World War One Commemoration

Commemoration Group

Like most communities across the UK, the University of Glasgow sacrificed a significant proportion of its membership to the Great War, with 4,506 serving and 761 losing their lives. On 4 October 1929 Principal and Vice-Chancellor Donald MacAlister opened the Memorial Chapel built in memory of those who fell and served. The Memorial Chapel is an obvious place for the University of Glasgow to focus events to remember and reflect on the impact that WW1 had on the University and its people.

A group has been planning events around the Chapel to commemorate the war, and co-ordinating other University events such as research projects, exhibitions, (medals, war artists, Scottish business at war, University Chapel) and music, poetry, drama and film events, Open Studies opportunities, and lectures.

The Great War impacted on the University as a whole, with contribution and sacrifice cutting across boundaries between staff and students and subjects. The spirit of the university operating as a community continues in this commemoration with activities and events crossing all schools and colleges. Glasgow University has always played an important role in the wider civic community and commemoration activities will continue to reflect this with particular emphasis with schools in the West End and Govan whose students joined the University’s Officers' Training Corps (OTC) in the lead up to the war in 1914.

The group has as a central ethos that the commemoration will not just be a historical reflection but also a reflection of where we are now, and where we are going.  The tenets of the group are commemoration, reconciliation and education. 

Membership