Terence Burlin
Tuesday August 15, 2006
The Guardian <http://www.guardian.co.uk>
Sir Eric Richardson, who has died aged 101, was an
exponent of polytechnic education who headed three
institutions that have developed into universities -
Salford, City and Westminster - and was a leader of
20th-century evangelical Christianity.
In 1957, he became head of the Regent Street
Polytechnic, which since 1881 had brought education
plus sport, social and spiritual activity to the less
privileged of London, and now sought to cater for
every need, whatever the level. It was the only UK
institution embracing a school and a vast range of
further education courses, as well as undergraduate,
postgraduate and research work, but this was to count
against it.
Although the volume of advanced work was greater than
in many other similar places, the polytechnic was not
designated as a college of advanced technology because
of the non-advanced work, and so was not eligible for
transfer to the university sector when that
possibility arose in 1964. But Richardson grasped the
nettle. Within three months he went to the Ministry of
Education with a plan for expansion, only to be told
to reduce his student intake, as provision was to be
moved away from central London. He completely ignored
this dictate.
By 1964, 70% of the polytechnic's work was advanced,
and a few years later virtually all of it was.
Subsequently, the Inner London Education Authority
accepted Richardson's proposals, and a massive
building programme commenced in 1966 to provide two
new colleges - one to serve the professions of the
construction industry, the other for engineering and
science - plus a school of management studies and a
tower block for student residences.
The polytechnic was ready for the next phase in the
expansion of higher education, namely the
polytechnics. Ironically, the government had chosen
for its policy the very name of the institution which
had brought the word 'polytechnic' into English, but
in 1969 the governors of the day were compelled to
rename it the Polytechnic of Central London, with
Richardson as its first director. His tenure did not
see it become a university, but he had focused its
work on higher education while retaining its
commitment to less privileged Londoners. When, in
1992, the next policy shift permitted, the Polytechnic
of Central London was easily launched as the
University of Westminster.
Born in Woodchurch, Birkenhead, Richardson, barely
breathing and feeding badly, looked set to follow a
brother who had died at seven months. In desperation,
his mother took him to Rhyl, north Wales, where within
weeks he was transformed and equipped with a
constitution that was to last for a century. He
attended Birkenhead higher elementary school and
became a Methodist Sunday schoolteacher; he remained a
devout Christian all his life.
While working as an apprentice in Liverpool, he
attended evening classes at Birkenhead Technical
College and Liverpool Technical College, obtaining his
ONC, HNC and matriculation. With a Birkenhead
scholarship and support from local Methodists, he was
able both to enter Liverpool University and continue
to support his family: he took a first-class BEng
degree in 1931 and a PhD in 1933. His academic career
began at Hull Municipal College, as chief lecturer
(1933-37) and head of electrical engineering
(1937-41). He moved to be principal of Oldham
Municipal Tech-nical College (1942-44) and of the
Royal Technical College Salford, now Salford
University (1944-47).
Richardson was then invited to became principal of
what was then Northampton Polytechnic, so named from
its location in Northampton Square, London EC1, and is
now City University. He had married his wife May in
1941, and part of the motivation for moving to the
capital was access to Great Ormond Street children's
hospital for their daughter Sheila, who sadly died
while under treatment. A decade later he took up the
challenge of Regent Street.
Richardson held many professional offices, becoming
president of the Association of Principals of
Technical Institutions in 1962, the year he was made a
CBE. He was particularly amused by his appointment as
chairman of the General Optical Council; they wanted
to avoid anyone with spe...t knowledge. He served
for 21 years on the advisory committee on colonial
colleges of arts, science and technology - he was
particularly associated with the development of higher
education in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya - and was
knighted in 1967.
His Christian commitment mirrored his professional
life, in Africa as chairman of the African Evangelical
Fellowship (1950-70), and in visiting hospitals and
homes of the Leprosy Mission, of which he was a
council member from 1970 and subsequently chairman
(1974-84). His involvement with youth was reflected in
posts with the National Young Life Campaign, the
Crusaders Union and the University and Colleges
Christian Fellowship. He was a trustee from 1966 of
the Evangelical Trust and its chairman from 1989 to
1999. For the London School of Theology, he acted as
chairman (1970-77) and president (1978-90). He leaves
May and his three surviving children, David, Rosalyn
and Anne.
? John Eric Richardson, electrical engineer, academic
and administrator, born June 30 1905; died July 20
2006
N .A. T. E.
Nigerian Association Of Technologists & Engineers
SMALL SCALE INDUSTRIAL ESTATE PL0T 4 LINCA WAY ISOLO.
P.O.BOX 3910 IKEJA LAGOS STATE.
PHONE: 01-4802798.
