The Committee of Vice-chancellors and Principals (CVCP) was a leading collective body for British universities for most of the twentieth century, yet there has been very little historical study of its organisation and work. Brief references tend to be dismissive of its effectiveness, although some authors have been more favourable. This article considers a formative phase in the history of the CVCP and progenitor organisations, examining its foundations at the end of the First World War, although with roots in the late nineteenth century; its complex constitutional status that led to considerable debate concerning the role and nature of the committee; and some of its main activities and priorities during the inter-war period. It assesses the extent to which we should regard the CVCP as merely passive, or as a quietly effective body.