Charles Wilson (political scientist)
| Sir Charles Wilson | |
|---|---|
| Principal of the University of Glasgow | |
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In office 1961–1976 |
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| Preceded by | Sir Hector Hetherington |
| Succeeded by | Sir Alwyn Williams |
| Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester (Principal of University College Leicester, 1952 - 1957) |
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In office 1957–1961 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 16 May 1909 Partick, Glasgow |
| Died | 1 November 2002 (aged 93) |
| Spouse(s) | Jessie Wilson |
| Alma mater | University of Glasgow |
Sir Charles Haynes Wilson (16 May 1909 - 1 November 2002) was a Scottish political scientist and university administrator. As Principal of University College Leicester, he led the institution to university status in 1957 and served as the first Vice-Chancellor of the new University of Leicester, before becoming Principal of the University of Glasgow in 1961. He retired in 1976, and died in 2002. Buildings at both universities have been named in his honour.
Wilson was born in Partick, Glasgow, and attended Hillhead High School. He then studied languages and philosophy at the University of Glasgow, graduating MA in 1932 and holding the University's Faulds Fellowship for two years, studying Political Philosophy.
In 1934, Wilson began lecturing in Political Science at the London School of Economics, and in 1939 was appointed Fellow and Tutor in Modern History and Politics at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, becoming Junior Proctor in 1945. In 1950, he was Visiting Professor of Comparative Government at Ohio State University. In 1952, he was appointed Principal of University College Leicester, becoming the institution's Vice-Chancellor when it was accorded full university status in 1957. He was also involved in the establishment and upgrading of the universities of Sussex, East Anglia and Strathclyde.
In 1961, he succeeded Sir Hector Hetherington as Principal of the University of Glasgow. Professor Hetherington had begun a programme of expansion at the University, which Wilson continued. As well as the establishment of fifty new Chairs, Wilson presided over construction of the Rankine Engineering Building, Queen Margaret Union, Refectory (now the Fraser Building), Adam Smith Building, Boyd Orr Building and Mathematics Building, although the Library, Geology Building and Hunterian Art Gallery remained under construction at the time of his retirement due to financial and planning issues. All of these buildings had modern designs which diverge distinctly from the character of other parts of the University. He was Chairman from 1964 to 1967 of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals, and twice Chairman of the Association of Commonwealth Universities.
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