Cass Business School moved to new premises in the London Borough of Islington, and changed its name as part of a strategy formed by Lord Currie of Marylebone, who had become Dean the year before, to compete as an international business school in a market dominated by US universities. The school had previously been spread out across the City of London's mainly residential Barbican Centre development. Half of the £40 million funding for the new building came from the reserves of City, University of London. The school also received a gift from Sir John Cass's Foundation, founded in 1748 to educate children in
Ronald Cass New London Synagogue. Cass first pursued a career as a maths teacher but in 1951 was recognized more for his contributions to several musicals produced at Leicester Square's Irving Theatre club. Cass was studying economics at Aberystwyth University when World War II began and he joined the RAF. When he and his squadron were posted into Burma, he insisted that they took a piano with them so that he could continue entertaining the troops. Cass returned to Wales after the war ended in 1945, but travelled to London in 1949 in search of musical opportunities. It did not take much