Key
Early years
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1865 Oxford School of Art founded
Oxford Brookes University begins life as the Oxford School of Art, occupying one room on the ground floor of the Taylor Institution in the city centre.
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1870 School of Science incorporated
The School begins offering a wide range of scientific and technical subjects and evening classes in the University Museum.
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1871 The Taylor Institution
School moves into the basement in the Taylor Institution, to make way for what is now the Ruskin School of Art.
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1888 New chemistry laboratory
Provided at Wesleyan School.
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1891 Oxford City Technical School
The School is taken over by Oxford City Council’s Technical Instruction Committee and renamed Oxford City Technical School. -
1894 St Ebbe's site is opened
Used mainly for evening classes, but also as a day school.
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1899 Rapid growth
School's rapid growth leads to the site being declared inadequate by the Department of Science and Art. Expansion of the site is forbidden - but the School remains here for another 50 years!
The John Henry Brookes years
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1928 John Henry Brookes
John Henry Brookes becomes Vice-Principal of the Oxford City Technical School and Head of the School of Art. At this point, the School is scattered over 19 sites around the city. Over the next 30 years he exerts a powerful influence on the development of the institution. He is committed, throughout his life, to the goal of making education available to all. -
1929 Training courses for architects are introduced within the School of Art.
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1931 Visiting lecturers include Kenneth Clark, Noel Carrington and Clough Williams-Ellis.
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1934 Technical School and School of Art merge
Formation of the Schools of Technology, Art and Commerce. John Henry Brookes is elected the first Principal.
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1943 City Technical College?
It is envisaged that the institution can be transformed into a City Technical College. Negotiations begin for suitable site.
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1949 A new location
A 25-acre site is secured on Headington Hill.
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1950 Planning permission rejected
Despite Ministry of Education setting aside £250,000 for first phase of the new technical college's development, City Council rejects plans. Amidst public outcry, public campaign is launched by Kenneth Wheare, Oxford University's Gladstone Professor of Government.
"...most local authorities make some curious decisions in their time, but we cannot recall one so astonishing as the City Council's flat rejection...of the proposed College. It seems almost impossible that such a thing could happen in Oxford, which should be in the forefront of educational matters..." - Oxford Times leader, 22 September 1950
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1952 Move to Headington
Proposals for new technical college are approved by City Council. Name of institution is changed to College of Technology, Art and Commerce.
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1953 John Brookes awarded OBE
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1955 Move to Headington
Lord Nuffield lays the foundation stone. John Henry Brookes refers to the move to Headington as 'setting foot in the Promised Land'.
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1956 Oxford College of Technology
John Henry Brookes retires. The institution is renamed yet again, becoming the Oxford College of Technology.
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1960 First student residence, Cotuit Hall, opened
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1963 Official opening
HRH The Duke of Edinburgh visits the newly completed site at Headington to preside at its official opening. -
1967 Polytechnics
Government announces firm proposals for the development of 29 polytechnics, including one in Oxford.
Oxford Polytechnic
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1970 Oxford Polytechnic
The Oxford College of Technology becomes Oxford Polytechnic. -
1974 Control of Polytechnic passes to Oxfordshire County Council
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1975 John Henry Brookes dies
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1976 Wheatley campus
Oxford Polytechnic acquires a new campus at Wheatley, just outside the city centre, when it amalgamates with Lady Spencer-Churchill teacher training college. The Wheatley Campus remains an Oxford Brookes site until 2024.
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1988 Oxford Polytechnic incorporates the Oxford School of Nursing
It becomes one of first polytechnics to achieve accredited status from the Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA)
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1989 Independence
Polytechnic becomes independent statutory corporation and ceases to be maintained by Oxfordshire County Council.
