St George's College, Mussoorie
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St. George's College, Mussoorie, is an all-boys boarding and non-boarding school in
Mussoorie Mussoorie () is a hill station and a municipal board, in Dehradun city in the Dehradun district of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is about from the state capital of Dehradun and north of the national capital of New Delhi. The hil ...
, in the state of
Uttarakhand Uttarakhand (, ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2007), is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. The state is bordered by Himachal Pradesh to the n ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, affiliated to the
Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) is a non-governmental privately held national-level board of school education in India that conducts the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) Examination for Class ...
board. The school, an all-boys residential and non-residential institution, spreading over of land, was founded in 1853 by the Capuchin Fathers and entrusted to the Society of the Brothers of St. Patrick (Ireland) in 1893. It was opened in a cottage known as Manor House; the name by which the campus is still known. The students are known as Manorites. The school has an alumni network spread across the globe. In 2005, the
Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the air force, air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflicts. It was officially established on 8 Octob ...
gifted the school a trainer jet aircraft, TS-11 Iskra, as a tribute to the distinguished service of the school's alumni in the armed forces.


History

The school was founded in 1853 by the Capuchin Fathers who gave it to the Society of the Reverend Brothers of St. Patrick (Ireland) in 1893 with Bro. Stapleton as its first principal. While St. George's College was founded in 1853, another school, St. Fidelis High School, was started in the same location in 1863. Initially, the Capuchin Fathers ran both schools with Father James Doogan as principal of both from 1873 till they were given to the Patrician Brothers in 1893. In 1948, St. Fidelis High School was amalgamated with St. George's College. There still are old directional markings on the school campus pointing towards the old St. Fidelis. In the early 1900s, the then Principal, Bro. Haverty, levelled the top of the hill to create what is the Top Flat, the school's largest playing field. The Science labs were constructed in 1925 adjacent to the top flat. The school acquired the Whytebank Castle and Brooklands Estate in 1939, and an auditorium was constructed in 1942. The school is named after
Saint George Saint George (;Geʽez: ጊዮርጊስ, , ka, გიორგი, , , died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was an early Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to holy tradition, he was a soldier in the ...
, the patron saint of England and a number of countries and cities around the world. The legend of Saint George slaying the dragon is known throughout the world, and forms the theme of the school's emblem. A clock tower was erected on the field in 1936, and was the first clock tower in Mussoorie. It was installed by
JB Joyce & Co J. B. Joyce & Co, clockmakers, were founded in Shropshire in England. The company claim to be the oldest clock manufacturer in the world, originally established in 1690, and have been part of the Smith of Derby Group since 1965. The claim is ch ...
mpany, who imported the clock from England. The chimes, ringing every 15 minutes, would also help keep away the wild animals from the surrounding woods. Under the guidance of then principal, Bro. J.C. Carroll, the school witnessed a construction boom in the 1990s. This included a new indoor gymnasium, a library, a multi-functional auditorium, and an indoor heated swimming pool. There were upgrades to old dormitories and class rooms. The alumni network of the school contributed substantial funds and donated material towards the construction. The St. George's College museum displays the 150-year history of the school. The museum also serves as an archive for preserving hundreds of old photographs, instruments, school records, yearbooks and furniture. The collection includes photographs from the 1870s, scientific instruments from the 1900s, and an old piano.


School site

St. George's College is spread over a estate in Barlowganj village, a hamlet situated 5 km from the hill town of Mussoorie, popularly referred to as the 'Queen of Hills'. There are two schools, one is Nirmala Convent School for economically weaker inhabitants of Mussoorie, the other St. George's College. Both schools stand on a 400-acre property. St. George's stands on a hill overlooking the
Sivalik Hills The Sivalik Hills, also known as Churia Hills, are a mountain range of the outer Himalayas. The literal translation of "Sivalik" is 'tresses of Shiva'. The hills are known for their numerous fossils, and are also home to the Soanian Middle Pale ...
with a view of Mussoorie and the
Dehradun Dehradun (), also known as Dehra Doon, is the winter capital and the List of cities in Uttarakhand by population, most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous Dehradun district, d ...
valley. The school is accessed by road from Dehradun Railway Station 28 km away, and from Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun, 53 km away.


