Sir John Donald Pollock (1868-1962) was Rector of Edinburgh University from 1939 to 1945 and gifted land to the University to build halls of residence. Pollock Halls of Residence were built on the site, and were named for him. The Lord Rector of Edinburgh University is elected every three years by the students and staff at the University of Edinburgh. ... The University of Edinburgh was founded in 1583 as a renowned centre for teaching in Edinburgh, Scotland. ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... Halls of residence in British English (commonly referred to as halls, and to a lesser extent hall) are a type of residential accommodation for large numbers of students, similar to dormitories in the United States. ... Pollock Halls of Residence are the main halls of residence for the University of Edinburgh, located at the foot of Arthurs Seat in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. They are located on the edge of Holyrood Park, 1¼ miles (2 km) southeast of the centre of Edinburgh. ...