Durham University Records: Colleges: Grey College

---

Introduction

	Administrative history
	Contents
	Arrangement
	Related material - here

---

Catalogue

• Colleges
• Grey College
• Foundation, Anniversaries etc
• Governance
• Governing Body/College Council
• Finance Committee
• Joint Consultative Committee
• Social Committee
• Administration
• Master
• Bursar
• Chapel
• Senior Tutor/Vice-Master
• Buildings Plans
• Academic
• Lectures
• Societies, Clubs and Associations
• Grey College J.C.R.
• Grey College M.C.R.
• Grey College S.C.R.
• Grey College Dramatic Society/DramSoc/Fountains Theatre Company/Phoenix Theatre Company
• Literary and Debating Society
• Grey College Association
• Grey College Music Society
• Photographs
• College Groups
• JCR Executive
• Boat Club
• Rugby
• Cricket
• Football
• Hockey
• Other Sports
• Other Organisations
• Individuals
• Groups and Events
• Buildings
• Publications
• Deposits/Donations from Alumni and Others
• Artefacts

---

---

Administrative history

Grey College was founded in 1959 as part of the University’s drive to expand its student population which in 1951 stood at 1,150 (compared to 17,505 in 2014). It was named after Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey (1764-1845) prime minister at the time of the university's foundation, after a plan to name it Oliver Cromwell College in honour of his foundation in Durham of the 1650s proved too controversial. Located on Elvet Hill, this was the first new college of the post-war expansion of Durham University and was linked to the expansion of the university's adjacent Science site. Syd Holgate, the then Secretary of Durham Colleges, was employed to be the new Master. He and his wife Bel were concerned with building a family for the students there, and that community ideal that has since become part of Grey College’s DNA. Eight months before the College opened, there was a terrible fire leaving questions as to whether the College would open. Grey’s first students, 47 men, were undeterred, and took the phoenix as their mascot for obvious reasons. With the support of the staff they had to create every aspect of college life from scratch, setting up a JCR, a calendar of events and a number of sports teams - the rugby team was a particularly big ask, requiring just under a third of the student body.
Many things began then which still happen today with Syd panelling the dining hall at his own expense and a procession of College Days consisting of films and dances. From the beginning, the JCR wanted to “get things done” with an attempt at a Campaign For Nuclear Disarmament Society put forward in 1961 and discontent about the rules about kettles in rooms still being debated in 1975. Grey expanded dramatically in the early years with 358 students studying by 1964. In the 1980s there were concerns that Grey was too insular due to its distance from Durham town centre. The College was still all-male at this point and while the JCR voted to become mixed in 1970, women were not admitted until 1984. Not long after their introduction this perception began to change. By the early 2000s the calendar would be recognisable to students today, with the President’s Guest Night (PGN) and the famous Grey College Fireworks all in place. The College has lost none of its enterprising spirit either; in 2011 students set up Grey In The Community which has run events for both the elderly and the disabled in Durham and recently the Vice Master, Peter Swift, has focused on non-academic learning to create the GrEAT skills programme. The college was also one of the first to set up its own trust in 1990, and it has also developed a significant art collection.
Masters:
1959-1980 Sidney Holgate
1980-1989 Eric Halladay
1989-2003 Victor Watts
2003-2011 Martyn Chamberlain
2011-date Thomas Allen

---

Contents

College records reflect all aspects of the college's life and may include minutes of its governing body/council and other committees, registers and files of its students, administrative and financial papers of its officers such as the master/principal and bursar (including covering maintenance of the buildings), also minutes, accounts, photographs and ephemera of the running of the dining halls and chapels, of the common rooms (senior, middle and junior), and of the student sports clubs and societies, with also on occasion papers of some of the senior and/or junior members, and some artefacts, principally occasional items of clothing such as ties, blazers, tee-shirts or specific college memorabilia.

---

Accession details

The bulk of the college's archive was transferred in March 2018 (Acc No Misc.2017/18:74) with most of it being affected by damp and mould, necessitating lengthy drying out and cleaning. A little material having been received beforehand in February 2007 and May 2011.

Previous custodial history

Always held in the college, except for occasional items donated by usually college alumni

Conditions of access

There is restricted access to administrative records less than 30 years old, with some further restrictions, generally as noted, on records less than 80 years old where the Data Protection Act applies.

Copyright and copying

Permission to make any published use of material from the collection must be sought in advance from the Head of Collections (email pg.library@durham.ac.uk) and, where appropriate, from the copyright owner. The Library will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material

Arrangement

College records are arranged as follows:
A Foundation
B Governance
C Administration
D Academic
E Clubs, Sports, Associations
F Photographs
G Publications and Ephemera
H Deposited/donated collections
I Artefacts
J Associated Trusts

---

The bulk of the archive remains to be appraised, srted and catalogued, but some has been catalogued in 2019 by Michael Stansfield.

Appraisal

Some accessions are appraised on site before transfer, others are appraised when received at Palace Green Library. Clean duplicates are generally removed.

Accruals

Continuous further accruals are anticipated. In April 2004, a retention schedule and other records management procedures were developed for the university's records to facilitate the regular transfer of records from the university's departments and offices to the archive. This draft retention schedule was developed further on the appointment of the first university records manager in August 2006, revised in 2019.

Related material - here

Records about the college also appear in the central archive of the university, particularly UND/C including copies of the college's governing body/council minutes.
Nigel Watson, From the ashes: the story of Grey College, Durham, (Durham 2004)

---

Catalogue

Colleges
Reference: UND/F