Hugh Owen

Sir Hugh Owen (14 January 1804 – 20 November 1881) was a pioneer of higher education in Wales. He was the main founder of the University College of Wales at Aberystwyth.

Life He was born in Llangeinwen, on Anglesey, and moved to London at the age of 21 to work as a solicitor's clerk. He went to work for the Poor Law Commission in 1836, eventually becoming its Chief Clerk in 1853.

Owen became involved in the British and Foreign School Society in London and in 1843 published an open letter to the people of Wales, advocating the need to establish British and Foreign schools in Wales. As a non-conformist he supported the idea of non-denominational day schools. In 1843 he was instrumental in the appointing of an agent for the British and Foreign Schools Society in North Wales, and then in South Wales at a later date.

Owen saw the need to improve the education in intermediate schools, so that there were suitably qualified entrants for the new University. At the National Eisteddfod in Caernarfon in 1880, he read a paper to members of the Society of Cymmrodorion on Intermediate Education in Ireland and Secondary Education in Wales. This eventually led to the passing of the Welsh Intermediate Education Act 1889.

Legacy

The main library at Aberystwyth University is named after Hugh Owen, as is Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen, a secondary school in Caernarfon ('ysgol' is the Welsh word for school).

The Learned Society of Wales awards the Hugh Owen Medal annually to celebrate outstanding educational research in Wales. The medal is supported by Welsh Government and is awarded in recognition of significant contributions to educational research, or the application of research to produce significant innovations in education policy or professional educational practice in Wales.