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1991 Oxford Polytechnic becomes one of first allowed to confer degrees on behalf of the CNAA
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1991 Government announces creation of universities from polytechnics
Oxford Brookes University
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1992 Oxford Brookes University
Oxford Polytechnic becomes a university under government legislation, and decides to honour its founding Principal, John Brookes, in its new title. Dorset House School of Occupational Therapy in Oxford also becomes part of the new institution. -
1992 Dorset House School of Occupational Therapy becomes part of Oxford Polytechnic
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1993 Headington Hill Hall
Oxford Brookes University acquires the 14-acre Headington Hill Hall site, formerly home to media tycoon Robert Maxwell and Pergamon Press.Princess of Wales visits the University as part of the celebrations to mark its new status.
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1994 First Chancellor
The University elects Baroness Helena Kennedy QC as its first Chancellor, and moves into Headington Hill Hall.Opening of Warneford Hall increases hall of residence places to over 2,000.
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1994 OILP
The Oxford Institute of Legal Practice (OILP), a joint venture with Oxford University, received its first students.
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1995 Centre for Sport opens
The University opens a new £1.3million Centre for Sport, with a fitness suite, climbing wall, and sports hall.
Brookes wins three Partnership Awards, the prestigious national prizes celebrating innovation in teaching and learning.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu visits the University.
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1996 Student Centre opens
A new Student Centre on the Headington Hill site.
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1996 Awards
Brookes judged top new university in the influential league table published by the national newspaper The Times.
Brookes wins three Partnership Awards, the prestigious national prizes celebrating innovation in teaching and learning.
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1996 New Arts Building
School of Art, Publishing and Music moves in to newly refurbished building on Headington Hill Campus named Richard Hamilton Building in honour of founding father of Pop Art movement.
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1997-8 Professor Graham Upton is appointed Vice-Chancellor in 1997, taking over from Professor Clive Booth.
Brookes judged top new university for the second year running by The Times.
New research centre opened, providing a central resource for research students.
Brookes awarded Lottery funding to develop a new football pitch at Wheatley Campus.
HRH The Duke of Edinburgh visits Brookes to see undergraduates at work in the automotive engineering laboratory.
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1999 Paul Kent Hall
New halls of residence opened, named in honour of former governor Dr Paul Kent and built on the site of former military barracks in Headington.
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1999 Brookes restaurant first opens
A new training restaurant opens for students of Hotel and Restaurant Management.
Brookes judged top new university for the fourth year running by The Times.
The men's VIII rowing team crowned British University Sports Association champions for the eighth successive year.
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2000 Westminster Institute of Education
Oxford Brookes University merges with Westminster College to create the new Westminster Institute of Education.
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2000 The University hosts Venturefest, Oxford's education, innovation and business showcase.
The Centre for Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism was officially launched one of 24 Government funded centres promoting high quality teaching
Three Brookes rowers win Olympic gold medals, Rowley Douglas, Ben Hunt-Davis and Fred Scarlett, who were also awarded MBEs.
Royal Literary Fund appoint one of its Fellows, Poet Mario Petrucci, to take up residence at Brookes as part of the Fellowship Scheme for Writers in Higher and Further Education.
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2001 A new Chancellor, and a Queen’s Anniversary Prize
Oxford Brookes appoints Jon Snow, the award-winning journalist and Channel 4 News presenter, as its new Chancellor. Brookes also wins the prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize for its MSc course in Development Practice, a pioneering course run by the Centre for Development and Emergency Practice for humanitarian professionals who work with victims of war, disaster and urban poverty around the world. -
2001 Improved rankings
Brookes joins elite top 50 universities in The Times Good University Guide for the first time, and is top new university for the sixth year running.
New state-of-the-art Media Centre opened housing the reprographics unit, communications and graphics teams.
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2002 Top new university for 7th year in a row in The Times league tables.
The School of Architecture celebrates its 75th anniversary.
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2003 New student accommodation
The first phase of a new hall of residence in Marston Road opens, named Clive Booth Hall after our former Vice-Chancellor. This is followed by Cheney Student Village, a 750-room hall of residence.
