This is a list of people associated with University College London, including notable staff and alumni associated with the institution.
Founders and supporters
Founders
Apart from Jeremy Bentham, all these men were named (in Latin) on the Foundation Stone.See Harte, N. and North, J. (2004), The World of UCL: 1828–2004, London : UCL Press, p.41 James Abercromby, 1st Baron Dunfermline (1776–1858), Scottish peer and British statesman Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex (1773–1843), Grand Master of English Freemasons (the United Grand Lodge of England), 1813–1843, supporter of UCL; he laid the foundation stone of the new university on 30 April 1827 Alexander Baring, 1st Baron Ashburton (1774–1848), British politician and financier Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832), English philosopher; a leading advocate for the foundation of UCL George Birkbeck (1776–1841), British Quaker, doctor, academic, philanthropist, and early pioneer in adult education; founder of Birkbeck College Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux (1778–1868), Scottish-born British statesman and slavery abolitionist, leading advocate in Parliament for the foundation of UCL Thomas Campbell (1777–1844), Scottish poet, founding father of UCLHarte, N. and North, J. (2004), The World of UCL: 1828–2004, London : UCL Press, p.28 Francis Augustus Cox (1783–1853), Baptist minister, active supporter of the foundation of UCL George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland, British statesman Sir Isaac Lyon Goldsmid (1778–1859), financier, promoter of UK Jewry's emancipation; advocate for the foundation of UCL and a very generous benefactor Olinthus Gregory (1774–1841), English mathematician, author and editor George Grote (1794–1871), English classical historian Henry Howard, 13th Duke of Norfolk (1791–1856), Catholic peer, and advocate for the foundation of UCLHarte, N. and North, J. (2004), The World of UCL: 1828–2004, London : UCL Press, p.31 Joseph Hume (1777–1855), Scottish doctor and politician Zachary Macaulay (1768–1838), Scottish-born slavery abolitionist, Governor of Sierra Leone, and active supporter of the foundation of UCL Sir James Mackintosh (1765–1832), Scottish jurist, politician and historian James Mill (1773–1836), Scottish historian, economist, political theorist, and philosopher; advocate for the foundation of UCL John Russell, 1st Earl Russell (1792–1878), British statesman Henry Warburton (1784–1858), English merchant and politician, and also an enthusiastic amateur scientist John Ward, 1st Earl of Dudley (1781–1833), British statesman William Wilkins (1778–1839), original architect of the main campus Thomas Wilson (1764–1843), Congregationalist benefactor of chapels and educational institutions, founder member of the UCL Council from 1825
A translation of the Latin text engraved on a metal plate that was buried with the foundation stone reads as follows:See an image of that original Latin text in Harte, N. and North, J. (2004), The World of UCL: 1828–2004, London : UCL Press, p.41 To God's favour the greatest and best, eternal architect of the universe may it bring you happiness and good fortune at the beginning of the eighth year of the reign of King George IV of Britain the most highest prince Augustus Frederick Duke of Sussex patron of all the fine arts the oldest order of architecture the highest among the English the foundation stone of the London University between city state [i.e. citizens] and brothers standing around will be placed by his hand to applause.
Day before the day before the Kalends of May
The work of God desired by the most fortunate citizens of this town has begun at last in the year of human greeting 1827 and in the year of light 5827.
In the name of these most illustrious men who are present and with the guidance of Henry Duke of Norfolk, Henry Marquis of Lansdown, Lord John Russell, John, Viscount Dudley and Ward, George, Baron Auckland, the Hon. James Abercrombie and Sir James Macintosh, Alexander Baring, Henry Bougham, Isaac Lyon Goldsmid, George Grote, Zachary Macaulay, Benjamin Shaw, William Tooke, Henry Waymouth, George Birkbeck, Thomas Campbell, Olinthus Gregory, Joseph Hume, James Mill, John Smith, Henry Warburton, John Wishaw, Thomas Wilson, and William Wilkins, architect.
Supporters
Benefactors Sir Herbert Bartlett (1842–1921), civil engineer, enabled the establishment of the UCL Bartlett School of Architecture Sir Francis Galton, eugenicist and supporter of statistics and eugenics at UCL Sir Isaac Lyon Goldsmid (1778–1859), financier, promoter of UK Jewry's emancipation; advocate for the foundation of UCL and a very generous benefactor
Council members Timothy Clement-Jones, Baron Clement-Jones (1949–) Shreela Flather, Baroness Flather (1934–), British politician, UCL alumna, and the first South Asian woman to receive a peerage Sir Stephen Wall, British diplomat, leading Catholic layman, chairman of Council (2008–)UCL News, 13 March 2008, accessed 26 June 2010 Thomas Wilson (1764–1843),Named on the foundation stone, 1827, quoted in Harte, N. and North, J. (2004), The World of UCL: 1828–2004, London : UCL Press, p.41 Congregationalist benefactor of chapels and educational institutions, founder member of the UCL Council from 1825 Thomas Field Gibson (1803–1889), manufacturer and benefactor, on Council 1851–68 Harry Woolf, Baron Woolf, UCL alumnus; variously visitor, deputy chairman and chairman of the Council (2005–08), and chairman of the UCL Institute of Advanced Legal Studies
Fields Medallists The Fields Medal is often described as the "Nobel Prize in Mathematics". The UCL mathematical community has produced three Fields Medallists:
1998: Timothy Gowers Faculty member of the Department of Mathematics (1991–1995) 1970: Alan Baker BSc (1961), professor (1964–1965) 1958: Klaus Roth MSc (1948), PhD (1950), professor (1948–1966)
Former staff
