They shared, cared, molded and guided to make the best students ever in the form of Richmondites. They sacrificed their lives for Richmond, set examples for other schools, by reining those at the helm. They were principled principals who made Richmond flag flying high. Hail you, Sirs!
Rev Samuel Langdon (1876-1876)
1st May, 1876, a day to be remembered in the history of Education in Sri Lanka. Richmond College was inaugurated on that day, as the Galle High School. Rev. Samuel Langdon was our first principal. He undertook to lead the school through numerous hardships in those early years, towards victory and glory. Rev. Langdon first […]
Rev. Samuel Hill (1879-1882)
REV. SAMUEL HILL arrived in Ceylon a year later, succeeding Rev. Langdon as the principal of Richmond College. He did a distinctive service, specially in raising the standard of the school in the academic context. During his period, the boys of Richmond excelled in all public examinations. It was on his recommendation as principal that […]
Rev. S.R Wilkin (1882-1888)
Our first school magazine was published during Rev. Wilkin’s period as principal. Before taking over Richmond College, he served as the first principal of Wesley College from 1873 to 1887. Therefore, when he assumed duties at Richmond in 1882, he was already well experienced in administering a school. During his period, the syllabuses were expanded […]
Rev. H Heartly (1893-1896)
Rev. Horatius Hartley, who took over as principal in 1893, was a person full of ideas and character, who always thought of the future and worked for the future, which was one of his most distinguished characteristics. He was born in Halifax , Great Britain , on 10th September, 1866. He joined the Methodist Mission […]
Rev J.H Darrel (1896-1906)
“He lived on the heights and breathed the atmosphere of noble and lofty thoughts. His was a strong faith too: simple, direct and, withal, strongly reasoned. His will power was great. The faculty of rule and mastery was strong in him. But he was not overbearing. He knew the charm of gentleness, and was a […]
Rev. W.J.T Small (1906-1922)
In terms of the period of service of missionary principals at Richmond, Rev. W. J. T. Small earns second place, one year behind Rev. Alec Sneath. But Rev. Small was undoubtedly the principal who had the longest association with the College. Although he ceased to be principal in 1922, the school continued to benefit from […]
Rev A.A Sneath(1922-1939)
The principalship of Rev. Alec A. Sneath at Richmond was notable chiefly for two reasons. Firstly, he was the missionary principal who served the longest period at Richmond. Secondly, being a trained and qualified educationist, he brought theories of scientific education into practical application at Richmond. Alec Sneath was born on 10th January, 1890. His […]
Mr E.R De Silva (1940-1957)
The year 1940 marked the end of an era in the history of Richmond College, with the exit of the last of the missionary principals. Most of the other public schools in Ceylon, faced with the same situation, experienced difficulty in finding replacements for those dedicated and capable principals. In this respect, Richmond was fortunate […]
Mr A.S Wirasinghe (1957-1961)
Mr. Arthur Shelton Wirasinhe succeeded Mr. E. R. de Silva as principal in 1957. He was a student at Richmond from 1931 to 1941. He was in every respect one of the brightest products of Richmond . Apart from being an outstanding student, he was also talented in music, poetry, oratory and sports. He was […]
Mr D.G Welikala(1962-1971)
The 1960s can be described as a decade which brought about revolutionary changes in the educational sphere in Sri Lanka . During this period, most of the better schools in the island which were privately managed came under state control. These schools which hitherto catered to the elite, now opened out to the masses. With […]
Mr J.Munasinghe(1971-1973)
Mr. Jinadasa Munasinghe succeeded Mr. D. G. Welikala as Principal. Although he served Richmond for a brief period , Richmondites remember him with much gratitude. He was a student of Ananda College during the time of Mr. P. de S. Kularatne, who himself was an illustrious son of Richmond . Mr. Munasinghe served as a […]
Mr S.Kariyawasam(1973-1977)
A graduate in Science, Mr. S. Kariyawasam first joined the staff of Richmond in 1961. An outstanding teacher, he was able to produce exceptional results in the Maths stream in the 1960s. He functioned as head of the Science Section under Mr. Welikala, and became vice principal, succeeding Mr. H. D. A. Gunasekera. He was […]
Mr N.P.G Amarakeerthi(1978-1979)
After the departure of Mr. S. Kariyawasam as Principal, Mr. Piyasena Amarakeethi filled the vacancy. He performed his duties as Principal from January 1978 to February 1979. Mr. Amarakeerthi joined the Department of Education as a teacher in 1954. He has done invaluable service as a teacher, a lecturer in Training colleges and also as […]
Mr B.Suriarachchi(1979-1986)
Mr. B. Suriarachchi earns a prominent place among the more recent principals of Richmond College, due to several reasons. He was the fourth old boy of the college to hold the post of Principal. His career as a student at Richmond began in 1942. As his home was in Baddegama, he was admitted by his […]
Mr S.Illayperuma(1986-1994)
Mr. S. llayperuma, who was born at Uluvitike in Galle, received his education at Richmond from 1947 to 1955. Entering College at Form 1 , he left after quali f ying for admission to the University. During his school days, he was a keen sportsman and also took an active part in many extra-mural activities. […]