All institutions go through periods of growth and of reorganisation; Rutherford and Appleton Laboratories were no exceptions to this. Understandably the merger of the two in 1978 was not without its problems and objectors but did eventually happen. For a year or so the combined site was known as The Rutherford and Appleton Laboratories (note the use of the plural) but was then simplified to Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (in the singular).
...On 1 April 1994 the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory combined with the Daresbury Laboratory to become a combined laboratory known as the Daresbury and Rutherford Appleton Laboratories (DRAL). At the same time the old Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) was wound up, and funding [for Particle Physics?] was channelled through the newly formed Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC). Also, and just for an interim period, DRAL became part of the new Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). One year later a more profound change occurred when DRAL became a Research Council in its own right, and the legal entity created by Royal Charter was named The Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils', abbreviated to CCLRC. On 1 April 1995, DRAL became The Central Laboratory of the Research Councils', and the abbreviation CLRC may be used. In spite of the changes to the official name, the laboratory sited at Chilton ... will continue to be known as the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, or RAL.
