Wigan Grammar School was founded in 1597;[1] and closed in 1972 as part of the comprehensive education movement.[2]
Notable former pupils
edit- Ivor Abrahams, sculptor
- Stanley Alstead CBE, Regius Professor of Materia Medica and Therapeutics from 1948-70 at the University of Glasgow
- Walter Anderson CBE, General Secretary from 1957-73 of NALGO
- Sir James Anderton CBE, former Chief Constable from 1976-91 of Greater Manchester Police (GMP)
- Colin Bean, actor in Dad's Army
- Eric Bolton CB, Chairman from 1997-2000 of the BookTrust, Professor of Teacher Education from 1991-96 at the UCL Institute of Education
- Dr Gordon Brown OBE, Chief Engineer from 1958-62 of Windscale AGR, President from 1975-77 of the British Nuclear Energy Society (became the Nuclear Institute in 2009)
- Sir Ernest Bullock CVO, Director from 1953-60 of the Royal College of Music (RCM), President from 1951-52 of the Royal College of Organists (RCO)
- Prof Kenneth Bullock, Professor of Pharmacy from 1955-70 at the University of Manchester
- Prof Gilbert Causey, Sir William Collins Professor of Anatomy from 1952-70 at the Royal College of Surgeons of England
- Prof Noel Coulson, Professor of Oriental Laws from 1967-86 at the School of Oriental and African Studies
- David Gee, Director from 1990-91 of Friends of the Earth, later at the European Environment Agency in Copenhagen
- Sir William Gorman, Liberal MP from 1923-24 for Gorton
- Sir Walter Greaves-Lord, Conservative MP from 1922-35 for Norwood
- Thomas Halliwell, former Principal of Trinity University College (now part of University of Wales Trinity Saint David since 2010)
- John Heaton, Chief Executive from 1997-2004 of the Horserace Totalisator Board (The Tote)
- Brian Hill CBE, Chief Executive from 1977-90 of Lancashire County Council
- Arthur John Hope, architect
- Prof Paul Geoffrey Ince, Professor of Neuropathology at the Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience University of Sheffield, President from 2016-2018 British Neuropathological Society, President from 2017-2020 European Confederation of Neuropathological Societies
- Stanley Jones, President from 1981-96 of the Printmakers Council, Director from 1959-2012 of Curwen Studio
- Sir Ian McKellen CBE, actor (for one year until he was twelve)[3]
- Ian Macleod, surgeon
- Prof Stanley Mason, Principal and Vice-Chancellor from 1993-97 of Glasgow Caledonian University (former Glasgow Polytechnic)
- Sir Roy Meadow, Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health from 1980-98 at the University of Leeds, Chairman from 1983-84 of the Association for Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and from 1994-96 of the BPA (now the RCPCH since 1996)
- William Ormandy, former President of the Institute of Automobile Engineers
- Prof Norman Pye, Professor of Geography from 1954-79 at the University of Leicester
- Bryan Rigby, Chairman from 1998-2009 of the Anglo-German Foundation
- A. G. Rigg, medievalist
- William Roby
- Bryan Talbot, writer and artist, married to Mary M. Talbot, created The Adventures of Luther Arkwright
- William Thomson, Editor from 1944-73 of The Practitioner, Medical Correspondent from 1956-71 of The Times, and from 1971-83 of the Daily Telegraph
- Richard Warburton OBE, Director General from 1979-90 of RoSPA
Professor David Turnock MA PhD Cantab - Professor of Geography Leicester University
- Charles Wilcocks CMG, President from 1963-65 of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
- Gerald Wilkinson, illustrator, art historian, naturalist, photographer, artist and book-designer
- Russ Winstanley, began the Northern soul nightclub at Wigan Casino in September 1973, later a broadcaster on Radio Lancashire[4]