Series 201 - ANU Academic Advisory Committee minutes

In April 1947, the ANU Interim Council invited Sir Howard Florey, Professor ML Oliphant, Professor WK Hancock and Professor Raymond Firth, who all held senior academic positions in the United Kingdom, to form the Academic Advisory Committee. The Committee was formed in order to advise on the preliminary action required to establish the University and plan its internal structure. In March and April of 1948, the Interim Council and Academic Advisory Committee met at the Institute of Anatomy and agreed that the first objective of the University was to be the establishment of the four Research Schools: the John Curtin School of Medical Research, Research School of Physical Sciences, Research School of Social Sciences, and the Research School of Pacific Studies. The Committee met regularly from 1947 to 1951, alternating between the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology and All Souls College at Oxford. When Hancock resigned in 1949, he was replaced by Professor KC Wheare.