# List of University of Ceylon people

The following is a list of notable people associated with the University of Ceylon (1942–52), University of Ceylon, Peradeniya (1952–72) and University of Ceylon, Colombo (1967–1972).

## Chancellors

University of Ceylon
* 1942–44 Andrew Caldecott
* 1944–49 Henry Monck-Mason Moore
* 1949–52 Lord Soulbury
University of Ceylon, Peradeniya
* 1952–54 Lord Soulbury
* 1954–62 Oliver Goonetilleke
* 1962–72 William Gopallawa
University of Ceylon, Colombo
* 1967–72 William Gopallawa

## Pro-Chancellor

* 1942-47 C. W. W. Kannangara
* 1947-52 E. A. Nugawela
* 1952-56 M. D. Banda

## Vice-Chancellors

University of Ceylon
* 1942–52 Ivor Jennings
University of Ceylon, Peradeniya
* 1952–55 Ivor Jennings
* 1955–66 Nicholas Attygalle
* 1966–68 S. J. Walpita
* 1968–69 M. J. Perera
* 1969–71 E. O. E. Pereira
University of Ceylon, Colombo
* 1967 O. H. de A. Wijesekera
* 1968–69 Walwin A. de Silva
* 1969–72 B. A. Abeywickrema

## Academics

* V. Appapillai – Dean of the Faculty of Science
* S. Arasaratnam – lecturer of history
* K. S. Arulnandhy – lecturer in education
* Chandra de Silva
* K. M. de Silva – chair of Sri Lanka history
* Doric de Souza – senior lecturer in English
* Brendon Gooneratne – Head of the Department of Parasitology
* H. A. I. Goonetileke – assistant librarian
* Betty Heimann – first Head of the Department of Sanskrit
* K. Indrapala – Department of History
* Valentine Joseph – professor of mathematics.
* Stanley Kalpage – Head of the Department of Agricultural Chemistry
* P. Kanagasabapathy – professor of mathematics
* R. Kanagasuntheram – lecturer in anatomy
* K. Kanapathypillai – Head of the Department of Tamil
* K. Kunaratnam
* E. F. C. Ludowyk – Dean of the Faculty of Arts
* Baku Mahadeva – lecturer in mathematics
* Muhammad Ajward Macan Markar – professor of medicine
* A. W. Mailvaganam – Dean of the Faculty of Science
* T. Nadaraja – Dean of the Faculty of Law
* S. Pathmanathan – lecturer in history
* E. O. E. Pereira – Dean of the Faculty of Engineering
* Ediriweera Sarachchandra – lecturer in Pali
* S. Selvanayagam – assistant lecturer
* V. Sivalingam – professor of parasitology
* M. Sivasuriya – faculty of medicine
* Stanley Jeyaraja Tambiah
* A. Thurairajah – professor of civil engineering
* S. Vithiananthan – Head of the Department of Tamil
* A. Jeyaratnam Wilson – chair of political science

## Alumni
### Academia

* Ameer Ali – lecturer in economics
* Sarath Amunugama – professor of French; vice-chancellor of the University of Kelaniya
* S. Arulkumaran – professor of obstetrics and gynaecology
* S. Arasaratnam – professor of history
* K. Arulanandan – professor of engineering
* K. D. Arulpragasam – professor of zoology
* Ganesar Chanmugam – professor of astrophysics
* Charles Dahanayake – professor of physics, dean of Faculty of Science at the University of Kelaniya
* Chandra de Silva – lecturer in history, vice provost of the Old Dominion University
* K. M. de Silva – chair of Sri Lanka history at the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya
* Mohan De Silva – professor of surgery; dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura
* K. N. O. Dharmadasa – professor, dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Peradeniya
* George Dissanaike – professor of physics
* Elagu V. Elaguppillai – professor of physics
* Chitra Fernando – lecturer in linguistics, Macquarie University, Australia
* Brendon Gooneratne – senior lecturer, head of the Department of Parasitology at the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya
* Sucharitha Gamlath – professor of Sinhala, dean of the Faculty of Arts at the Jaffna Campus of the University of Sri Lanka
* R. K. W. Goonesekera – professor of law, chancellor of the University of Peradeniya
* Siri Gunasinghe – professor of history
* K. Indrapala – professor of history, dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Jaffna
* Osmund Jayaratne – professor of physics
* K. N. Jayatilleke – professor of Pali and Buddhist Studies, head of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya
* W. L. Jeyasingham – associate professor of geography, dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Jaffna
* Valentine Joseph – professor of mathematics.
* Silan Kadirgamar – lecturer in history and author
* David Kalupahana – professor of philosophy
* P. Kanagasabapathy – professor of mathematics, dean of the Faculty of Science at the Jaffna Campus of the University of Sri Lanka
* R. Kanagasuntheram – professor of anatomy, dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Jaffna
* Y Karunadasa – professor
* Kusuma Karunaratne – professor of Sinhala
* Sam Karunaratne – professor of engineering, vice-chancellor of the University of Moratuwa
* R. Kumaravadivel – professor of physics, dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Jaffna
* K. Kunaratnam – professor of physics, vice-chancellor of the University of Jaffna
* Muhammad Ajward Macan Markar – professor of medicine
* M. Nadarajasundaram – professor, dean of the Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce at the University of Jaffna
* Gananath Obeyesekere – professor of anthropology
* S. Pathmanathan – professor of history, chancellor of the University of Jaffna
* Malik Peiris – professor
* V. K. Samaranayake – professor of computer science, dean of the Faculty of Science at the Colombo Campus of the University of Sri Lanka
* S. Selvanayagam – professor of geography, head of the Department of Geography at the University of Jaffna
* K. N. Seneviratne – professor of physiology
* M. Sivasuriya – professor of obstetrics and gynaecology; chancellor of the University of Jaffna
* K. Sivathamby – professor
* Muthucumaraswamy Sornarajah – professor of law, head of the School of Law at the University of Tasmania
* Stanley Jeyaraja Tambiah – professor of anthropology
* A. Thurairajah – professor of civil engineering, vice-chancellor of the University of Jaffna
* A. Veluppillai – professor of Tamil
* S. Vithiananthan – professor of Tamil; vice-chancellor of the University of Jaffna
* Chandra Wickramasinghe – professor of astrobiology; director of the Buckingham Centre for Astrobiology at the University of Buckingham
* Sunitha Wickramasinghe – professor of haematology
* Stanley Wijesundera – professor of chemistry; vice-chancellor of the University of Colombo
* Sumedha Chandana Wirasinghe – professor