School life

A Manorite's week day begins at 5:30 AM. Students spend one hour from 7 AM in "morning studies." The study session is followed by breakfast. The entire school assembles in front of the classrooms for their morning assembly, where the principal addresses the students, announcements are made, awards are given out, and after prayers, classes begin at 9 :00 AM. Classes run from 9 AM till 11 AM, where there is a short break of 20 min. Lunch is at 12:30 PM. Classes run till 3:30 PM followed by tea. Dinner is at 6:30 PM. Dinner is followed by "night studies", which are two hours of compulsory self-study sessions in the classrooms. The night studies are followed by half an hour of television when the students can catch the latest news headlines or sports updates. Lights go out at 10 PM. St. George's College
house system The house system is a traditional feature of schools in the United Kingdom. The practice has since spread to Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries. The school is divided into units called "houses" and each student is allocated to on ...
encompasses sports, athletics, debates, dramatics, cultural events, declamations and other extra-curricular activities. The four houses are Tapsells (blue), Marthins (yellow), Gateleys (red) and Cullens (green), all named after four former Olympians from the school. Each event is assigned points and the house with the largest number of accumulated points at the end of Sports Day in October wins the annual House Shield. A majority of the students are Indians, but the school has a sizeable percentage of NRI's and students from
Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...
,
Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
and others. The proximity to Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun which is just 53 km away has led to an increase in the Non Resident Indian students.


Extracurricular activities

After classes, there is a mandatory run for every student around the surrounding hill, called the "Fox Hill runs". The runs are followed by sports. Every month, students get one Sunday as the "Outing" day, when they are permitted to visit Mussoorie, with each student given some pocket money for the day. In August, St. George's hosts the Brother Masterson and Brother Bergin Inter-school English Debates in the junior and senior categories respectively. During the spring and summer months, when the hills of Mussoorie are blooming with the yellow Mansur flower (after which the town gets its name) and wild berries, students gather berries in the evenings and on weekends.


Sports

There are inter-house and inter-class tournaments throughout the year. There are four major fields in the school, the Top Flat, Middle Flat, Green Flat and Down Flat. There is a synthetic open-air tennis court, and an indoor heated swimming pool. Hockey and cricket are played during the summer months, and the monsoons represent the football season. Indoor sports are played throughout the year. The Annual Sports Day attracts outside guests, alumni and parents. It includes track events among the four houses, and culminates with a march past by all classes in front of the guests. All classes compete in the banner competition. The day culminates with the awarding of individual shields and the House Shield to the house with the most accumulated points. The school has produced sportsmen who have achieved laurels for the school at the inter-school, district, state and national level competitions. The school's senior and junior football teams have achieved success at tournaments held in Dehradun, New Delhi and other parts of the country. St. George's has produced athletes who have gone on to represent their state at the national level in football, cricket and athletics.


Sports tournaments

Jackie Memorial Football Tournament, held each year in July and August, was started in 1972 and named after a former student. It is one of the biggest open football tournaments in the district, and draws attention from the local media. The tournament is open to all schools and amateur local clubs in the district, and is played on the Top Flat, the school's largest field overlooking the clock tower. The school's sister schools in Delhi, Coonoor, Meerut have participated. The Jarvis Cup is an annual inter-class hockey tournament that is played at junior and senior levels. The Apollo Cup is an inter-class football tournament, started in 1969 to commemorate the first landing on the Moon. The tournament is again divided into the junior and senior categories. Further sports competitions include the Manorite Table Tennis Tournament, and the Brar Memorial Interschool Swimming Carnival


Inter-school sports

The school's rival in football is
Wynberg Allen School Wynberg-Allen School is a boarding school in India, founded in 1888. It is located at Bala hissar in Mussoorie, India. The alumni of Wynberg Allen School are known as Alwynians. History From a meeting in Kanpur in 1887 of friends, Mr. Powel ...
, located at Kulri, Mussoorie, though the frequency of their games have gone down in recent years. In hockey and cricket, the school's rival is Oak Grove School, located down the road from Barlowganj at Jharipani, Mussoorie. The old residential schools of Mussoorie - St. George's College, Wynberg Allen School, Oak Grove School and Woodstock School - compete with each other in the Annual Mussoorie Interschool Athletic Meet. St. George's also hosts, and visits, residential schools from Dehradun such as the Doon School and RIMC, throughout the year for friendlies in football, hockey, basketball and cricket as well as extracurricular activities. Most of the regional residential schools are regular features in the Jackie Memorial Football Tournament. In addition, St. George's participates in the district sports meet held by the Dehradun District Sports Association. The school's proximity to Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun has led to an increase in visitors as well as participation from other schools.


