MADRAS CHRISTIAN COLLEGE MCC

About MADRAS CHRISTIAN COLLEGE MCC

The Madras Christian College, commonly known as MCC, is a liberal arts college in in Chennai, India. Founded in 1837, MCC is one of Asia's oldest extant colleges. Currently, the college is affiliated to the University of Madras, but functions as an autonomous institution from its campus in Tambaram, Chennai. The National Assessment and Accreditation Council rates the college at an accreditation grade of A+, the highest grade level for education institutions according to its methodology. The India Today Magazine in its June 2007 survey places MCC among the Top Ten Arts and Science Colleges in India in all the three streams— Arts, Science and Commerce. position the institution has retained through 2009, as per the magazine's 2009 surveyAmong the first few institutions to be granted autonomy, the Madras Christian College is famous for its emphasis on work with practical orientation and curricular innovations. Education, here, is made more meaningful and contemporary by the inclusion of new methods of learning. The college today has sixteen University related academic departments offering under graduate and post-graduate courses.MCC has its roots in a small school for boys established in 1835 when two Chaplains of the Church of Scotland in Madras, Rev George James Laurie and Rev Matthew Bowie founded the St. Andrew's School on Randalls Road in Egmore, Chennai. At their request, the Church of Scotland sent a missionary to India to govern it. The missionary, the Rev. John Anderson, set up the institution as The General Assembly's School, conducting classes in a rented house on the east side of Armenian Street in Georgetown, Chennai, The Headmaster and 59 boys from St Andrew's School moved to this institution. It was named after the supreme governing body of the Church of Scotland, and aimed at attracting students from the Hindu higer castes with the aim of "conveying as great as an amount of truth as possible through the channel of a good education especially of Bible truth". The college grew from the school into a 375 acre wooded campus under the leadership of educationalist Dr.William Miller, who created hostels and several academic and cultural associations, which shaped MCC into a premier educational institution in South Asia.

The rapid expansion of the College and the paucity of the space necessitated moving the college campus to a more spacious location. Accordingly, the College under the leadership of Rev. William Skinner (Principal 1909-1921) initiated the Tambaram Project in 1919. Rev Gordon Matthew as the Town Planning secretary negotiated with the Government, which set aside 390 acres of the former Selaiyur forest land in Tambaram. While Mrs and Prof. Edward Barnes meticulously planted rare tress and worked out the physical landscape, the Swiss architect Schaetti carved the impressive buildings on the new campus. After 100 years of life in the heart of the city, the college moved to the sprawling, green campus in Tambaram on the outskirts of Chennai 1937.

On 30th January 1937, Governor of Madras, Lord Erskine declared open the first campus buildings. The Hostel gave way to three Halls of Residence-Selaiyur, Thomas' and Heber, active today as semi-autonomous student communities. Women students were admitted on a regular basis from 1939, and a hostel for them came up in Guindy, Chennai in 1950. This too evolved into an on-campus hall of residence for women, Martin Hall, named after Mrs Agnes Martin, in 1968.

MCC's leadership in governance and education has arguably evolved its familial culture and values-driven education. The Rev. Dr. A.J. Boyd led the college for 18 years (1938-56). General Krishnaswamy Sundarji's autobiography reveals that Dr. Boyd knew each student personally. Sundarji relates in his book that when he expressed his intention to join the army, discontinuing his studies, Dr. Boyd advised him against it as he believed Sundarji would make a good doctor rather than a good soldier.

After Dr. Boyd, Prof MacPhail became Principal, who was then succeeded by the first Indian Principal of the college, Dr.Chandran Devanesan in 1962. A man of Gandhian principles, Dr Devanesen involved the faculty and students in working with the neighbouring community in Tambaram. This decade (1962-72) is affectionately referred to by MCCians as "The Devanesan Decade". Several Principals of MCC have been appointed Vice-Chancellors of Universities across India and have distinguished themselves as successful educationalists and administrators.