The faculty (full, associate, assistant professors, and lecturers) who served in the institution formed, as early as the 19th century, an academic community that assumed a series of realistic and symbolic roles inside and outside the University. In addition to their teaching, scientific, and research work, the teachers - and, since the 20th century, the female teachers - have been involved in politics and the media, have worked for public and private organizations, have founded and directed cultural and various other collectives. There were outstanding personalities among them who played a leading role in the country's political, intellectual, and scientific life. Special mention is owed to the large category of the special scientific staff (prefects, teaching assistants, technicians, etc.), who have offered and continue to offer their commitment and knowledge to the institution's progress. Finally, an essential page in the University's history is the administrative staff that runs its services, «ensuring its function» as an educational and research center.
Giorgios Theotokas as a Law School student, 1922. Athens University Historical Archive.
«The final degree examinations were taking place at the Law School offices, in the University's central building. Each professor was hidden away in a cubicle, like a crab ready for battle in a small cavity of the rock of science. Every day, about a dozen candidates were examined in every one of the four-year courses from morning till night. Then the School convened, and that same evening the results were released, announced by an usher in the quad of the University.
Each professor had his individual quirks, tics, whims, and all together, they constituted a quaint ensemble, which left you with a delicious and pleasant memory once the ordeal was over.
Usually, the pompous Andreadis, professor of public economy, dominated in this ceremony, with his huge colonial helmet and his equally huge and colorful scarves. He was imposing in stature and disturbing in his looks, with an allure of intellectual superiority and earthly sarcasm, which paralyzed the inexperienced young female students in front of him. Besides, he was famous in all the universities and elegant restaurants of Europe and viewed Athens through the eyes of a man accustomed to living in a nicer environment. Every year he traveled to the five continents, made friends with the most distinguished people of the world, wrote a load of books in I do not know how many languages, and, in his free time, he wrote reviews for the theater, being after all the best theater critic in Athens. He would, however, find the time to constantly march in and out of the University, to teach economics intermingled with the most unimaginable anecdotes and references to Renan and Anatole France, to bang the doors and initiate terrible quarrels with students and ushers, without anyone ever realizing the cause of his wrath. However, he would forget those quarrels soon enough because deep down, he was a man with good and kind feelings who had to tackle so many things that he hardly had any time left in his right mind to get angry. He was not very strict with the exams, but he would confuse you for no reason. Out of the blue, he would set aside the serious issues and destroy your inspiration with a question that was outrageous, improbable, incredible, like this one:
- And now, dear Sir, do tell me, please, what personal relationship did Rouvière have with the Greek nation? I mentioned it in my lecture, I hope you remember it.
- - I do not remember, Professor.
- - Of course, you don't remember. Who pays attention during the lecture? Your mind is occupied with politics, movements, literature, everything but my lecture.»
Giorgos Theotokas, Argo, Novel, second part.
Hestia, Athens (1936) 2016.
Portrait of Ghikas Dokos (1801 -1888), Hydrean fighter of the Revolution of 1821 and first Secretary-General of the University, unknown artist.
University of Athens History Museum.
Notes from the lectures of Alexandros Rizos – Rangavis in the «Political Antiquities», 1859 (1/2).
Modern Greek History Research Centre of the Athens Academy.
Notes from the lectures of Alexandros Rizos – Rangavis in the «Political Antiquities», 1859 (1/2).
Modern Greek History Research Centre of the Athens Academy.
Speech excerpt of Nikolaos Saripolos as a delegate of the University in the Second National Assembly, 1863.
Minutes of the meetings of the Second National Assembly.
The Chemistry professor, Xavier Landerer, and his assistants, to his right, seated, is the, later to become, Chemistry professor and rector, Anastasios Christomanos.
Athens University History Museum.
Portrait of History Professor Konstantinos Paparrigopoulos (1815 – 1891), Oil painting by Byron Kontopoulos, 1892. Konstantinos Paparrigopoulos is the author of the "History of the Greek Nation.".
Athens University History Museum.
In 1898 the poet Kostis Palamas (1859 – 1943) assumed the position of Secretary-General of the University. Oil painting by Olga Papadimaki, late 1920s.
