Vice-Chancellor's House

The house was built for the university's first vice-chancellor, Baron James of Rusholme, the primary architect of the university, and his wife, Lady Cordelia James. Under the guidance of Lady James, the original internal furnishings were a careful mix of modern and traditional. A key feature of the house was the ability to host events and entertain guests to the university.^[1] In May 1965, Jeremy Thorpe, the then leader of the Liberal Party, had a meeting with Lord James there, examining whether he would be suitable as a Liberal Whip in the House of Lords.^[2]

In 2008, Tom Scott was elected president of the University of York Student Union under the persona of 'Mad Capt'n Tom'. One of his manifesto promises was to have a loaded cannon aimed at the Vice-Chancellor's House.^[3] In 2010, concerns over the expenses of the then vice-chancellor, Brian Cantor, were raised. In all cases, the journey started or ended at the Vice-Chancellors House or Heslington Hall.^[4] Successive vice-chancellors have lived in the house, but the current vice-chancellor, Charlie Jeffrey, chose not to. Instead, the house has been used by the university as student accommodation, as well as storage.^[1] In January 2023, the house was the Twentieth Century Society's 'Building of the month.^[1] The idea of using the house as a permanent art gallery, as opposed to the Norman Rea Gallery which only hosts temporary exhibits, has been muted, but so far no steps have been taken.^[1] The Tab highlighted how well maintained the garden is despite the lack of occupants.^[5]

The early buildings at the university were constructed with the CLASP system, giving them a distinct brutalist appearance. In contrast, the Vice-Chancellor's House, while still contemporary, used bricks and a more traditional appearance to fit into its surroundings.^[6] While the simple appearance of the student accommodation reflected their purpose of occupation by students for short periods, the traditional and more obviously domestic nature of the Vice-Channcellor's House reflected his commitment to the university and significant role in its everyday life.^[7] However, this was not to everyone's taste, with Jeremy Thorpe describing it as "the back end of a crematorium".^[2]