Stagecoach, in partnership with the University, has named nine Unibus buses after the founding professors of the University.

The professors founded the University of Warwick in 1965 with disciplines including French, Engineering, History, Mathematics, Politics and Chemistry. Last year Stagecoach invested £1.6 million in new Wi-Fi fitted, state-of-the-art double deck buses for the Unibus service and offered the University the opportunity of naming the vehicles.

The buses which run from the popular student area of Sydenham to Warwick University via Leamington carry more than 1.8 million students a year. The naming of the buses reflects the close partnership between Stagecoach and the University.

Unveiling event

The buses were officially unveiled at an event held on campus on Sunday 22 September 2013 which was attended by Professor J R (Dick) Sargent, who founded Economics, relatives of the other founding professors, University representatives and Stagecoach managers.

Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Capital Development, Professor Lawrence Young said:

We were delighted that one of the University’s founding professors, Dick Sargent, and the spouses or families of five of the other founding professors, were able to join us and Stagecoach for the bus-naming ceremony. They were really pleased to see how the inscriptions and plaques on the buses had been designed and installed and were justifiably proud of how the University the professors helped to establish has turned out, nearly 50 years later."

Steve Burd, Managing Director for Stagecoach Midlands said:

Last year we introduced our new Unibuses and in partnership with the University we wanted to honour the professors who founded Warwick. Naming the buses was a good way to do that.”

Each bus has the name of a founding professor inscribed on the side of the bus and a plaque inside with details of their achievements.

VIP guests

Attending the event were:

Dick Sargent, founding professor of Economics;

Thelma and Jane Charlton, wife and daughter of Donald Chalton, founding professor of French;

Duncan and Karen Clark, son and daughter-in-law of Malcolm Clark, founding professor of Chemistry;

Lady Sheila Hale and Matthew Hale, wife and son of John Hale, founding professor of History;

Jeannie and Mark Prowen, daughter and son-in-law of Wilfrid Harrison, founding professor of Politics;

and Daphne King and Helen Taylor, wife and daughter of Arthur Shercliff, founding professor of Engineering.

Pictured: (top) Professor Dick Sargent, founding professor of Economics with Stagecoach Midlands MD, Steve Burd; (bottom) families and guests attending the unveiling.