The University College of Wales, Aberystwyth (the 'College by the Sea', as it has always been known affectionately in Wales), is the senior constituent of the federal University of Wales, and indeed, one of the older provincial university institutions in the United Kingdom. It is a great romantic story that is always interesting, often exciting, and occasionally dominated by high controversy. The central theme is a long, desperate, but ultimately successful, struggle against adversity; the story has its fair share of heroic characters, of dominating (occasionally eccentric) personalities, and, most important, of outstanding academic figures who made valuable contributions to knowledge in the many different university disciplines. This book is an important contribution to the history of modern Wales.