart remains firmly in Preston where we are proud to play a key role in the future of the city and the region.
“This year’s 190th celebrations will be a fantastic opportunity to celebrate our rich heritage and look towards our exciting future.”
The University is looking for people who, for example, may have a generational link to the institution.
One of those is the McCormack/Moren family, from Fulwood, who represent three generations of graduates. Frank Moren studied electrical engineering at the Harris Institute in 1952. In 1980 his daughter Gillian started at Preston Polytechnic where she met her future husband Colin McCormack. She returned to study a postgraduate course at Lancashire Polytechnic and in summer last year their son Rory graduated from a UCLan sports coaching and development degree.
"To see how it has grown and developed over the years is wonderful and we look forward to joining in with the planned celebrations during the course of the year."
Colin said: “We’re very proud of our family’s connection to the institution. When my father-in-law attended in the early 1950s only the Harris Building was part of the campus and when my wife and I were students in the early 1980s there was fantastic vibe around the place and there was only a single halls of residence which I stayed in for my first year. After graduation we settled in Preston and raised our family here so when Rory decided to study at the University we were delighted because he was continuing the family tradition.”
He added: “To see how it has grown and developed over the years is wonderful and we look forward to joining in with the planned celebrations during the course of the year.”
Staff and students at the University have already joined together to mark the beginning of the celebrations when they were photographed together in the shape of a giant ‘190’. See how the University created it here https://youtu.be/s9mN2rHA__A
To share your stories use #UCLan190 on social media.