Presidency College

History

Sir Thomas Munro asked for a Committee of Public Instruction to form in 1826. In 1836, the committee's duties changed to the "Committee of Native Education". The plans drawn up by the committee did not commend themselves to the Governor of Madras, Lord Elphinstone, who proposed nineteen resolutions that passed unanimously.

Elphinstone chose E. B. Powell, a University of Cambridge Wrangler in mathematics, to be the first principal, and Powell accepted the post. He arrived in Mumbai (Bombay) on September 20, 1840, but did not reach Chennai (Madras) until 24 November. Meanwhile, the committee had invited Cooper from Hoogly College, Kolkata, to temporarily carry out the principal duties at a salary of Rs 400 per month. Cooper accepted the invitation and came to Chennai (Madras). He and his staff opened Presidency School, a preparatory school, in a rented building in Egmore known as Edinburgh Home, on 16 October 1840. Cooper remained in the primary school for only a few months. Soon after Powell's arrival, and before the high school department opened on 12 April 1841, he returned to Kolkata. The preparatory school shifted to Popham's Broadway in 1841.

The schools grew into Presidency College. When the University of Madras was founded in 1857, Presidency College became affiliated with it.

In 1870, the college moved to its present location in Kamaraj Salai, opposite Marina Beach.

Ranking

In the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) for the year 2023, Presidency College has been ranked 3rd again.

Presidency College is ranked third as per National Institutional Ranking Framework for colleges in the year 2022.

Notable alumni

A. L. Abdul Majeed, Sri Lankan politician and Member of Parliament

Alagappa Alagappan (1925–2014), Indian-born American founder of the Hindu Temple Society of North America

Alladi Ramakrishnan, Founder of Institute of Mathematical Sciences

B. Jagannadha Das, Judge of the Supreme Court of India

Benegal Rama Rau, Governor, Reserve Bank of India

Bharat Ratna C. Rajagopalachari, the last Governor-General of India

Bharat Ratna C. Subramaniam - Minister, Finance Government of India

Bharat Ratna C. V. Raman, Nobel laureate in Physics

C. P. Ramaswamy Iyer, Dewan of Travancore

C. R. Pattabhiraman, Minister, Law and Company Affairs, GOI

C. V. Runganada Sastri, interpreter, civil servant and polyglot

C. V. Subramanian, Mycologist, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize recipient

D. Ramanaidu, Dadasaheb Phalke award recipient and Former MP

Diwan Bahadur Siram.Venkataramadas Nayudu, Diwan of Pudukkottai and Former Chief secretary and Magistrate of Madras Presidency.

Dr. A. K. Viswanathan IPS

Notable faculty

E. B. Powell

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

John Mathai

Alfred Gibbs Mourne

Philip Furley Fyson

Mark Hunter (Civil Servant)

E. W. Middlemast

Gustav Solomon Oppert

Harold Papworth

Peter Percival

A. Chakravarthi

Paravastu Chinnayasuri

T. R. Govindachari

P. C. Kokila

T. P. Meenakshisundaram

Mu. Metha

Chirayinkeezhu Ramakrishnan Nair

M. Nannan

Samuel Satthianadhan

B. G. L. Swami

Atoor Ravi Varma

Perumal Murugan

M. O. P Iyengar

U.V. Swaminatha Iyer, Tamil scholar

In popular culture

Presidency College (mainly its campus) was the place where many films were shot, including:

Mouna Ragam (1986)

Iyer the Great (1990)

Idhayam (1991)

Thiruda Thiruda (1993), government office scenes

Maanbumigu Manavan (1996)

Kadhal Desam (1996)

Sipayi (1996)

Aaytha Ezhuthu (2004)

Nanban (2012), hostel scenes

The Man Who Knew Infinity (2015)