The University of Hull is a public university in Kingston upon Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1927 as University College Hull. The main university campus is located in Hull and is home to the Hull York Medical School, a joint initiative with the University of York. Students are served by Hull University Union.
The University's Brynmor Jones Library was the workplace of the poet Philip Larkin who served as its Head Librarian for over thirty years. The Philip Larkin Society organises activities in remembrance of Larkin including the Larkin 25 festival which was organised during 2010 in partnership with the University. Andrew Motion, another prominent poet, and former poet laureate, also worked at the university. Lord Wilberforce was chancellor of the University from 1978 until 1994. Robert Armstrong was the chancellor from 1994 to 2006. Virginia Bottomley was installed as the current chancellor in April 2006.
Alumni of the University of Hull are especially prominent in the fields of politics, academia, journalism and drama. They include former MP and later Deputy Prime Minister Lord Prescott former MP and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party Lord Hattersley (Roy Hattersley) and current deputy leader Tom Watson, politician and author Chris Mullin, social scientist Lord Giddens (Anthony Giddens), poet Roger McGough, journalist John McCarthy and film director, playwright and screenwriter the late Anthony Minghella.