### Arts

* Gunadasa Amarasekara – author
* Nihal De Silva – novelist
* Vasantha Obeysekera – film director
* Iranganie Serasinghe – actress
* Ambalavaner Sivanandan – novelist

### Business and finance

* Eastman Narangoda - Chairman of Seylan Bank
* J. M. Rajaratnam - Vice President of Singer Company

### Civil service

* Austin Fernando - permanent secretary, Governor of Eastern Province
* Gamini Iriyagolla – civil servant
* Nihal Jayawickrama – permanent secretary at the Ministry of Justice
* Jayantha Kelegama – permanent secretary at the Ministry of External and Internal Trade
* K. C. Logeswaran – permanent secretary at the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and the Media, District Secretary for Vavuniya District, ambassador to South Korea
* H. M. G. S. Palihakkara - permanent secretary, ambassador, Governor of Northern Province
* V. M. Panchalingam – District Secretary for Jaffna District
* M. J. Perera – permanent secretary at the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs, chairman of the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation
* Ranji Salgado – civil servant
* Nihal Seneviratne – Secretary General of Parliament
* Bernard Tilakaratna – permanent secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
* Lalith Weeratunga – permanent secretary to the President of Sri Lanka
* Wickrema Weerasooria – permanent secretary to the Ministry of Plan Implementation; high commissioner; associate professor of law
* Wilhelm Woutersz – permanent secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

### Diplomacy

* Susantha De Alwis – ambassador
* John De Saram – diplomat
* Yogendra Duraiswamy – diplomat, District Secretary for Jaffna District
* Ahmed Aflal Jawad – ambassador
* Palitha Kohona – diplomat
* Vernon Mendis – ambassador
* A. T. Moorthy – diplomat
* Nimalasiri Silva – diplomat and civil servant

### Government and politics

* Sarath Amunugama – government minister
* Felix Dias Bandaranaike – government minister
* Ronnie de Mel – government minister
* Amarasiri Dodangoda – government minister
* K. Ganeshalingam – Mayor of Colombo
* Lakshman Kadirgamar – Minister of Foreign Affairs
* Vikramabahu Karunaratne – politician
* M. A. Abdul Majeed – deputy minister
* G. L. Peiris – government minister
* K. Thurairatnam – Member of Parliament for Point Pedro
* Tissa Vitharana – government minister
* Ranil Wickremasinghe – Prime Minister
* Nissanka Wijeyeratne – government minister

### Journalism and media

* Mervyn de Silva – editor of The Times of Ceylon, Ceylon Daily News and Lanka Guardian
* Vijita Fernando – journalist
* K. Kailasapathy – editor of Thinakaran, president of the Jaffna Campus of the University of Sri Lanka
* R. Sivagurunathan – editor of Thinakaran

### Law

* Ranjit Abeysuriya – Director of Public Prosecutions
* John De Saram – Director of the Office of the Legal Counsel, United Nations Office of Legal Affairs
* H. L. de Silva – lawyer, ambassador
* Basil Fernando – lawyer
* Mark Fernando – Supreme Court judge
* Saleem Marsoof – Supreme Court judge
* Shiva Pasupati – Attorney General
* Satchi Ponnambalam – Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Belize
* H. D. Thambiah – Chief Justice
* Neelan Tiruchelvam – lawyer, academic and Member of Parliament for National List
* C. V. Vigneswaran – Supreme Court judge, chief minister of the Northern Province
* Upawansa Yapa – Solicitor General

### Medicine

* Surendra Ramachandran – consultant physician, nephrologist

### Military

* Sepala Attygalle – Commander of the Army
* Janaka Perera – Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army
* Chelliah Thurairaja – Colonel Commandant of the Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps

### Religion

* Bastiampillai Deogupillai – Roman Catholic Bishop of Jaffna
* S. J. Emmanuel – Roman Catholic Vicar General of the Jaffna Diocese, president of the Global Tamil Forum
* S. Jebanesan – Church of South India Bishop of Jaffna
* Lakshman Wickremasinghe – Anglican Bishop of Kurunegala

### Sports

* Hemasiri Fernando – rifle shooter, vice president of the Commonwealth Games Federation
* P. H. D. Waidyatilleka – Vice President of the Athletic Association of Sri Lanka

### Other

* Gamani Corea – Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
* Cyril Herath – Inspector General of Police
* Rajan Hoole – human rights activist and lecturer in mathematics
* Nandasiri Jasentuliyana – Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs
* A. M. Mubarak – Director of the National Science Foundation
* Rudra Rajasingham – Inspector General of Police
* Ana Seneviratne – Inspector General of Police
* T. Somasekaram – Surveyor General
* Kanagaratnam Sriskandan – civil engineer
* Bala Tampoe – general secretary of the Ceylon Mercantile Union
* P. H. D. Waidyatilleka – civil engineer; senior vice president of the Athletic Association of Sri Lanka