First civic college founded in Nottingham in 1881 Four years after W. E. Gladstone, a former prime minister, placed the foundation stone for the college, Nottingham's first municipal college opened in the heart of the city in 1881. An unnamed benefactor had given £10,000 for a college in exchange for the council building it a suitable structure and giving it £4,000 annually. Move to University Park in 1928 The college expanded its original facility after World War One. The answer came in the form of a kind gift from Sir Jesse Boot of 35 acres of land at Highfields, and the College moved to what is now the main campus, University Park, in 1928. At first, it was housed in the opulent Trent Building, and in November of that year, King George V gave it a formal opening. The College drew well-known visiting lecturers from the start, including Professor Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi, and H. G. Wells. 1948: The University of Nottingham is established The college received a Royal Charter in 1948, changing its name to The University of Nottingham and gaining the authority to confer degrees under its own name. The Midland College of Agriculture in Sutton Bonington joined with the University around this time, leading to the creation of the School of Agriculture. https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/cele/presessional/index.aspx