Wigan Grammar School

Wigan Grammar School was founded in 1597;^[1] and closed in 1972 as part of the comprehensive education movement.^[2]

Notable former pupils

• 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]