Faculty, St. Xavier’s College.
Photographer: Roy Studios.
A photo donated by Mrs. Hena Banerjee reveals a group of Belgian and Indian college professors at the St. Xavier’s college in Ranchi, Jharkhand, posing for an annual group photo in the year 1953. The names below read.
Bottom row, left to right: 1. Professor G.P. Shrivastava (Secretary). 2. Professor N.G. Mitra. 3. Professor R.K. Saksena. 4. Reverend.P. Van Wynsberghe, S.J. 5. Reverend .A. Schockaert, S.J (Principle). 6. Professor A.R. Majumdar. 7. Professor A.K. Gosh. 8. Reverend .C. Bulcke, S.J. 9. Professor A.K. Dutta. 10. Professor J.N. Chakravarty.
First row, left to right: 1. Professor R.N. LaL. 2. Mr. A.K. Kerketta. 3. Mr. A. Minj. 4. Professor B.N. Tripathi. 5. Professor S.N. Sahay. 6. Professor S. Mishra. 7. Professor H.B. Verma. 8. Professor K.K. Mitra. 9. Professor M. Ali. 10. Professor P.B. Bihari Singh.
Second row, left to right: 1. Mr. F. Beck. 2. Reverend H. De Meester, S.J. 3. Professor B.D.N Sinha. 4. Professor B. Banerjee. 5. Professor R.S. Singh. 6. Professor B.C. Chakravarty. 7. Reverend J. Audi, S.J. 8. Professor B. Bathak. 9. Professor H.S. Tripathi. 10. Professor M.N. Banerjee.
Third row, left to right: 1. Mr. N. Baxla. 2. Mr. J. Tiru. 3. Reverend J. Lawlor, S.J. 4. Reverend W. Proost, S.J. 5. Professor P. Banerjee. 6. Reverend R. Milito, S.J. 7. Mr. S.K. Gosh. 8. Professor A.N. Sen. 9. Professor A.K. Sen Gupta. 10. Reverend J. Somers, S.J.
Till her death in 2020, from Covid 19. Mrs. Hena Banerjee had kept the photo encased in frame as a treasured memory of her late husband, Pritish Banerjee, and his career as professor of physics. Mrs. Hena Banerjee was also a student of the same college.
Bihar Gazetteer.
Established in July 1944 by the Roman Catholic Mission, the St. Xavier’s College continues to be a much respected academic institution in present-day Ranchi, Jharkhand. The Bihar District Gazetteer records the institution had 140 students and nine lecturers in the first year. While by 1948 it had started offering B.A and B.Sc standard courses. Including Honour classes in Hindi, English, Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics.
Between 1951-61, the academic institution was also one among four colleges in India to offer a one year course in social work. A news bulletin published by Telegraph Online, reveals ex Indian Cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was a student at St. Xavier’s Ranchi (see M.S. Dhoni joins course in office management ).
The black and white photo was captured by Roy Studios. It is archived by Farbound.Net
