Our Beginnings
John Viriamu Jones, the University’s first Principal.
125 years ago, a Royal Charter was granted that changed the face of education in Wales through the creation of the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire – what is now Cardiff University.
John Viriamu Jones was appointed as the University’s first Principal, at age 27, and the University opened in a former hospital building on October 24 1883 offering studies in Biology, Chemistry, English, French, German, Greek, History, Latin, Mathematics, Music, Welsh, Philosophy, and Physics.
