To celebrate Sir David Attenborough's 100th birthday, the University of Leicester has shared a rarely seen photograph from his brief time as a student there in 1945. However, David's connection to the campus goes back much further, thanks to his father's role at the institution.
Family Legacy
In 1932, Frederick Attenborough was appointed the second principal of University College Leicester, which later became the University of Leicester. When the Attenborough family arrived and moved into College House, David was five years old, while his brothers Richard and John were eight and four, respectively. All three boys attended Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys, now known as Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College, which backs onto the university campus.
Student Days
Later, David studied at University College while waiting for his scholarship to the University of Cambridge to be processed. The photograph shows a 19-year-old David posing with fellow students and staff on the lawn outside the Fielding Johnson Building. This building was a former Victorian asylum, which had provided an exciting place for David and his brothers to explore as children.
"There were lots of places to play, not the least of which were the disused sections of the lunatic asylum. And they were rather ghoulish, really," he told Dr Elizabeth Blood in a 2022 interview. "We would explore these as boys and we found a padded cell, which was quite frightening, really. There was a small window just at the top beyond reach… and my brothers, being brothers, you know, shut me in."
Campus Adventures
According to Sir David, the campus was an 'adventurous place' for children with 'plenty of space'. He recalled the 'glorious copper beech tree just outside College House' and a tree house where he 'spent a lot of time'. Life on campus could also be profitable. When the zoology department needed newts, young David went pond-dipping for amphibians and sold them to the college for three pence each.
The photo from his Leicester student days was taken while he was studying botany and zoology. Dr Simon Dixon said: "The photograph captures the small student community towards the end of the Second World War. Standing behind Frederick Attenborough are three technical officers from the Chinese Army who had come to Leicester to study radar under Professor EA Stewardson."
The university would love to hear from anyone who can help identify other students in the picture.
