Election of Gordon Brown as Rector, 1972

In 1973, Gordon Brown, postgraduate student and future Prime Minister, was elected Rector of Edinburgh University.

The late 1960s and early 1970s were a period of intense student militancy at Edinburgh University, centring on two causes: the demand that the university cut all financial ties with the Apartheid regime of South Africa and a call for greater student participation in university governance. These issues first came to prominence during the Rectorship of Kenneth Allsop (1968-1971) who was broadly supportive of student aspirations. Students demonstrated against the touring South African rugby team at Murrayfield Stadium in 1970, persuaded the University to sell its shares in South African companies, and urged it to cease investing in companies that did business in South Africa. At the same time, the Student Rector Campaign gained momentum, arguing that the only way for students to gain a voice on the University Court was to elect one of its own number as Rector. The Campaign triumphed with the election of student Jonathan Wills in 1971.

As Rector and ex officio Chair of the University Court, Wills clashed repeatedly with Principal Sir Michael Swann (1920-1990), University Secretary Charles H. Stewart (1910-1981), and Chancellor's Assessor John Cameron (1900-1996). Points of controversy included Wills's requests that student observers be present at Court meetings, that Court Minutes no longer be confidential, that he be permitted to access politically sensitive files on university finance, and that the university sell shares in companies that continued to maintain business links with South Africa. He also protested the Court's decision to ban Allan Drummond, President of the Students' Representative Council, from attending Court meetings after he had participated in a sit-in at the university's administrative offices.

Wills held office for one year only (as promised in his campaign), resigning to complete his Ph.D. in Geography. The student observers to be present at meeting, Rector to be a member of the committees on staff and finance, access to politically sensitive files on sources of university finance and relationships with other institutions

protested that the university still held shares in companies that did business with South Africa

Removal of President of Student Representative Council Allan Drummond for holding a sit-in at university property