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The David Bramley Collection

David Bramley First Head of the Department of Industrial Administration, Birmingham Central Technical College (now Aston University), 1947 - 1959
 

The Department of Industrial Administration at the Birmingham Central Technical College (now Aston University) was established in 1946 and its work inaugurated in 1947.  The Department was set up to “...consolidate and extend teaching work in industrial administration...”. The activities of the Department included short courses where experts in the fields appraised the “...latest ideas and methods and the provision of facilities for training specialist staff in modern techniques”. On 21st December 1946 a Selection Board recommended the appointment of David Hall Bramley to fill the post as the first Head of the Department.

David Bramley, is recognised for his pioneering works in Industrial Management Education at the University. The David Bramley collection is a small collection of Bramley’s lectures, presentations, jointly authored publications and correspondences.  

David Bramley
David Bramley

Of note in the collection are the earliest college prospectuses, reports, brochures and course booklets. Also included are records relating to David Bramley’s work as Head of the Management Centre at Urwick Orr and Partners Ltd. (1959-61), as Production Director and later General Manager at Geo Salter and Co. Ltd. (1961-68) and as Sub-group Administrative Director at GKN Forging Ltd. Personal records on Bramley, including education and career background are also archived in the collection.

The collection is also notable for the series of correspondences, publications and lectures of some of the leading proponents of the scientific management movement - Frank G. Woollard, Lyndall Urwick, Edward Brech, T. H. Burnham and others. There are materials relating to his involvement with various management organisations and the British automobile industry, in particular the British Institute of Management, Institution of Works Managers and the Institution of Automobile Engineers. Documents and correspondences which record his technical assistance in Yugoslavia are also included. While the archive comprises mainly written and printed materials, there are also photographs, including those of participants at various national and international management conferences/events. 

Download the collection catalogue here (PDF: 104KB)

David Bramley bequeathed £100,000 to establish The Woollard Bramley Fellowship in the Business School.  Please visit the Development and Alumni Relations Office website for more information.

Please contact Vanessa Hands  for access to documents in the collection.