University of Bolton

The University of Bolton traces its origins back to 1824 with the founding of ‘Bolton Mechanics’ Institute. In 1887, the Committee of the Mechanics’ Institute decided that the town’s apprentices required technical instruction for the rapidly expanding engineering advances being made at the turn of the nineteenth century. This resulted in the creation of the new Technical School with student numbers rising to more than 1,500. In 1926, Bolton Technical School became a college. Fifteen years later a new building was opened offering a wide range of technical education choices, with engineering the most popular. In 1964, Bolton Technical College and Bolton Institute of Technology were divided into two separate organisations. A J Jenkinson was Principal of the Technical College, Bolton College of Education (Technical) and then the first Principal of Bolton Institute of Technology. Bolton Institute of Higher Education was formed in 1982 by the merger of the Bolton Institute of Technology and Bolton College of Education. The first principal of BIHE was John McKenzie, who was succeeded by Bob Oxtoby. Oxtoby began the campaign for university status. The university gained its degree awarding powers in 1990. An £8.3 million extension project began in 1991 with the purchase of the former Eagle Factory. Bolton Institute was awarded the right to award taught degrees in 1992, with the powers to award research degrees in 1996. In 1998, Mollie Temple became the third principal and successfully led the institution to achieve university status in 2004. In November 2014, it became the first university in the North West to become a Living Wage employer. In 2023 The University of Bolton applied to change its name to the University of Greater Manchester, pending a consultation period. The current Vice-Chancellor has claimed that potential employers of graduates are prejudiced because Bolton was not widely known of.