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Diamond Jubilee Celebrations

The Diamond Jubilee of the College was celebrated on the 9th and 10th of October 1986. Mr. M.O.H. Farook, Chief Minister of Pondicherry and an Alumnus, presided over the celebration and inaugurated it.

Mr. T.D. Sundararaj, I.A.S., Commissioner and Secretary for Education, Tamil Nadu, released the Diamond Jubilee Souvenir and offered felicitations.

His Grace, the Most Reverend G. Gasimir, S.J., D.D., Archbishop of Madurai, and also an Alumnus, blessed the foundation stone of the Jerome D'Souza Administrative Building, as the Chief Minister of Pondicherry unveiled the tablet.

After the Diamond Jubilee (1987-1994)

The Diamond Jubilee celebrations were directed by Rev. Fr. Leo Correya, S.J., who after leaving Loyola at the end of his Rectorship in 1980, returned to the college as Principal to succeed Rev. Fr. Casimir Raj, S.J., in 1986. His four years of administration as Principal were specially marked by the construction of the Jerome D'Souza Administrative Building which houses the new Principal's Office and adjuncts including the department of the Controller of Exams. A seminar hall and lecture rooms are also provided in the first floor. The rooms of the Principal in the old building are occupied by the Evening College Administration and the Students' Services Centre. On 31 July 1988 the new building was declared open by Archbishop Casimir Gnanadickam, our Pastor as well as an old student of the institution.

In 1989, Rev. Fr. J. Rodriguez, S.J., took over as Rector from Rev. Fr. J. Thamburaj, S.J. The new Department B.Sc. in Visual Communication, started functioning in 1989. The demand for admissions here was so great that we were forced to admit a few girls into the course. They have contributed a great deal to the quality as well as the many activities of the department.

On the retirement of Rev. Fr. Leo Correya, S.J. in 1990, Rev. Fr J. Inchackal, S.J., took over as Principal for two years. His term was marked especially by the construction of the new Physics Dept. building and the Computer Centre, as well as a much needed re-doing of the Bertram Hall stage and the tarred roads in the campus.

1990-91 are specially to be remembered because of the Ignatian year, the 450 th anniversary of the official recognition of the Society of Jesus by Pope Paul III on September 27, 1540 and the fifth centenary of the birth of St. Ignatius of Loyola in 1491. Both the beginning and end of the Ignatian year were duly celebrated by the college.

In June 1992 Rev. Fr. Inchackal, S.J., retired handing over charge to Rev. Fr. Xavier Alphonse, S.J. For the first time in the history of the college, the Principal's functions were bifurcated.

To sum up events, Rev. Fr. Xavier Alphonse, S.J., who took charge as Principal in June 1992, conducted many noteworthy celebrations. He took the initiative to organise a near spectacular celebration, on 12 August 1993, of the Golden Jubilee in the religious life of Archbishop Casmir of Madras-Mylapore, a distinguished alumnus and of Rev. Fr. Lawrence Sundaram, S.J., retired Principal & Professor of Loyola and now Director of the Alumni Association. During two more years of his slewardship Rev. Fr. Alphonse, S.J., worked with amazing youthful energy and started new courses: M.A. in Applied History and B.Sc. in Computer Science both self financing, and be also forged many contacts with men in authority and position. He demitted office in June 1995 and handed over office to Rev. Fr. A.J. Thamburaj, S.J., former Rector of the College. Rev. Fr. Inchackal, S.J., was succeeded by Rev. Fr. Joseph Xavier, S.J., as Secretary.

There was also a new Rector in the person of Rev. Fr. John Lourdu, S.J. These two years of his Principalship have been highlighted by important events: the visit of Cardinal Lourduswamy our most distinguished old student among Church dignitaries, the College Day address compelling and brilliant in substance and delivery of Dr. Manmohan Singh (now Prime Minister of India) the inter-collegiate debate, in memory of Fr Jerome D'Sousa held over three days in which the Law College team won the prize, and the memorable visit of T.N. Seshan immediately after his retirement as Chief Election Commissioner, whose presence filled Bertram Hall to capacity and kept his rapt listeners in the grip of an awed and spontaneous silence for forty minutes.

The imposing new building of LIBA, home of management courses, and of a Computer training centre open all the day for different groups, was inaugurated in September 1996 and is now a landmark in the campus.

One memorable event of the final semester of 1996-97 was the International Conference on Mathematics in memory of the great Mathematician of Loyola, Rev. Fr. Charles Racine, S.J. It was organised by our Maths Department under the leadership of Dr M.L. Santiago, Head of the Department. It was inaugurated by our Vice-Chancellor Dr P.K. Ponnusamy. Rev. Fr. Provincial, Rev. Fr. Rector, and Rev. Fr. Principal were present.

Another important event to record was the Silver Jubilee Celebration of the Evening College, in a modest but effective manner under the inspiration of Father P. Susai, Vice Principal, in March 1997. Rev. Fr. R.J.M. Das, S.J., took over the mantle of Vice - Principalship of Loyola Evening College for six years. Rev. Fr. Alphonse Manickam, S.J., is the present Vice Principal of Evening College from December 2003 onwards.

First National Jesuit Alumni Congress

From 13th to 15th October 1995, Loyola College had the privilege of hosting the First National Jesuit Alumni Congress. About 500 delegates from all over India, Nepal and Sri Lanka participated. The complete account of it is published in a Commemoration Volume.