College appeal launched to raise 2 million for costs towards student accommodation

An appeal for £2million for student and staff accommodation and for academic and general purposes was launched in 1969: 

 £1.1 million for residential building and conversion
 £200,000 for the development of Silwood park, for laboratory blocks and student accommodation  £700,000 for academic and general purposes as Imperial almost completely lacked endowment.

Speakers at the appeal launch were Lord Sherfield, Chairman of the Governing Body; Lord Penney, Rector; Professor M.J.Lighthill, Royal Society Research Fellow at Imperial and Rex Lowin, the President of the Imperial College Students Union.