Nicholas Attygalle

Professor Sir Nicholas Attygalle
President of the Senate of Ceylon
In office 1953-1960
First Ceylonese Vice Chancellor of the University of Ceylon
Personal details
Born	July 14, 1894
Died	March 27, 1970
Nationality	Ceylonese
Spouse(s)	Lady Conita Attygalle
Children	Lakshman Attygalle, FRCS, Anjula Wijesinghe
Alma mater	Royal College Colombo, Ceylon Medical College
Occupation	Academic
Profession	Physician

Sir Nicholas Attygalle, FRCS (July 14, 1894 – March 27, 1970) was a Ceylonese (Sri Lankan) academic, surgeon and a Senator. He was the President of the Senate of Ceylon from 1953 to 1960 and the first Ceylonese Vice Chancellor of the University of Ceylon, where he was known as the "Iron Vice Chancellor".

Early life and education

He was born on July 14, 1894, the fifth in a family of eleven (nine sons and two daughters). His father died when he was seventeen. Sir Nicholas was educated at Royal College Colombo and Ceylon Medical College where he passed LMS in 1919, being first in the batch and obtaining a first class in the Final Examination. After graduating he joined the Ceylon Medical Service. In 1925 Sir Nicholas left for Britain for further studies and returned in 1929 with his MRCS, LRCP (London), DLO^{[disambiguation needed ]} (London) and FRCS (England).

Career

He was sent as DMO Nawalapitiya where there were no facilities for any surgery. He was later appointed demonstrator in anatomy in spite having his FRCS (England). Again this may have been the only occasion where a qualified Surgeon with an FRCS was appointed demonstrator in anatomy.

In 1944 he was appointed Professor and Head of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology department and was the first to practice both Obstetrics and Gynaecology and in 1945 he became Dean of the Medical faculty of the University of Ceylon.

In 1952 he was appointed to the Senate, the Upper House of Parliament and was made its president in 1953 and knighted for his services to the country. In 1954 he became the first Ceylonese Vice Chancellor of University of Ceylon, succeeding Sir Ivor Jennings, a post he head till his retirement in 1967. From 1964 to 1969 he was the president of the Ceylon Medical Council.

He was also the President of the Buddhist Theosophical Society, Chairman Board of Trustees of Ananda College and was President of the Vidyalankara Sabha.

Family

Sir Nicholas Attygalle and Lady Conita had a son, Dr. Lakshman Attygalle, FRCS, and a daughter, Anjula Wijesinghe.

See also

• University of Ceylon
• Senate of Ceylon

External links

• In Memoriam: Sir Nicholas Attygalle, Royal College of Surgeons
• Sri Lanka Medical Association
• The medics who’ve done it all! Batch of 1962 – On completing forty years as doctors
• His humanity and humour made him what he was, Dr. Anthony GabrieL

Government offices
Preceded by	President of the Senate of Ceylon 1953–1960	Succeeded by Sir Cyril de Zoysa
Academic offices
Preceded by Sir Ivor Jennings	Vice Chancellor of the University of Ceylon 1954–1967	Succeeded by O.H. de A. Wijesekera

Persondata
Name	Attygalle, Nicholas
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	July 14, 1894
Place of birth
Date of death	March 27, 1970
Place of death