American College, Madurai 5.9

The American College, often referred to as American College, is one of the oldest colleges present in India. It is in Madurai, Tamil Nadu state, south of India. It was founded in 1881 by American Christian missionaries. The red-brick buildings, in the Saracenic style, blend with the natural surroundings constructed by British architect Henry Irwin. The college was visited by eminent people including Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore who delivered a series of lectures on education in 1919.ObjectivesThe object of the college is to give the students a liberal Christian education and to train them in the service of God. The college maintains a low faculty-student ratio. A major innovation is the choice-based credit system (CBCS). It is hoped that this will make education student-centered.HistoryFounded as a missionary in 1841 by the American Mission, the American College became a collegiate department in 1881. It was started initially as Pasumalai College in 1881 as same year when prestigious St.stephen's college at Delhi by Rev. Samuel Scott Allnutt ( It is often called by nicknames such as Southindia's STEPHEN COLLEGE and Madurai's INDIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE, under the initiatives of Rev. George T. Washburn, the first principal. He hails from the Great Washburn clan. The college was shifted to its present location during the period of Rev. W.M. Zumbro, its second principal, who had his formal education at University of Michigan, University of Columbia and Yale University, made a proposal in 1903 to the missionary in the United States to shift the college from Pasumalai to Madurai. With more than 130 years of history, the college is remembered for its pioneering role in the cause of college autonomy.