CHENNAI: Presidency College was the first college to be established by the British regime in South India.
Also known as ‘The Mother of Madras University’, Presidency was the only government college that was set up prior to the University of Madras. Initially established as the Madras Preparatory School by Eyre Burton Powell, a renowned mathematics professor, in a rented building in Egmore on October 1840, it eventually grew into a high school and later as the Presidency College.
The college was shifted to its present location on Kamaraj Salai, opposite the Marina Beach in 1870.
Apart from political leaders and bureaucrats, the college has produced two Nobel laureates — Sir C V Raman and Dr S Chandrasekhar.
The annual reports of the college claim that TNT explosives for World War II were manufactured at the college’s Chemistry Department and Amrutanjan balm was formulated here in the 60s. On an average, the college produces 30 PhDs every month. A professor from the History Department said earlier, students from the college used to be called ‘Princes of Presidency’, as the college provided expensive education. This scenario has changed now, with students belonging to marginalised communities approaching the college seeking admissions. While several other arts and science colleges in the city, which have been around for an equally long time did not have student union elections, this is probably the only college in the State where such elections have taken place uninterruptedly despite so many problems associated with them. This year’s elections are scheduled for the fourth week of this month. The college is celebrating its quartoseptcentennial (175th) year at present.