St. Thomas' College

A group of Anglo-Indian and European Philanthropists like Mr R. K. Bruce, Maj G. A. Beazeley R.E, Mr. R.S, Pearson IFS IFS lt.Gray Mr. J.D Maitland Kirman and Mrs R Bruce formed a school committee to start a school in English medium.. Later on an application was made to the Municipal Board of Dehradun, for the lease of Nazul land and the present site of the School was maintained. Various bodies were then approached for funds to erect a proper School building on the plot. The European School Improvement Association, three members of the School Committee, members of the St. Thomas' Church donated some money and some was raised from two concerts. The construction of the School was entrusted to Mr. Jones, District Engineer of Dehradun. He designed a building, consisting of a Central Hall, four class rooms, two and a back verandah and this cost the School Rs.8,600/-. Servant quarters were erected at a cost of Rs. 1,060/-. Miss Wells resigned the post of Headmistress in the middle of 1917 and Miss Hannah officiated as head of the School for the rest of the year. Miss Teare was appointed to the post in January 1918 but left in May 1918 to get married and so Miss A. Degruyther took over in August 1918. As the number of children on the roll increased, additional class rooms became necessary and the U.P. Government was approached for a building grant. This could not be given except to a Society and so a School Society was formed and registered with the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies - U.P. on 28.2.1924. The members of the Society were Rev. Francis A. Judd, Mr. W.E. Perrce, IFS, President, Forest Research Institute & Colleges, Dehradun, Mr. R.S. Pearson, IFS, Forest Economist, Mrs. D.C. Mackinnon, Mr. O.C. Ollenbach, Mr. S. D'Gama and Miss A. Degruyther. The U.P. Government then sanctioned a building grant of Rs.3,436/- for the Society. In this manner, the School kept getting lease of Narul land renewed from the U.P. Government. Mrs. Amelia Fraser, a local resident, very kindly donated a sum of Rs. 10,000/- to the School to build a hall. This was gratefully accepted and thus the 'Fraser Hall' was con¬structed and formally opened in 1933. In the meantime, Miss. A. Degruyther, after a long and meritorious service of 21½ years as Principal, retired in December 1939. Miss P. Coughlan was her successor, but she too left the post in 1941 and then Mrs. A.G. Percy Paine became the Headmistress in 1942. Till 1947, the School taught only upto the Middle School and it was only the following year that the U.P. Government accorded the School the status of being a High School. This necessitated further expansion and so the Society built new class rooms and Science laboratories, which were built under the able supervision of Engineer Lt. Col. R.C. Wilkinson. Mrs. Percy Paine served the School for 14 years. After she left, the post was taken by the following ladies: Mrs. M.E. Mobsy, Mrs. M. Alexander, Mrs. Dorothy Sealy, Mrs. P. Ghose, and the present Principal, Mr. R.V. Gardner, MLA who happens to be not only the 13th Principal of the Institution but the only Gent. The Institution has always been co-educational and has prepared students for the Jr. Cambridge Examination, Senior Cambridge Examination, ICSE (Year X) ISC (Year XI) ISC (Year XII) and Trinity College for music through the 91 years of its existence. Children of all nationalities, communities, class and creed have studied and are still studying. A large number of freeships or concessions in tuition fees have been given and at present it continues to do the same for those who cannot afford the fees and, above all it has always been a 'Day School'.