Records of Glasgow Veterinary College

3.5 metres

This material is original.

In 1859 James McCall, FRCVS, an Ayrshire graduate of the Dick Veterinary College in Edinburgh, started a practice in Hope Street, Glasgow and gave a series of informal lectures. Formal classes began in 1862 and McCall's practice was moved to 399 Parliamentary Road, Glasgow. A royal warrant was granted in 1863 to the new Veterinary College, Glasgow, recognising its teaching for the examination of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, and the first graduate qualified in 1865.

The College moved to new premises in Buccleuch Street, Garnethill, which had formerly been used as a pumping station. There was surplus accommodation to requirement and part of the building was let as a stable and dairy. In 1909 the College was incorporated as The Glasgow Veterinary College, its new governors purchasing the buildings from Principal McCall. In that year the College was also recognized by the Scottish Education Department as a Central Institution and received limited funds from that source. By the outbreak of the First World War, 48 students were attending the College.

The College was without a Government grant from 1925 to 1945, during which time it was financed by student fees, grants from local authorities and private individuals. It was reinstated when the University of Glasgow showed willingness to undertake responsibility for veterinary education under the recommendations of the Loveday Committee.

The Board of Governors formally handed over the College to the University in October 1945. Building began on a new veterinary hospital for clinical and research facilities in the Garscube Estate three miles to the northwest of the main University campus in 1950 and in 1954 the University purchased Cochno Estate, five miles to the northwest of Garscube, for use as a Veterinary Field Station. New teaching buildings for the pre- and para-clinical departments were built at Garscube in the 1960s and Buccleuch Street was closed in 1969. The Veterinary School of the University was established in 1945 within the Medical Faculty, but in 1968 a separate Faculty of Veterinary Medicine was created. By 1988-1999 there were 315 undergraduates at the Glasgow Veterinary School.

The records of Glasgow Veterinary College consist of:

• minutes and corporate records
• financial records
• student records
• staff and teaching records
• property records (1989-1999)
• Vet School Campaign (1989-1999)
• history and miscellaneous records
• photographs
• Veterinary Hospital case lists and other details
• Veterinary hospital financial records

Image from this collection:

Sample page of Glasgow Veterinary College case notes (1971)

• Veterinary Medicine

• McCall | James | founder, Glasgow Veterinary College

• Cochno Estate | c1556 -: | private landed estate | Glasgow (Scotland)
• Dick Veterinary College | 1839-1951| veterinary college | Edinburgh (Scotland)
• Garscube Estate | c1558-1948 | private landed estate | Glasgow (Scotland)
• Glasgow Veterinary College | 1909-1949 | veterinary college | Glasgow (Scotland)
• Glasgow Veterinary School | 1949 -: | veterinary college | Glasgow (Scotland)
• Loveday Committees | 1938-c1948 | research committee on veterinary education
• Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons | 1844-: | veterinary college, London (England)
• Scottish Education Department
• University of Glasgow | c1453-: | university | Glasgow (Scotland)
• Veterinary College, Glasgow | 1863-1909 | veterinary college | Glasgow (Scotland)

• Edinburgh (Scotland)
• Glasgow (Scotland)