India Campus

The History of Bishop Heber College
Bishop Heber College traces its origin back to Christian Frederick Schwartz, the first German missionary supported by the S.P.C.K. in South India. He built a school near the Rock Fort in Tiruchirapalli in 1762. Reginald Heber, the Lord Bishop of Calcutta, visited the school on his way to Ceylon on the morning of the 3rd April 1862 and expressed the wish that better buildings be provided and spoke to the Tamil congregation. Unfortunately later in the morning he died of apoplexy in the cold water bath in the District Court Compound and was buried in St. John's Church, Trichy. Commemorating the visit and death of Bishop Heber at Tiruchirapalli and in reverence to his great learning and leadership, the school was then renamed as Heber Memorial School.

The Heber Memorial School became a full-fledged High School in 1864 and sent its pupils for the Matriculation examinations. In 1873 the school was raised to a Second Grade College and in 1883 it became a First Grade College. It was then known as S.P.G. College. It was thus the first College to be established in Tiruchirapalli. Honours Courses in History and Mathematics were introduced in 1925. The College celebrated its Diamond Jubilee in 1926 under the Presidentship of the then Governor of Madras, Lord Goschen. It was renamed Bishop Heber College subsequently.

The Lindsay Commission on Christian Higher Education in India recommended the merger of the Bishop Heber College with the Madras Christian College. Accordingly the Bishop Heber College was closed at Tiruchirapalli in 1934 and the Bishop Heber Hall emerged at MCC, Tambaram.

The Revival and After (1966-1974)
The people of Tiruchirapalli were not happy about the closure of the College. Right from the year 1946 efforts were made to revive the Bishop Heber College but in vain. The Rt. Rev. Dr. Solomon Doraisawmy who was consecrated Bishop of Trichy-Thanjavur Diocese in 1964, realized the need for early revival of the College. The Bishop plunged heart and soul into the efforts and succeeded in reviving the College in June 1966. The then Chief Minister of Madras Hon'ble Thiru M. Bakthavatchalam declared the College revived on 24th June 1966. Dr. M. Sargurudoss from Madras Christian College became the first Principal of the revived College.

The College functioned at Teppakulam in the old College buildings from 1966 to 1968 having only Pre-University classes and in July1968 was upgraded to the Degree standard with History, Economics and Mathematics majors. The Degree classes were conducted at Puthur where the College had acquired a site for its permanent buildings. For four years from 1968 to 1972 the College functioned in two places, the Pre-University classes at Teppakulam and the Degree classes at Puthur.

The College grew not only in strength but also in popularity and academic excellence and attracted students from all over Tamil Nadu. In the meantime, the College managed to secure financial aid from the Protestant Central Agency for Co-operation in Deveopmet, Bonn, for the construction of permanent buildings and hostels. The building scheme was taken in hand early in 1970 and four new buildings were opened in 1972. More buildings were added subsequently.

The Growth Impetus (1974-1991)
The 1974 Prof. D. Swamiraj took over as Principal of the College on the retirement of Dr. M. Sarjurudoss. Between 1976 and 1982 several courses were added, viz. B.A. (English), B.Sc. (Botany), M.A. (English), M.A. (Tamil), P.G. Diploma in Social Service Administration, M.Sc. (Maths) converted to M.Sc. (Applied Mathematics) with specialization in Operations Research.

During the same period a beautiful College Chapel was built (1976). A modern dining hall-cum-kitchen block was added. A new Library and Auditorium was built (1982).

Affiliation to Bharathidasan University (1982)
In 1982 the College came under the Bharathidsan University and the Rt. Rev. Dr. R. Paulraj, the new Bishop of Trichy-Thanjavur Diocese took over as chairman of the college governing board.

During the period 1982 to 1991, the following courses were added: M.A. in Social Work, M.Sc; Applied Mathematics with specialization in Operations Research; B.Sc. in Chemistry, Mathematics, Library, Information and Documentation Science and Computer Science; M.Sc. in Chemistry, Computer Science and Environmental Sciences, an interdisciplinary course; M. Phil. in Tamil and English and Mathematics; Ph.D. in Tamil and Mathematics; P.G. Diploma in Computer Applications in the Evening College; M.B.A. (part time); M.C.A. and P.G. Diploma in Actuarial Science in the Evening College.

In 1984 Bishop Heber College became the first Arts and Science College in India to offer M.Sc. in Environmental Sciences as an interdisciplinary course. 1984 also marked the beginning of the Computer era in Bishop Heber College. M.Phil and Ph.D. courses in 1984 launched the College into the area of research-oriented courses. Bishop Heber College is the only College in India to offer a regular Post-Graduate Diploma Course in Actuarial Science.

A Classroom Block was constructed in 1985 and the Christian Endeavor Hostel in 1988. A four-story Post-Graduate Block and a Student Centre building were completed in 1990 with a beautiful garden "Vasantham" (meaning Spring) adjoining it.

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