Something a bit different for this entry of Back through the Bulletin. We take a look back at an issue from December 1979 when the Bulletin ran a ‘Grand University Quiz’. 

Below we have reproduced the quiz in full – how many can you get right? (Remember we are looking for answers that would have been correct in 1979, when the questions were written). 

Grand University quiz (or do you know…?)

Section A – Names

1. The two Chancellors of the University
2. The three Vice-Chancellors of the University
3. Six Presidents of the Students’ Union
4. Four Cabinet Ministers whose offspring have attended the university (Cabinets from 1959 to present)
5. Two UK Prime Ministers who have received honorary degrees
6. The winner of the Ladies Jubilee Wimbledon
7. A Sussex Graduate who won a gold medal in the 1976 Olympics
8. The principal benefactor of the Sports Pavilion
9. The principal benefactor of the Meeting House
10. The distinguished academic who opened the Accelerator Building
11. Two former professors of the University who are now (or will shortly be) Vice-Chancellors elsewhere
12. The principal architect of the University
13. The principal landscaper of the site 

Section B – Years

14. The year in which the University Charter was granted

15. The year in which the University first accepted students

16. The year of the Red Paint affair

17. The year of the Huntingdon affair

18. The year Falmer House was awarded a RIBA medal

19. The year H.M. The Queen opened the University Library

20. The years Sussex won University Challenge 

Section C – Buildings

21. Name all five Park Houses

22. Name the Vice-Chancellor’s residence

23. Which building won a Civic Trust Award

24. In which buildings are the following rooms: Phillips Room, Room 112, Barlow Room, Orange Room, Lewes Room

25. Where is the Biology Field Station

26. What was the original name of the Mantell Building

27. What is the correct name of the IDS Building 

Section D – Various

28.  What were the house numbers of the temporary ‘campus’ in Preston Road the year the University started

29. Why is Mr. Brewer known as “The Admiral”

30. Give the meaning of the following sets of initials: IDS, SPRU, ARC, IMS, IMG, CCE, PVTA

31. Which of the following bands never played at the University: Cream, Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Wings, Who

32. Had a sixth Park House been built, what (according to the rules) would it have been called

33. Reginald M.Phillips of Brighton was a major benefactor of the University. In what year was he born – in Roman numerals

34.  Name the University magazine of comment produced in the late 60s/early 70s

35. Give the wave band of Radio Falmer

36. Give the University motto

37. From which Psalm is the University motto taken

38. What was presented to the University in memory of Sir Hugh Beaver, the first treasurer

39. Name the longest running Union society

40.  How many students were arrested as a result of The Troubles on campus in June 1979

41. Name the (separate) links between the University and (a) the Fourth Man and (b) the Great Train Robbers

See the answers at the bottom of this article.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answers

1. The two Chancellors of the University are Viscount Monckton and Lord Shawcross.
2. The three Vice-Chancellors are Sir John Fulton (now Lord Fulton), Asa Briggs (now Lord Briggs) and Sir Denys Wilkinson.
3. The (known) Presidents of the Students’ Union are: Adrian Mugridge (61), John Lambert (63), Ian Small (64), Lorne Duncan (65), Tim Shaw (66), Malcolm Reid (66), Tom Macan (67), Tez Quirke (68), Tom Forester (69), Brian Leahey (70), Dave Feintuck (71), Dave Youlton (72), Cam Matheson (73), Judy Coutinho (74), Kit Kelley (75), Lindsay Thomas (76), Peter Silkin (77), Su Wilkins (78), Richard Flint (79), Helen Dawson (79).
4. The (known) Cabinet Ministers whose offspring have attended the University are: Henry Brooke, Sam Silkin, Tony Benn, Douglas Jay.
5. The two UK Prime Ministers who received Honorary Degrees are Sir Harold Wilson and Harold Macmillan.
6. Virginia Wade won Wimbledon in 1977.
7. Adrian Parker got a Gold Medal in the 1976 Olympics.
8. Sir Alan Cottrell opened the Accelerator Building.
9. Sir Sydney Caffyn was the principal benefactor of the Meeting House.
10. Sir Denys Lowson donated the Sports Pavilion.
11. Professor John Scott is now Vice-Chancellor of La Trobe University, Professor Tony Low is now Vice-Chancellor of the Australian National University, Professor John West is now Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bradford, and Professor Mike Thompson is Vice-Chancellor designate of the University of East Anglia.
12. The main architect of the University was Sir Basil Spence.
13. The main landscaper was Dame Sylvia Crowe.
14. The Charter was granted on August 16, 1961.
15. The first students were accepted in 1961.
16. The Red Paint Affair was in 1968.
17. The Huntingdon affair was in 1973.
18. Falmer House was awarded a RIBA medal in 1962.
19. The Queen opened the University Library on November 13, 1964 (a Friday)
20. Sussex won University Challenge in 1967 and 1969.
21. The five Park Houses are Essex, York, Lancaster, Norwich and Kent.
22. The Vice-Chancellor lives in Ashcombe House.
23. The Meeting House won a Civic Trust Award in 1969. (Since setting the questions the compilers have also discovered that Norwich and Essex Houses won a Civic Trust Award in 1966.)
24. Library (Phillips Room), Falmer House (Room 112), Library (Barlow), Refectory (Orange Room), Falmer House (Lewes Room).
25. The Biology Field Station is at the Isle of Thorns.
26. The Mantell Building was originally called the Nuffield Research Building.
27. The correct name of the IDS  building is the Andrew Cohen Building.
28. The temporary ‘campus’ was at 259/261 London Road.
29. Mr. Brewer is known as ‘The Admiral’ because of his long service in the Navy – becoming a CPO.
30. IDS: Institute of Development Studies; SPRU: Science Policy Research Unit; ARC: Agricultural Research Council; IMS: Institute of Manpower Studies; IMG: International Marxist Group; CCE: Centre for Continuing Education; PVTA: Park Village Tenants Association.
31. Of the bands listed only the Rolling Stones and Wings have never played at the University (although Mick Jagger has visited the campus).
32. The sixth Park House would have been named after the next of the New Universities of the 1960’s – Warwick.
33. Reginald M.Phillips was born in MDCCCLXXXVII. The answer to this question appears numerous times on the serval plaques around the campus noting Reginald M.Phillips’ generosity.
34. The University magazine of comment was called Focus. (Wine Press was a purely student venture.)
35. Radio Falmer broadcasts on 312m.
36. The University motto is ‘Be Still and Know’.
37. ….and it comes from Psalm 46.
38. Sir Hugh Beaver, the first treasurer, is commemorated by the music practice room in the Gardner Arts Centre.
39. The longest running Union Society is the Film Society.
40. Five students were arrested in June 1979.
41. The (separate) links between the University and (a) the Fourth Man and (b) the Great Train Robbers are that in each case one of the principals in the escapade had a son or daughter at Sussex. In the case of the Fourth Man, Henry Brooke’s (the then Home Secretary) daughter Margaret was at Sussex; and in the Great Train Robbery the son of one of the robber (David Bond) came to Sussex. 

(Connoisseurs of such absurd trivia might also care to note that the Fourth Man was not only a friend of Sir Basil Spence, but was also on the appointing committee for the current Professor of History of Art.)