University of Athens/Main Building of the University of Athens.
Portrait of Angeliki Panagiotatou (1878-1954), first female lecturer and graduate of the Medical School of the University of Athens, oil painting by Thalia Flora - Karavia.
Collection of the Association of Greek Scientists "Ptolemy I" (Alexandria).
Athens University History Museum.
Photographs of female students from the registration logs of the University of Athens in the 1910s and 1920s.
Historical Archive of the University of Athens.
Handwritten excerpt from the memoirs of Spyridon Lambros from the period of his premiership (1916-1917).
Historical Archive of the University of Athens.
«The social directive in the evolution of the state». Alexandros Svolos’, Professor of Constitutional Law, manuscript of his inaugural speech in the lectures of the General Political Science class at the University.
Contemporary Social History Archives – Alexandros Svolos Archive.
Sketch of K. Mermigkas, professor of the University’s surgical clinic.
Criminology Museum of the University of Athens.
Konstantinos Karatheodori's handwritten letter of resignation from the chair of full professor of Mathematics,(1873 – 1950).
Historical Archive of the University of Athens.
The Secretary-General of the University Vasilios Makris with his wife, Marianna. G. Makris succeeded Kostis Palamas as Secretary-General in 1929 and remained in this position until 1954.
Historical Archive of the University of Athens.
The School of Law's reaction to the dismissal of Professor Konstantinos Tsatsos by the occupying government, 1941 (1/2).
Historical Archive of the University of Athens.
The School of Law's reaction to the dismissal of Professor Konstantinos Tsatsos by the occupying government, 1941 (2/2).
Historical Archive of the University of Athens.
Themistocles Sofoulis (1860-1949), Professor of Archaeology at the University, Prime Minister (1924, 1947-1949), President of the Hellenic Parliament (1917-1920, 1936), Minister and Member of Parliament.
Library of the Hellenic Parliament.
Founder of the cytodiagnostic method "Pap smear" and graduate of the University of Athens, Georgios Papanikolaou’s visit (1883-1962), to the Alexandra Hospital, 1950s. To his left is Professor Nikolaos Louros.
Photographic Archive of G.N.A. "Alexandra."
Portrait of Elli Nikoletopoulou-Krispi (1917-1974), first female professor of law at the Law School, oil painting by Thalia Flora - Karavia. Donated by Elias Krispis.
Athens University History Museum.
Professor of physics Caesar Alexopoulos with students, in the big amphitheater of Physics in the Old Chemistry Laboratory, September 1967.
Law School Library.
Spyridon Marinatos, Professor of Archaeology at the University and excavator of the archaeological site of Akrotiri, Thira (1967-1974).
Athens University History Museum.
The document of the extension of Ioannis Pesmazoglou’s University probation. The reason was his speech at the University of Brussels and the following press statements that were deemed hostile by the April 21 dictatorship regime, 1969.
Historical Archive of the University of Athens.
Handwritten note by Xenophon Zolotas expressing his protest against the repressive measures imposed on the University after the students' uprising at the Law School, 1973.
© KEPOET-IATE, Bank of Greece Center for Culture, Research and Documentation Historical Archives Section - Xenophon Zolotas Archive.
Pamphlet from the strike of the assistants and prefects of all of the country's universities, 1978.
Historical Archive of the University of Athens (K. Gavroglou– A. Vryhea Archive).
Photographic instance from the inaugural class of Professor Aikaterini Christofilopoulou during the Rectorship of Caesar Alexopoulos, 1972. (1/2).
Historical Archive of the University of Athens.
Photographic instance from the inaugural class of Professor Aikaterini Christofilopoulou during the Rectorship of Caesar Alexopoulos, 1972. (2/2).
Historical Archive of the University of Athens.
The inauguration of the poet Odysseas Elytis as honorary Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Athens, May 1987.
Historical Archive of the University of Athens.
Mikis Theodorakis at a concert for the sesquicentennial of the University of Athens, 1987.
Historical Archive of the University of Athens.
The inauguration of the poet Yannis Ritsos as honorary Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Athens, May 1987.
Historical Archive of the University of Athens.
