Baggs Happiness Lecture

The Baggs Memorial Lecture is part of the Distinguished Lecture Series and began in 1976. Born in Birmingham in 1889, Thomas Baggs was an alumnus of the University who went on to become a teacher, journalist and a war correspondent for the Daily Mail before pursuing a successful career in advertising and publicity for the USA automobile industry.

When he died in 1973 Thomas bequeathed a substantial sum to the University to provide for an annual public lecture on the theme of ‘Happiness - what it is and how it may be achieved by individuals as well as nations.’

This lecture series has seen many distinguished speakers tackle the topic of happiness from their personal viewpoint including Yehudi Menuhin, David Attenborough, Peter Ustinov, Maureen Lipman, Rev'd Richard Coles, Adam Hart Davies, Robert Winston and Sue Lawley.

This wonderful theme has produced some truly uplifting, thought provoking, and vastly diverse lectures. You can watch a video of our 2024 lecturer, Michael Rosen, sharing his thoughts on happiness and find out more about some of our other Baggs Lecturers below.

Michael Rosen is a beloved British writer and performance poet for both children and adults. He earned his first degree from Wadham College, Oxford, followed by an MA and PhD. Currently, he is a Professor of Children’s Literature at Goldsmiths, University of London, where he co-devised and teaches an MA in the field.