The Bradford Technical School was opened in 1882. Its origins lie in the Bradford Mechanics' Institute, founded in 1832. "Bradford's wool industry was growing quickly and leading nonconformists felt morally obliged to improve the education of the people streaming into the city to work in the textile mills. The Institute's lectures and classes originally emphasised general education, but the dominance of textile industries meant scientific and technical topics were most popular. The mill owners often did not encourage efforts to educate workers, valuing instinct and common sense rather than theory. They were sometimes unwilling to share their secrets with competitors. The Institute founded a School of Industrial Design and Art in 1848 which was not well supported. However, attitudes changed as European wool industry competitors began to overtake Bradford in the 1860s. In 1863, the Institute was able to establish professionally run classes including textile topics. The 1870s depression and the shock of the poor response to Bradford textiles at the 1878 Paris Exhibition meant further action was possible. A small Weaving School was opened in the Institute in 1878, soon enlarged to form the Bradford Technical School. The first building for the new Bradford Technical School was opened in 1882, by the Prince of Wales. The purpose of the School was "technical, scientific, artistic and general instruction in the various processes involved in the production of Worsted, Woollen, Silk and Cotton fabrics ..." Four departments were created: Textiles, Art and Design, Engineering, and Chemistry and Dyeing. Soon after, the School was re-named Bradford Technical College, possibly in response to the Yorkshire College of Science at Leeds.." (Source: Uiversity of Bradford: Bradford Technical College Archive)