William Kenrick

You always wondered why the library and directorate at City North was called Kenrick didn't you? Oh well just in case you ever did it is because the building (which was built after Attwood to Galton) was named after William Kenrick who was the first chairman of Birmingham Polytechnic.

William Edmund Kenrick FRSA was a prominent Midlands industrialist who held a number of posts in public office in Birmingham and the Black Country as well as running his own hardware company. He was a former chairman of the College of Art & Design and had a key role in the formation of the City of Birmingham Polytechnic of which he became it's first chairman in 1971.

He was not without controversy however. In 1976 he was quoted as saying students at the poly were "second class" and their role was to be "NCOs not officers". This gained him condemnation from the then Perry Barr MP Jeff Rooker.

William Kenrick was killed in a road accident on June 20th 1981 and was immortalised when the new library of the polytechnic was named the William Kenrick Library. It continued with that name until at least 1991 or 1992 when the name became "just" Kenrick. But it remains the nerve centre of the university with the university's Directorate still being housed there as well as the main library and CICT facilities.

Refs:

The Times, Thursday, Jul 09, 1981; pg. 18; Issue 60975; col G
     Mr W. E. Kenrick Prominent Midland industrialist
Category: Obituaries

Labour MP faults universities
JOHN FAIRHALL Education Correspondent The Guardian (1959-2003); Mar 20, 1976; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The Guardian and The Observer (1791-2003) pg. 4