In popular culture

St. George's was chosen as the location for the shooting of television drama based on the life of the noted writer from Mussoorie,
Ruskin Bond Ruskin Bond (born 19 May 1934) is an Indian author. His first novel, ''The Room on the Roof'', published in 1956, received the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize. Bond has authored more than 500 short stories, essays, and novels which includes 69 books ...
. The show, ''Ek Tha Rusty'', named after the author's nickname, was aired on
Doordarshan Doordarshan (), abbreviated as DD, is India's State-owned enterprise, state-owned public broadcasting, public television broadcaster. Established by the Government of India on 15 September 1959, it is owned by the Ministry of Information and B ...
. In 2012, Rocky and Mayur, hosts of ''Highway on My Plate'', a weekly travel and food show on NDTV channel, visited the school and ate a meal at the cafeteria with the students. The school campus is featured in two television commercials: one for Hyundai Accent sedan in which the school's library, junior dormitories and the clock tower can be seen, and the second being for Cadbury Bournvita in which the school's green flat, indoor swimming pool and the parish church can be seen. The school campus was also featured in the promotional ad for the 6th season of
Kaun Banega Crorepati ''Kaun Banega Crorepati'' (simply ''KBC''; English: ''Who Will Become a Crorepati'') is an Indian Hindi-language television game show. It is the official Hindi adaptation of the '' Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' franchise. It is presented ...
.


Notable alumni


Indian Armed Forces

*
General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
Shankar Roychowdhury, PVSM (Class of 1953),
Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) is a statutory office held by the professional head of the Indian Army (IA), the land forces branch of the Indian Armed Forces. Customarily held by a four-star general officer, the COAS is the senior-most ...
(1994–1997);
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha A Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha (abbreviated: MP) is the representative of the States and union territories of India, Indian states to the upper house of the Parliament of India which is known as "Rajya Sabha" (constitutionally "Cou ...
. *
Air Chief Marshal Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries that have historical British i ...
Denis La Fontaine, (Class of 1946) - the 13th Chief of Air Staff of the
Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the air force, air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflicts. It was officially established on 8 Octob ...
(1985–1988). *
Air Chief Marshal Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries that have historical British i ...
Birender Singh Dhanoa - the 25th Chief of the Air Staff (2016-2019). *
Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...
Daulet Singh - General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Command (1961-1963), died in harness. * Lieutenant General Anil Kumar Bhatt -
General Officer Commanding General officer commanding (GOC) is the usual title given in the armies of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth (and some other nations, such as Ireland) to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC ...
XV Corps (2018-2019). * Air Marshal Denzil Keelor,
Vir Chakra The Vir Chakra (pronunciation: ʋ iː ɾ a tʃ a kɾa, ) is an Indian wartime military bravery award presented for acts of gallantry on the battlefield, on land or in the air or at sea. It is third in precedence in wartime gallantry awards and ...
,
Kirti Chakra The Kirti Chakra () is an Indian military decoration awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the field of battle. It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, including posthumous awards. It is the ...
, (Class of 1940), Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. *
Wing Commander Wing commander (Wg Cdr or W/C) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Wing commander is immediately se ...
Trevor Keelor,
Vir Chakra The Vir Chakra (pronunciation: ʋ iː ɾ a tʃ a kɾa, ) is an Indian wartime military bravery award presented for acts of gallantry on the battlefield, on land or in the air or at sea. It is third in precedence in wartime gallantry awards and ...
,
Vayu Sena Medal The Vayu Sena Medal () is a military decoration, usually awarded in peacetime for a job well done in the Indian Air Force. However, it has been granted during times of conflict for acts of gallantry in the face of enemy, though not in the same n ...
; hero of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. * Major Haripal Singh Ahluwalia (Class of 1954),
IOFS The Indian Ordnance Factories Service (IOFS) is a civil service of the Government of India. IOFS officers are Gazetted (Group A) defence-civilian officers under the Ministry of Defence. They are responsible for the administration of the Indian ...
officer. Padma Bhushan, Padma Shree, Arjuna Award; first Indian to scale Mount Everest on 29 May 1965.Injured in 1965 war. President- Rehabilation Council of India, Organised and led motor expeditions over the Himalayas and Tibet to the Silk Route. Author of several books.


