Part I. 10 July - 24 November 1952. Part II. 26 November 1952 - 18 February 1953. Part III. 26 November 1952 - 27 February 1953. Part IV. 15 January - 19 May 1953.
"University College Dundee: The Last Decade", by Douglas Wimberley. Volume III of "Scottish Soldier, an Autobiography; (a private account for my wife and family)". [Typescript copies of this and other volumes of the autobiography are deposited in the National Library of Scotland].
First impressions of U.C.D. in 1946. Installation as Principal of U.C.D. - Interview with Newspaper Proprietor - My predecessor, Principal Fulton - First meeting with U.G.C. - Organisation of St. Andrews University and of U.C.D. - Appointment of P.A.
1949. Lord Cooper's Inquiry. Article in Glasgow Herald - Retention of services of K.C's by Court, Council and Governors (Independent ) to help prepare cases for Inquiry - Composition of the Inquiry - Preparation of precis of evidence by Court, Senate, Council and Governors respectively - Decision to give personal evidence - Governors Meeting 22 March - Privacy of evidence - Visit of Lord Cooper - My evidence - Report published - Personal decision to accept Report - Correspondence with Cooper and Irvine - Two new professional Chairs.
Extra-mural activities in 1949. Ploys of our children - Field Marshals at London HD Dinner - Freedom of Fort William for Camerons - Alamein picture - Renewed issue of the Kilt - Holyrood - My father's death - Investiture and Stall Plate in Abbey - Divisional History - Lord Robert's Workshops - Fishing in Sutherland - Glasgow Exhibition - Kinara - Lectures at Brighton and Sandhurst.
The aftermath of the Cooper Inquiry in 1949. Q.C's opinions - Court do not accept Cooper in its entirety - Council postpone decision till October, when they support its full implementation - Governors fail to vote Independents on to Council - They refuse to endorse Council's decision by required majority - They refuse to meet Court - Court now suggests meeting Council without Governors - Council under pressure to refuse invitation - Council so inform S. of S. - now clear to me that "Cooper" will never be implemented from inside University.
1950, leading to the U.G.C. visit in November. U.C.D. realises that "Cooper" will never be implemented - Dundee School of Economics - Court's views on Cooper - Education Board's views on Cooper - Attempts at common ground between Council, Governors and City fail - Council considers Court's views on "Cooper" - Council fail to get Governors to support need for Commission - Private correspondence with Lord Cooper - Financial dispute with Court - Dispute over L.L.B. Degree - Disagreement re scope of proposed U.G.C. visit - Irvine's confidential memo on Finance released by Council to Governors - Court veto development of Arts in Dundee - Visit of U.G.C. in November.
Extra-mural, (and other University and College), activities in 1950. Nicoll pictures gifted to College - Rector visits U.C.D. - Our Silver Wedding - Chair of Medicine - Unveiling of St. Valery War Memorial - Visit to Orleans - D.C. Thomson's money gift to U.C.D. - Plans for land extension for U.C.D. - Horticultural Research Station - Visit by Mayor of Orleans - 500th Anniversary of St. Salvators - Rector opens West Park Extension - Lady Burghley lays Foundation Stone Ewing Building - Visit to Motherwell.
1951, and the events leading up to the announcement of a Royal Commission. University asks for Royal Commission - My visit to U.G.C. over Finance - Academic Orator - Independents appointed to College Council - Financial deficits of U.C.D. - Senate fail to debate Cooper's recommendations - Teaching methods in University - Visit to U.G.C. over Building and to Cambridge for Maths Professor - Views of Faculty of Arts - Court's Reserve Funds - Royal Commission composition announced in Parliament - Illness of Irvine.
Preparations for, and arrival of the Royal Commission. 1951. Senate discusses interchange of Staff - Made Hon. Col. O.T.C. - Arranging Commission's visit to University - Chair of Maths - Arranging evidence by Council, Governors, and Education Board - Governors two meetings - Arranging Senate evidence - Countess of Athlone attends Graduation - U.C.D. members dissent from Court's Evidence - Council representatives and also Wimberley give oral evidence in Edinburgh.
