This book examines the establishment (in 1880) and dissolution (in 1903) of the Victoria University as a federal institution for the North of England. It was a 'disruptor', an experiment intended to meet growing demand for high level study in the industrial cities of the North and to provide a regional organisation for higher education. The experiment ended in failure and has never been repeated; rather, it heralded the emergence of independent civic universities that would prove so influential in the following years. As well as considering the federalisation legacy, the book also identifies important areas of activity where the Victoria University broke new ground, including innovations in the relationship between teaching and examining, links with schools and other education providers and the funding of higher education. The book is based on original archival research and will appeal to historians of education and more generally to social historians.