Collection UR-SF 11 - Major-General Douglas Neil Wimberley, Principal of University College, Dundee

Major General Neil Douglas Wimberley, CB, DSO, MC was the former Commanding Officer of the 51st Highland Division and Commandant of the Army Staff College, Camberley and was appointed Principal of University College Dundee on 1 October 1946. Wimberley was educated at Cambridge before entering Sandhurst. Staff at University College Dundee had experienced strained relations with those of St Andrews in the few years up to 1946 and the appointment of Wimberley served to boost morale. Despite initially enjoying good relations with Principal Irvine of St Andrews, within a year Wimberley was aware that the position UCD held and the regard in which it was held by Principal Irvine. Wimberley began to examine ways in which UCD could exist and at the same time develop within the St Andrews University framework. Whilst Wimberley was in favour of strengthening the financial and position of UCD he did not support any moves for separation of UCD from St Andrews. During Wimberley's tenure, a number of very capable academics joined the staff at Dundee and made concerted efforts to develop the courses and with support from the University College Council, develop the physical structures of campus. The period of examination of the roles of each constituent part of St Andrews University resulted in the Cooper and Tedder reports, both of which involved large scale reorganisation. Queen's College was established in 1954 as a direct result of the findings of a Royal Commission. This reported in April 1952 that the incorporation of University College, Dundee in the University of St Andrews could not continue as it was and made recommendations regarding the restructuring of the two institutions. Wimberley was not considered for the post of Master of Queens College and retired in 1954.