Extra Mural and other activities in 1951. Glasgow Cathedral windows - Lord Mayor's Banquet - Culloden Moor Ceremony - Kilts for O.T.C. - Blue Hackle - Order of the Bath Service - Mod Concert - Inverness Freedom for Princess - Visit to Arduaine Argyll - B.A. Meeting Edinburgh - Murrayfield Highland Games - Arbroath Pageant - Fishing Holiday - Skye Balls - Made Colonel Camerons - Funeral of Lochiel - Divisional Dinner - Salvation Army - Aberdeen Dance - New duties as Colonel, Camerons.
Awaiting, and then apprising the Commission's Findings, up to the sudden death of Irvine. 1951-1952. Differences over administration of Medical School - Student Charities Campaign - Undesirable student custom at Graduations - Findings of the Commission - Correspondence re findings with Philip, Q.C., Tedder, Irvine and Knox - Press reports on Commissions findings - Correspondence regarding findings - Court and Senate accept Findings - Death of Irvine - His character.
Extra-mural and other College and Regimental activities in 1952. Illness - Elder of the Kirk - Funeral of King George VI - Speechifying - Police College - Royal visit to Edinburgh - B.B.C. Programme - Waterloo Ball - Fishing in Sutherland - Montgomery in Glasgow - Aviemore War Memorial - Visit of Mayor of Orleans - and High Commissioner of Canada - Country Dancing.
The aftermath of the Royal Commission's Report. 1952. Council approves Commission's Findings - Governors petition S. of S. - W.R.A.C. Contingent - Knox continues as Acting Principal - We work together - Joint visits to St. Andrews House - Failure to purchase Queen's Hotel - Lord Crawford as Rector - Macbeath appointed Chair of Maths - Council's annual Report to Governors.
The University of St. Andrews Act, 1953. Criticisms of Draft Bill - My position - views on incorporation of Colleges - Governors Meeting - Fenton, Chairman of Council - Council refuse comment on Bill - Amendments discussed in Lords - Academics and minority Council press Bill be unamended - Clause 5 - Peacock's Committee - Lords Crawford and Tedder meet - Knox worried - Edinburgh meeting, Philip present - Crawford moves reworded Clause 5 in Lords - Troubles with Fenton - Debate in Commons - Troubles over possible change in University's name - Wear and tear on Court members - Bill becomes Act.
Extra-mural and other activities in 1953 until the passing of the University Act. Dinner speeches - Rector's Installation - Charities Week - Visit to Keele University College - Coronation Ceremony in Westminster Abbey - History of 51st Div. published - Letters - Highland Society of London dinner - Sale of Rembrandt drawing - Appointment of new Colonel in Chief - Coronation visit to Edinburgh - Friends staying in Dundee - Cambridge conference - Inverness Military Display.
The Court decide that the new Head of the Dundee College will be an academic. 1953. Knox made Principal of University - My last Court Meeting - Appointment of Statutory Commissioners and Crown Assessors - Suggestion I withdraw candidature as Dundee Head - My candidature remains - Court propose a part - time Academic Head - Protests in Dundee - Decision changed to full time Academic - Last Governors' meeting - Informed I am not to be appointed - College staff so informed - Question of nomenclature for new College and its Head.
Extra mural and other activities during the remainder of 1953. Freedom of Inverness - Son's marriage - Fishing in Sutherland - Balls and dinners - Nova Scotia Ceremony - De Guingand's comments - Engineering Chair - Inverness British Legion - Council of Highland Colonels - Invitation to Gibraltar - Future son - in - law - Visits to Spain - Journey home.
Dundee's fight to retain me as Principal. 1954. Dundee press publicity - Views of Wynne Jones, Cunningham, Carlton, R. Thomson, Wilfred Taylor and Tulloch - Suggestion made University Lecturer - Times Educational Supplement - Suggestion re withdrawal of candidature - U.C.D. Staff protest to Commissioners - Court ask them for advice - Correspondence with Rector - Staff secret ballot on me - U.C.D. Council, Corporation and County Council protest to Commissioners - They take evidence - My evidence - Am informed Commissioners uphold Court.