Alfred Cooper Woolner (13 May 1878 – 7 January 1936) was a

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

scholar and professor. He served as the vice-chancellor of the

University of the Punjab The University of the Punjab (Urdu, pnb, ), also referred to as Punjab University, is a public, research, coeducational higher education institution located in Lahore, Pakistan. Punjab University is the oldest public university in Pakistan. ...

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...

from 1928 to 1936.

Biography

Alfred Woolner's statue in front of Punjab University, Lahore

Woolner was born on 13 May 1878 at

Etruria Hall Etruria Hall in Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England is a Grade II listed house and former home of the potter Josiah Wedgwood. It was built between 1768–1771 by Joseph Pickford. The hall was sold by the Wedgwoods in the 19th century ...

in Staffordshire, England. Woolner was educated at

Ipswich School Ipswich School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) for pupils aged 3 to 18 in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. North of the town centre, Ipswich School has four parts on three adjacent sites. The Pre-Prep and Nursery ...

and

Trinity College, Oxford (That which you wish to be secret, tell to nobody) , named_for = The Holy Trinity , established = , sister_college = Churchill College, Cambridge , president = Dame Hilary Boulding , location = Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3BH , coordinates ...

. In 1903, at the age of twenty-five Woolner he joined the University of the Punjab as its Registrar and Principal of its Oriental College.Vishva Bandhu, Woolner Indological Series, V.V.R.I Press From 1928 until 1936 he served as

Vice Chancellor A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, the chancellor ...

. On 17 December 1935, Woolner contracted malaria which, after a week, developed into pneumonia. He was moved to

Mayo Hospital Mayo Hospital is one of the oldest and biggest hospitals in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. King Edward Medical University, one of the oldest and most prestigious medical institutions in South Asia, is attached to Mayo Hospital. Mayo Hospital is locat ...

, Lahore where he died in the morning of 7 January 1936. He was buried in the city's Gora Kabristan on Jail Road. He was survived by his wife Mary Emily Woolner. On his wife's death in 1944 she bequeathed the majority of her estate to the University of the Punjab. Punjab University Library's collection of over 8,500 Ancient Sanskrit and Hindi manuscripts is named in his honour. The only remaining intact statue from the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was him ...

era in Lahore is that of Dr. Woolner which stands in front of the Pharmacy Department of Punjab University.Encore, NOS, The News International

Works

* AC Woolner was the Founder President of Indian Library Association - ILA ( established in 1933). * ''Introduction to Prakrit''

References

1878 births 1936 deaths Indian librarians Vice-Chancellors of the University of the Punjab Alumni of Trinity College, Oxford People educated at Ipswich School British people in colonial India History of Punjab {{India-academic-bio-stub