Henry Overton Wills III
Henry Overton Wills III ( December 22, 1828 - September 4, 1911 ) was the first Chancellor of the University of Bristol .
Life
Wills had been with the WD & HO Wills family firm in Bristol since 1846, but retired from active business in 1880 for health reasons. The company was active in the tobacco trade and in the manufacture of tobacco products.
After the company merged under the name Imperial Tobacco , the wealth of the Wells family increased and they were able to make significant contributions to local foundations. The most significant contribution was when his son George Alfred Wills was able to announce in 1908 that his father would commit the amount of £ 100,000 (in 2011 that would be around € 8 million) if a charter for the University of Bristol was issued within two years should be done. With this certificate and other donations, the university was founded in 1909. Wills became the university's first chancellor . At his death the value of his estate was £ 5,214,821.
Henry Overton Wills III was the cousin of Imperial Tobacco's first chairman, William Henry Wills.
University building
The Wills Memorial Building , which was built in the late Gothic style between 1915 and 1928, is the tallest building in the University of Bristol. It received this name from his sons George and Harry Wills in his memory.
One of the family's homes in Bristol, Downside House , is now a student residence called Wills Hall .
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Wills, Henry Overton III |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British industrialist and benefactor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 22, 1828 |
| DATE OF DEATH | September 4, 1911 |