The American College, Madurai

of missionary education spreading across the wider parts of erstwhile Madras Presidency taking education to the unreached spaces. One such defining moment was the establishment of The American College, in Madurai, started initially as ‘Pasumalai College’ verdant locale and imposing structures of heritage value are hallmarks of The American College. Amidst the din and bustle of the city, the college stands like an oasis. Established in 1881, under the initiatives of G.T. Washburn, an American Christian missionary, this institution of higher education is known for its focus on academic excellence. The college was shifted to its present location during the period of W.M. Zumbro, its second principal, who had his formal education at University of Michigan, Columbia and Yale, made a proposal in the year 1903 to the Missionary bound in the United States to shift the college to Madurai. With more than 130 years of history behind, the college is remembered for its pioneering role in the cause of college autonomy. The idea behind this shifting was to give a new vision to Christian higher education. Zambro meant that education should be made available to the common man despite divisions based on caste, creed and religion,

Rev. Zambro envisaged that once Christian education goes public, people of Madurai would acquire a character which would be beneficial for the city in the long term. In his words, “Madurai should grow with American College and American College should grow with Madurai.”

The century old American College main building symbolizes this slogan as it was this grandiose structure built by adopting the Indo Saracenic style Indo-saracenic architecture represents a synthesis of Muslim designs and Indian materials developed by British architects in India during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The hybrid combined diverse architectural elements of Hindu and Mughal with Gothic cusped arches, domes, spires, tracery, minarets and stained glass, in a wonderful, almost playful manner. Robert Fellowes Chisholm(1840 - 1915), Henry Irwin and Gilbert Scott were among the leading practitioners of the time. rather than Gothic or Victorian that signified the arrival of modernity in Madurai. The American college building was constructed by Henry Irwin, who built the Mysore Palace and the then Principal G. Washburn was influential in getting funds from the U.S. The building to the surprise of people of this generation was constructed at a cost of Rs.52, 000

The construction of the building was started in the year 1898 and was completed in 1904 The main hall of the building was indeed a central element in the major intellectual shift that took place then in the form of public lectures to the citizens of the city. Eminent literary scholars and international figures like Rabindranath Tagore, French Premiere Georges Clemenceau visited the college and delivered lectures in the hall. In fact, Tagore gave public lectures in the year 1919 and collected Rs. 2,365 out of which he took Rs.2, 000 for Visva Bharati, Shantiniketan and gave Rs.365 for starting an endowment in American College. Binghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers. Binghamton is the county seat of Broome County and is the principal city and cultural center of the Greater Binghamton, the contributions from the Binghamton city made possible to builthe Binghamton Hall of our college which is the part of Science block where Chemistry Department was introduced in 1903. Daniel Poor Memorial Library often abbreviated as DPM Library is a College Library of The American College, officially began its functions on June 28, 1915.Daniel Poor was one of the pioneer missionaries of the American Board who started the American Ceylon Mission in Jaffna in 1816. He was also one of the founders for the American Madura Mission established here in Madurai(then Madura) in the year 1835. Samuel A Morman, the grand daughter of Dr. Daniel Poor was the key person to build the library building by donation $25,000 to the American Board of Missioneries on January 26, 1926. Between the years 1914-1920, J.A. Sunders worked as its first librarian establishing the college library 5000 books were accessioned during its first year. The collection was housed in the Main Hall of the college. This building was originally planned for a ground floor that would house a stack room for about 50,000 volumes, a small museum and a teacher’s room. The first floor was to house a Library study room and two lecture rooms. Presently this building houses a stack room, a reference section, a reading room, technical section and a computerized student access catalog system. Stack room at the library houses more than 80,000 volumes, DPM also preserves the antiques of Nayaks dynasty & Bristish East India Company some of the very old palm leaf scripts can also be seen in the show case

G.T Washburn hostel is the first student hostel of South India within the college campus, first college in India to use computers,its successful beginning of a Choice Based Credit System and its completion of 135 years of higher education bear testimony to the position that the college currently enjoys. Originally founded as a missionary in 1841, The American College flowed into a collegiate department in 1881. In 1931 it became independent of the mission. Originally affiliated to the University of Madras, The American College is presently under the jurisdiction of Madurai Kamaraj University. With its extreme sensitivity to national policies and community needs, the college have grown from strength to strength. It was one of the first set of seven colleges to be made autonomous by the UGC in 1977-1978.Today the college offers eighteen undergraduate and thirteen post-graduate Programmes. There are research centres offering M.Phil., and Ph.D Programmes in various disciplines . There are other autonomous centres like Department of Applied Sciences (DAS) and Study Centre for Indian Literature in English and Translation (SCILET) receiving national and international attention. Peer Counselling- (SSC) Students Services Committe of The American college helps to enhance the atudents in different ways & SSC enkindleth the students to learn & share their knowledge were they can learn basic disciplinary skills on many tasks,
ACSC (American College Study Circle) is a wing of SSC were students can prepare for all types of Competitive exams mainly for U.P.S.C exams. Alien Heads (Dance Team), Eco Club, Bird watchers, Film Club, Comos fest, Tamil Drama club, Creative Writers Club, College Magazine club etc are the part of SSC ,

The post-graduate Department of Social Work was added to this great tradition in the year 1998-99.The College has active theatre groups, Social Service Schemes and N.C.C & N.S.S units that offer students a wide variety of opportunities to serve society. These activities add up to make the campus a vibrant space for developing one’s personality. The college has maintained its contemporaneity by offering courses in Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Microbiology, Computer Science, Business Administration and Social Work. The department of Religion, Philosophy and Sociology contains in itself a rare combination of subjects seldom found elsewhere started during 1985 & this is the only college in Asia to have RPS Department Besides, innovative courses such as Gender Studies, Dalit Studies, Folk Arts, Epigraphy, etc


Citizens of Madurai owe a great deal of respect and gratitude for The American College which is spreading inclusive education based on science & reality



Proud be a Americanite