Henry Overton Wills III

Who was Henry Overton Wills III?

Henry Overton Wills III was the first Chancellor of the University of Bristol.

Wills entered the family firm of W. D. & H. O. Wills in 1846, but retired from active association with the business in 1880, due to poor health. When the formation of Imperial Tobacco greatly increased the family’s wealth, they began to contribute significant amounts of money to local causes. The most significant of these was announced by his son, George Alfred Wills, in 1908, when he read a letter from his father promising £100,000 to fund the charter of a university for Bristol if it were obtained within two years. With the charter and further funding quickly obtained, the University of Bristol was founded in 1909 with Henry as its first Chancellor. His estate was valued at £5,214,821 when he died in 1911.

The Wills Memorial Building, one of the landmark buildings of Bristol University, was named in Henry's honour by his sons George and Harry. One of the Wills' family homes, Downside House in Bristol, is now a hall of residence known as Wills Hall for the university.

Henry was the cousin of William Henry Wills, first Chairman of Imperial Tobacco.