John Henry Nicholson (21 September 1889 – 9 August 1972) was the second Principal of University College Hull, and the first Vice-Chancellor of the

University of Hull The University of Hull is a public research university in Kingston upon Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1927 as University College Hull. The main university campus is located in Hull and is home to the Hull ...

. Dr John H Nicholson was educated at the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

, where he gained a 'double first' in theology. His scholarly interests centred on 'extra-mural education'. He taught at the

University of Bristol , mottoeng = earningpromotes one's innate power (from Horace, ''Ode 4.4'') , established = 1595 – Merchant Venturers School1876 – University College, Bristol1909 – received royal charter , type ...

and later was made a professor at what was to become

Newcastle University Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a UK public university, public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is ...

(then part of the

University of Durham Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by royal charte ...

). Nicholson was the second Principal of University College Hull, from 1935 to 1954. He guided the college through the difficult years of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, and oversaw the transition of the university college to the status of a fully independent university, becoming the new university's first vice-chancellor (1954-1956). He had a slight and rather hunched appearance and a heavy smoking habit, even smoking through committee meetings. Nicholson was a bachelor throughout his career, on leaving the university he retired to the city of

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

.Hoggart, pp. 106-107

References

Bibliography

*Bamford, T.W. (1978) ''The University of Hull: the First Fifty Years'', Published for the University of Hull by Oxford University Press. *Hoggart, R. (1994) ''A Measured Life: The Times and Places of an Orphaned Intellectual'', Transaction Publishers. 1889 births 1972 deaths Academics of the University of Hull {{England-academic-bio-stub