Our History

Just over one hundred years ago Andrew Carnegie, one of the most successful men of business of his time, began a most ambitious programme of philanthropy. Today 25 Institutions carry his name and in December 2001 they met to acknowledge the enormous impact of a century of achievement in their different fields. The work of the ‘Carnegie Family’ has had its effect across the globe in the fields of science, education, economics, politics and peace studies. Hundreds of libraries also owe their foundation to Carnegie's commitment to ensure availability of books to all sections of society.

The Trust for the Universities of Scotland was created in 1901 and reflected Andrew Carnegie's respect for the Scottish tradition of learning. The gift of $10 million that endowed the trust was larger by several orders of magnitude than the assistance provided by the government of the day to the four ancient Scottish Universities.

Carnegie's purpose was twofold. He wished to secure the financial base of the Universities through support for buildings and facilities, and, in addition, to remove tuition costs as a barrier to entry to Scotland's Universities by "…the deserving and qualified youth of that country".
These aims remain enshrined in the Charter of the Trust and the various schemes described in this website reflect how the Trustees continue to support the greatly enlarged number of Scottish Universities and their students. Over the past century, more than 100,000 individuals have benefited from the Trust's support: opportunity for able students and the advancement of learning remain its hallmark.

 

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