Sports

* Willie G. Cullen, Ernie .J. Cullen, Michael Gateley, George Eric Marthins, Lionel Emmett, Carlyle Carroll Tapsell - Gold medal winners for India in field hockey - 1928 Amsterdam Olympic Games, 1932 Los Angeles Olympic Games, 1936 Berlin Olympic Games


Performing arts

* Melville De Mello (Class of 1932),RootsWeb: INDIA-L Re: Melville De Mello (The Late Great Broadcaster)
Padma Shri, broadcaster and author; *
Saeed Jaffrey Saeed Jaffrey (8 January 1929 – 15 November 2015) was a British-Indian actor. His career covered film, radio, stage and television roles over six decades and more than 150 British, American, and Indian movies. During the 1980s and '90s, he was ...
(Class of 1940), cultural ambassador and actor; first Indian actor featuring on Broadway; performances in British and Indian film and television. *
Lucky Ali Maqsood Mahmood Ali (born 19 September 1958), better known as Lucky Ali, is an Indian singer, songwriter, and actor. He is considered an important artist to popularize pop culture and albums in Indian music and is considered one of the finest a ...
, singer and actor * Kanwaljit Singh (Class of 1966), film and television actor * Bhupinder Singh - Film and TV Actor * Ravi Baswani - Actor, most remembered for his role in "Chashme Buddoor "(1981) and "Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro" (1983), winning the Filmfare Best Comedian Award in 1984 * Rohan Mehra- Film and TV Actor


Civil Services

* Dr. M.S Gill (Class of 1952), Chief Election Commissioner of India (1996–2001), Member, Rajya Sabha (2004–2005), former Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India. * Avinder Singh Brar, IPS - Awarded Padma Shri posthumously in 1988 for bravery during terrorism in Punjab. * Deepak Rawat, IAS - Commissioner of
Kumaon division Kumaon (; , ; historically romanised as KemāonJames Prinsep (Editor)John McClelland ) is a List of divisions in India, revenue and administrative division in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It spans over the eastern half of the state and is b ...
, Uttarakhand.


Members of Parliament

* Satpal Maharaj, Member of Parliament, 15th Lok Sabha, from Garhwal Lok Sabha Constituency. * Neville Foley, Member of Parliament,
Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, also known as the House of the People, is the lower house of Parliament of India which is Bicameralism, bicameral, where the upper house is Rajya Sabha. Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by a ...
. * Lalit Suri,
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha A Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha (abbreviated: MP) is the representative of the States and union territories of India, Indian states to the upper house of the Parliament of India which is known as "Rajya Sabha" (constitutionally "Cou ...
.


Judges

* Justice H. S. Bedi - Justice of the
Supreme Court of India The Supreme Court of India is the supreme judiciary of India, judicial authority and the supreme court, highest court of the Republic of India. It is the final Appellate court, court of appeal for all civil and criminal cases in India. It also ...
.


Pakistani nationals

* Brigadier
Mervyn Cardoza Brigadier Mervyn Adrian Cardoza (1922 – 17 November 2010) was a one-star general in the Pakistan Army. In 1965, Cardoza was awarded the Tamgha-e-Khidmat by President Ayub Khan (Field Marshal), Ayub Khan for Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. B ...
, Tamgha-e-Khidmat,
Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ), commonly known as the Pak Army (), is the Land warfare, land service branch and the largest component of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The president of Pakistan is the Commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the army. The ...
. *
Mumtaz Bhutto Mumtaz Ali Khan Bhutto (, ) (28 November 1933 – 18 July 2021), was a Pakistani politician who served as 8th Governor of Sindh and later the 13th Chief Minister of Sindh. He was also the first cousin of late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who was the Pr ...
- Pakistani Politician.


References


External links

*
St. George's College Facebook Page

Manorite Alumni Association
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint George's College, Mussoorie Patrician Brothers schools Schools in Colonial India Private schools in Uttarakhand Boys' schools in India Catholic schools in India Catholic boarding schools in India Boarding schools in Uttarakhand Christian schools in Uttarakhand Education in Dehradun district Mussoorie Educational institutions established in 1853 1853 establishments in India