Available onlineBerrill Building to St Michael's Church
(page 4 of 6)| Image : | OU BBC Production Centre Ceremony |
| Date: | 25-01-1979 |
| Clip: | The opening of the BBC OU Production Centre |
|---|---|
| Duration: | 00:03:03 |
| Date: | 1982 |
4. Perry Building
Walter Perry (1921-2003), later Lord Perry of Walton, was the first Vice Chancellor of The Open University, from 1969 to 1981.
Harold Wilson, who as Prime Minister created The Open University, described Walter Perry as:
"the man who has done more than anyone to ensure the success of what is now recognised in Britian, and in the wider world, as one of the most important educational and social developments of this century."
Walter Laing Macdonald Perry was born in Dundee on 16th June 1921. He attended the University of St Andrews where he gained an MB, ChB (1943), MD (1948) and DSc (1958).
He began his career as a Medical Officer in the Colonial Servies (Nigeria), 1944-1946, and then for the RAF (1946-1947). In 1958 he was appointed Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Edinburgh and its Vice-Principal from 1967 to 1968, until he became Vice Chancellor of The Open University in 1969.
Walter Perry received several honorary degrees and was involved in various societies and commissions, many educational. He was awarded an OBE in 1957, a knighthood in 1974 and was created a Life Peer in 1979, taking the title Baron Perry of Walton. Further information can be found in the Walter Perry online featured item.
The Perry Building was opened by the Prince of Wales in 1982. It was built as a joint OU/BBC production centre. OU module programmes continued to be filmed in the Perry Building until 2001, when filming was outsourced.
Part of the Perry Building was used as a 'clean room' for the preparation of the Beagle 2 'Mission to Mars' probe. The Perry Building has since been refurbished for staff office accommodation.
Further information about OU filming and production can be found in the Alexandra Palace online exhibition.
The first image on this page shows Walter Perry at the topping out ceremony for the Perry Building in 1979. The second image shows the entrance to the Perry Building in 2018.
The video shows a clip of the opening ceremony for the Perry Building on 14th May 1982, including speeches by Prince Charles and Walter Perry.
