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, near 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 hill ...
, in the state of
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), 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 the North India, northern part of India. It is often referred to as t ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...
, affiliated to the
Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations
The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) is a privately held national-level board of school education in India that conducts the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) Examination for Class X and the India ...
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 1894. 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) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...
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 1894 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 1894. 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 (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldie ...
, 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 the Shivalik Hills and Churia Hills, are a mountain range of the outer Himalayas that stretches over about from the Indus River eastwards close to the Brahmaputra River, spanning the northern parts of the Indian ...
with a view of Mussoorie and the
Dehradun
Dehradun () is the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and is governed by the Dehradun Municipal Corporation, with the Uttarakhand Legislativ ...
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 countries and the United States. The school is divided into subunits 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 (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is ma ...
,
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
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. Po ...
, 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
Woodstock School is an international coeducational residential school located in Landour, a small hill station contiguous with the town of Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, India, in the foothills of the Himalayas.
Woodstock is one of the oldest resi ...
- 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. The show, ''Ek Tha Rusty'', named after the author's nickname, was aired on
Doordarshan
Doordarshan (abbreviated as DD; Hindi: , ) is an Indian public service broadcaster founded by the Government of India, owned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and one of Prasar Bharati's two divisions. One of India's largest 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
The Hyundai Accent ( ko, 현대 엑센트), or Hyundai Verna (현대 베르나) is a subcompact car produced by Hyundai. In Australia, the first generation models carried over the Hyundai Excel name used by the Accent's predecessor. The Accen ...
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'' (also simply known as ''KBC'') is an Indian Hindi-language television game show. It is the official Hindi adaptation of the ''International versions of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' f ...
.
Notable alumni
Indian Armed Forces
*
General
A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...
Shankar Roychowdhury, PVSM (Class of 1953),
Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army (1994–1997);
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
A Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha (abbreviated: MP) is the representative of the Indian states to the one of the two houses of the Parliament of India (Rajya Sabha). Rajya Sabha MPs are elected by the electoral college of the elected ...
.
*
Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer originating from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. An air chief marshal is equivalent to an Adm ...
Denis La Fontaine
Air Chief Marshal Denis Anthony La Fontaine, PVSM, AVSM, VM (17 September 1929 – 6 April 2011) was the 13th Chief of Air Staff of the Indian Air Force from 3 July 1985 to 31 July 1988.
Early life and education
Born in Madras, Denis Anthon ...
, (Class of 1946) - the 13th
Chief of Air Staff of the
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...
(1985–1988).
*
Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer originating from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. An air chief marshal is equivalent to an Adm ...
Birender Singh Dhanoa - the 25th
Chief of the Air Staff (2016-2019).
*
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) 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 ...
Daulet Singh -
General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Command (1961-1963), died in harness.
* Lieutenant General
Anil Kumar Bhatt
Lieutenant General Anil Kumar Bhatt, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM was the Military Secretary of the Indian Army. Prior to this, he served as the 47th Commander, XV Corps of the Indian Army between 1 February 2018 and 7 February 2019. Prior to this ...
-
General Officer Commanding XV Corps (2018-2019).
*
Air Marshal Denzil Keelor,
Vir Chakra
Vir Chakra (pronunciation: ʋ iː ɾ a tʃ a kɾa) is an Indian wartime military bravery award presented for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy on the battlefield and 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 ''pe ...
, (Class of 1940),
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 or the Second Kashmir War was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. The conflict began following Pakistan's Operation Gibraltar, which was d ...
.
*
Wing Commander
Wing commander (Wg Cdr in the RAF, the IAF, and the PAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, formerly sometimes W/C in all services) is a senior commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and air forces of many countries which have historic ...
Trevor Keelor,
Vir Chakra
Vir Chakra (pronunciation: ʋ iː ɾ a tʃ a kɾa) is an Indian wartime military bravery award presented for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy on the battlefield and 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 numb ...
; hero of the
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 or the Second Kashmir War was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. The conflict began following Pakistan's Operation Gibraltar, which was d ...
.
*
Major Haripal Singh Ahluwalia (Class of 1954),
IOFS 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 1990s he wa ...
(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. With several popular singles and albums, he emerged as a significant figure of Indipop during the 1990s.
Early life and educati ...
, 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 (; Kumaoni: ''Kumāū''; ; historically romanized as KemāonJames Prinsep (Editor)John McClelland ) is a revenue and administrative division in the Indian State of Uttarakhand. It spans over the eastern half of the state and is bounded ...
, Uttarakhand.
Members of Parliament
* Satpal Maharaj
Satpal Maharaj (born 21 September 1951) is a spiritual master and an Indian politician, serving as the current PWD, tourism, cultural and irrigation minister in the cabinet of Government of Uttarakhand. He was born to Shri Hans Ji Maharaj and ...
, Member of Parliament, 15th Lok Sabha
Members of the 15th Lok Sabha were elected during the 2009 general election in India. It was dissolved on 18 May 2014 by President Pranab Mukherjee.
Indian National Congress-led United Progressive Alliance won 44 more seats than the previou ...
, from Garhwal Lok Sabha Constituency
Garhwal Lok Sabha constituency is one of the five Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituencies in Uttarakhand. This constituency came into existence in 1957, following the delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies. It comprises five districts namely ...
.
* Neville Foley
Neville Foley was a prominent leader of the Anglo-Indian community in India. He was a Member of Parliament, representing Anglo-Indian reserved seats in the Lok Sabha the lower house of India's Parliament
The Parliament of India ( IAST: ) ...
, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-pas ...
.
* Lalit Suri
Lalit Suri was an Indian politician. He was a Member of Parliament, representing Uttar Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha the upper house of India's Parliament as an Independent politician
An independent or non-partisan politician is a politician not ...
, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
A Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha (abbreviated: MP) is the representative of the Indian states to the one of the two houses of the Parliament of India (Rajya Sabha). Rajya Sabha MPs are elected by the electoral college of the elected ...
.
Judges
* Justice H. S. Bedi - Justice of the Supreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India (IAST: ) is the supreme judicial authority of India and is the highest court of the Republic of India under the constitution. It is the most senior constitutional court, has the final decision in all legal matters ...
.
Pakistani nationals
* Brigadier Mervyn Cardoza
Mervyn Adrian Cardoza (1922 – 2010, Toronto) was a one star general in the Pakistan Army. In 1965 Brig. Mervyn Cardoza was awarded the Tamgha-e-Khidmat
Tamgha-i-Khidmat or Tamgha-e-Khidmat ( ur, تمغہِ خدمت, literally "medal of ...
, Tamgha-e-Khidmat, Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...
.
* Mumtaz Bhutto - 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