“When England had only two universities,

Germany had about fifty, intended to train clerics and

administrators. . . . Instead of passively acquiring
established knowledge, students were expected to learn
how to do original research, helped by the new
institution of the research seminar. These innovations
have fed slowly into British universities, where Mark
Pattison was almost alone in advocating research in
nineteenth-century Oxford.” — Ritchie Robertson.
"The plan I suggest is a great
London University, an institution
for effectively and multifariously
teaching, examining, exercising,
and rewarding with honours in the
liberal arts and sciences the youth
of our middling rich people
between the ages of 15 or 16 and 20
or later"
Thomas Campbell.
The "junior departments" of the
University of London's founding
colleges were only for boys; it was
not until 1848 that any provision
was made for girls. This was when
F. D. Maurice and his colleagues
at King's founded Queen's College
and Ladies’ College. From the
start, Queen's College was open to
all girls over the age of twelve.