Brookes purchases the former Milham Ford School in Marston to relocate the School of Health and Social Care on one site.
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2004 OISD
The University's first research institute, the Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development is launched, to be followed by a number of other institutes.
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2004 New halls and Boat House
Cheney Student Village, a new 750-room hall of residence, opened.
Opening of the Cholsey Boat House for the highly-rated Oxford Brookes rowing team.
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2005 School of Health and Social Care
The School of Health and Social Care's new building in Marston Road is opened by HRH the Princess Royal, providing a dedicated centre for professional health and social care education.
Oxford Brookes Business School opens a Postgraduate Centre.
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2006 A new research building
Jon Snow opens the Buckley Building, a dedicated space for the University's thriving research community.
The School of Technology moves to the Wheatley Campus. A new three storey, steel frame and concrete building, houses new lecture theatres and classrooms together with workshops and laboratories for the Departments of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering and the new Motorsport Engineering Centre.
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2006 Campus redevelopment planned
Extensive public consultations are held on plans for major redevelopments of both Wheatley and Headington campuses.
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2007 New facilities at Wheatley Campus
The University opens two new buildings, a state-of the-art facility dedicated to engineering and housing Brookes’ Motorsport Engineering Centre, and the Simon Williams Undergraduate Centre, an exciting social space, providing an alternative to lecture halls, libraries and study bedrooms. The buildings are officially opened by David Richards CBE, Chairman of Prodrive and new owner of Aston Martin, and Chancellor Jon Snow respectively.
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2007 Environmental and conservation awards
Oxford Brookes is awarded fifth place in a new environmental league table of universities and receives a first class rating for its environmental credentials, as well as a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for its world-class MSc in Primate Conservation.
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2007 Change of Vice-Chancellor
Professor Graham Upton retires as Vice-Chancellor in August. His successor, Professor Janet Beer, is inaugurated in September.
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2008 Shami Chakrabarti appointed Chancellor
In July Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty and respected human rights campaigner, replaces Jon Snow as Chancellor of the University.
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2009 Further awards
Oxford Brookes is named the UK’s best post-1992 university for the ninth year running in The Sunday Times’ University Guide and also becomes the first university to win a Gold EcoCampus award in recognition of its approach to sustainability.
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2010 10 years as best new university
Oxford Brookes is named the UK’s best post-1992 university for the tenth year running in The Sunday Times’ University Guide.
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2014 150th Annniversary celebrations
Oxford Brookes begins a year of events to celebrate our roots in 1865.
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2015 New Vice-Chancellor
In January, Vice-Chancellor Professor Janet Beer is succeeded by Professor Alistair Fitt.
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2015 New Chancellor
In March, Dr Katherine Grainger CBE, British rower and Olympic 2012 gold medalist, replaces Shami Chakrabarti as Chancellor of the University.
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22 May 2015 Oxford Brookes’ Anniversary
Held at the Taylor Institution, where the Oxford School of Art was first based, Oxford Brookes’ official birthday celebrations centred on a special performance by Flintlock Theatre. Written by Anna Glynn, Educating Oxford told the story of Oxford Brookes beginning with its origins, the development of the institution and the people who were the driving force behind the institution flourishing into the internationally renowned University it is today.
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2016 World's top 200 international universities
Oxford Brookes is named in the world's top 200 international universities by Times Higher Education.
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2016 Swindon Campus
The University opens the new Swindon Campus increasing its higher education provision in the town.
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2017 Rowing success
Oxford Brookes became the number one rowing university in the UK after winning a record haul of medals at the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Regatta 2017. They won 41 Gold, 51 Silver and 31 Bronze medals.
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2017 Top university under 50
Oxford Brookes was the only UK university in the QS ranking of top 50 institutions under 50 years old QS World University Rankings Top 50 Under 50 2018.
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2017 New state of the art lab facilities
The University celebrated the opening of new laboratory facilities for Biological and Medical Sciences in the refurbished Sinclair building.