Art, architecture, and design Dame Phyllida Barlow, sculptor Tancred Borenius (1885–1948), art historian, diplomat and British wartime spy Sir Peter Cook (1936–), architect, The Bartlett Professor of Architecture Stuart Brisley, performance artist Thorold Dickinson (1903–84), film maker; Britain's first professor of film studiesUCL News, 18 December 2009 Thomas Leverton Donaldson (1795–1885), architect, first UCL professor of architecture Lucian Freud (1922–2011), painter Roger Fry (1866–1934), painter, art critic Christine Hawley, architect, first female head of the Barlett John Hooper Harvey (1911–97), architectural historian, Bartlett School of Architecture, 1950–59 Tim Head, artist John Hilliard, artist Otto Königsberger (1908–1999), architect Michael (Edward) Parsons (1938–), avant-garde composer, and lecturer in fine art Cameron Sinclair (1973–), co-founder of Architecture for Humanity
Engineering sciences Eric Ash (1928–2021), head of Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Pender Chair 1979–1986 Harold Barlow, staff, then Pender Chair in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering (1950–1966) Thomas Hudson Beare (1859–1940), chair of engineering 1889–1901 Henry Chilver, Baron Chilver of Cranfield (1926–), 1961–69 Jon Crowcroft, professor of networked systems in computer science Alexander Lamb Cullen, head of Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Pender Chair 1967–1980 Sir David Davies, head of the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering (1985–1988) John William Draper, pioneer astro-photographer who also took the oldest surviving picture of a woman Anthony Finkelstein, head of Computer Science and Dean of the UCL Faculty of Engineering Sciences until 2015 John Fleming (1849–1945) William Edward Gibbs (1890–1934), Ramsay Memorial Professor of Chemical Engineering Eaton Hodgkinson, professor of the mechanical principles of engineering (appointed in 1847) Reginald Otto Kapp (1885–1966), head of Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Pender Chair 1935–1945 Peter T. Kirstein (1933–2020), head of computer science department 1980–1994 John Edwin Midwinter (1938–2021), Pender Professor of Electronic Engineering 1991–2004, vice provost 1994–1999 John Millington (1779–1868), the UK's first Civil Engineering professor, appointed in 1827 Sir John O'Reilly, head of the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering (1997–2001) William Pole (1813–1900), 1859–76 William Ramsay (1852–1916), chair of Chemistry (appointed 1887) H. E. Watson (1886–1980), Ramsay Memorial Professor of Chemical Engineering E. C. Williams, first Ramsay Memorial Professor of Chemical Engineering (1923–1927)
Interdisciplinary studies Carl Gombrich, founding programme director of the UCL Arts and Sciences programme and co-founder of the London Interdisciplinary School
Languages and literature Chimen Abramsky, emeritus professor of Hebrew and Jewish Studies Celia Britton, emeritus professor of French A. S. Byatt, senior lecturer in English and American Literature (1972–83); winner of the 1990 Booker Prize Sir Hermann Gollancz, professor of Hebrew; British rabbi (1902–24) Alan Hollinghurst, lecturer in English; deputy editor, The Times Literary Supplement; later winner of the 2004 Booker Prize A. E. Housman, professor of Latin; poet most famous as author of A Shropshire Lad Dan Jacobson, professor of English; author; winner of the prestigious Somerset Maugham Award Sir Frank Kermode, Lord Northcliffe Professor of Modern English Literature (1967–74); literary critic David Masson, professor of English literature; Scottish writer Karl Miller, Lord Northcliffe Professor of English Literature (1976–92); first editor, The London Review of Books Arnaldo Momigliano, professor of history (1951–75) Henry Morley, professor of English literature Dadabhai Naoroji, professor of Gujarati (1856–1865) credited as the first British Asian UK Member of Parliament, also known as the "Grand Old Man of India" Sir Anthony Panizzi , professor of Italian Stephen Spender , lecturer in English; Gresham Professor of Rhetoric; English poet John Sutherland, Emeritus Lord Northcliffe Professor of Modern English Literature; columnist for The Guardian Jeremy Treglown, professor of English; editor, The Times Literary Supplement; author D. P. Walker, reader in French, musicologist, composer (1945–61)Penelope Gouk. "Walker, D.P." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. 2 July 2008. Chicago Stanley Wells, emeritus professor of Shakespeare studies, chairman of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Moira Yip, professor of Linguistics
Law
Mathematical, physical, and space sciences
Jim Al-Khalili, post-doctoral fellow Alan Baker (mathematics), winner of the 1970 Fields Medal William Henry Bragg, inventor of x-ray crystallography and Nobel laureate Jocelyn Bell Burnell (astronomy), discovered radio pulsars Charles Bungay Fawcett, professor of Geography Paul Cohn, Astor Professor of Mathematics Marianna Csörnyei, professor of mathematics Harold Davenport, Astor Professor of mathematics, number theory Philip Dawid, professor of statistics, president of the International Society for Bayesian Analysis Augustus DeMorgan, professor of mathematics, noted for his law of sets Michael J. B. Duff, professor of applied physics, computer scientist Sir Francis Galton, 'father of fingerprinting' Tim Gowers, professor of mathematics; winner of the 1998 Fields Medal Otto Hahn, pioneer of nuclear chemistry, discoverer of nuclear fusion and Nobel laureate Peter Higgs, theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate James Joseph Sylvester, professor of mathematics, algebra and matrix theory Norman Lloyd Johnson, reader in statistics Sir James Lighthill, lecturer; predecessor to Stephen Hawking as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University Dennis Lindley, statistician Sir Harrie Massey, Goldsmid Professor of Applied Mathematics, world expert on atomic and molecular collisions Egon Pearson, professor of Statistics