Forman Christian College

Forman Christian College is a private nonprofit liberal arts university in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It was founded in 1864 and is administered by the Presbyterian Church. The university follows an American-style curriculum.
Founded in 1864 by American Presbyterian missionary Charles William Forman, the college was initially named Mission College, and changed its name in 1894 to Forman Christian College, in honor of its founder. Forman served as an associated college of the University of Calcutta until 1947 when it became affiliated with the University of Punjab. In 2004, the government granted it university charter hence providing it with degree awarding authority.
The college was initially based in the Rang Mahal in the Walled City of Lahore, which was leased by Charles with the support from foreign missions. In 1889, it was shifted to Napier Road and was inaugurated by Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne. Again, in 1940, the college was moved to its present campus on the banks of the Lahore Canal. The college remained financially autonomous until 1960 when the Pakistani government began annual grants for the college for its nursing program. The college was nationalized in 1972 and remained nationalized until 2003 when control was returned to the Presbyterian Church.
Forman is also known for its noted alumni and staff, including former Indian Prime Minister I. K. Gujral, world badminton champion Sarwan Khan, former Pakistani Presidents Farooq Leghari and Pervez Musharraf, diplomat Jamsheed Marker, journalist Kuldip Nayar, and activist Eqbal Ahmad. As of 2020, Forman was home to 8,435 students including 3,173 Intermediate students, 4,712 Baccalaureate students and 550 graduate students. It also has 220 full-time faculty members (more than 100 of whom have PhDs) as well as an alumni population of well over 21,000. Christians make up nearly 15% of the student body while the college runs a $1 million fund to finance scholarships for its students. As of 2016, the college has been ranked ninth highest in Pakistan among medium-sized universities and is the only institution in Pakistan which is a member of the Global Liberal Arts Alliance. Jonathan S. Addleton was inaugurated as the new Rector on 31 October 2020, following the retirement of his predecessor James A. Tebbe, who was awarded the Sitara-e-Imtiaz by the President of Pakistan; James A. Tebbe was in turn was preceded by Peter H. Armacost who had previously served as president of Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida.
History
Forman Christian College was founded in Lahore, British India by Presbyterian Christian missionary Charles William Forman as Rang Mahal School, a Christian mission school. Forman arrived in Calcutta in what was then colonial India in 1847 and, two years later, settled in Lahore, British India (now in Pakistan). The school added a college department in 1865 which later became a university in 2005 known as Forman Christian College University. It started offering an American-style world-class education in Pakistan. FCCU started new postgraduate courses along with MBA in 2007.
Native to Lahore, Surendra Kumar Datta was a professor of history and biology from 1909 to 1914 and served as the principal of Forman Christian College from 1932 to 1942, later becoming the president of the All India Conference of Indian Christians and representing the Christian community of colonial India in the Round Table Conferences.
One of Forman's faculty members, Prof. Arthur Compton, conducted the bulk of his research on cosmic rays at FCC University for which he received the Nobel Prize in 1927.
One of Professor Compton's former students Professor Piara Singh Gill taught at the college as lecturer in Physics between 1940 and 1947. Two alumni, Sir S. S. Bhatnagar and Bashir Ahmad, laid the foundation for scientific and industrial research in both parts of South Asia by establishing ICSIR and PCSIR respectively.
The first two Science graduates of FC College University were also the first Science graduates of the University of the Punjab (1900–1902). In this way FCCU was the first to establish, in this part of the sub-continent, Departments of Biology (1898), Greek, Latin and Hebrew Languages (1895–96), Industrial Chemistry (1917), Geography (1924), setting up the Experimental Psychology Laboratory, introducing the tutorial system (1908), appointing Deans of the Faculties introducing co-educational system (1902), and establishing an alumni Association (1896).
Besides this FCCU also started Software engineering, CS, and IT in 2006.
Achievements
Achievements of other Formanites, as the graduates are called, include:
Its Principal J. C. R. Ewing was knighted for his services to humanity and education. He served as Vice Chancellor of the Punjab University for seven years.
Formanite—alumnus and teacher of the college—Muhammad Yusuf Hashmi became the first Indian Principal of Madrasa 'Aliya in Calcutta, was recognized as an educator of distinction in British India and was titled Khan Bahadur by the British Crown. Later he was recognized in Pakistan also for his contributions to education and the Pakistan Movement.
Principal C. H. Rice and a faculty member, Khairat M. Ibne Rasa, became Vice Chancellors of the Punjab University.
Justice Sir Mian Abdur Rashid, who was a Formanite and also the first Chief Justice of Pakistan, administered the oath of office to Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah as the first Governor General.
The English poet and scholar Alamgir Hashmi served as lecturer in English at Forman Christian College (early 1970s) and as faculty advisor to Folio.
Accreditation
The university has designed its four-year bachelor's degree program in accordance with the standards for accreditation in the U.S., and is seeking accreditation through the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).
Commemorative stamp
Forman Christian College has received a commemorative postage stamp in the celebration of completing the successful 150 years. Issued by Pakistan Post, The stamp highlights a Sinclair Hall which was built to mark the centenary of FC College and was named after a devoted Principal Dr EJ Sinclair who served FCC for many years as a faculty member and Principal.
International Linkage
Global Liberal Arts Alliance
The Council of Independent Colleges - USA
Association of American International Colleges and Universities
Notable alumni
Politicians
Surendra Kumar Datta, president of the All India Conference of Indian Christians who represented the Indian Christian community in the Round Table Conferences
Inayatullah Khan Mashriqi, mathematician, logician, political theorist, Islamic scholar and founder of the Khaksar movement
Yusuf Raza Gilani, the 16th Prime Minister of Pakistan
Shaukat Tarin, former Finance Minister of Pakistan
Jahangir Tareen, Pakistani politician and businessman.
Inder Kumar Gujral, the 12th Prime Minister of India
Parkash Singh Badal, chief minister of Indian Punjab several times and elected again in 2012.
Muhammad Mian Soomro, former Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan, former caretaker Prime Minister & President of Pakistan.
Malik Barkat Ali, former Punjabi Muslim League politician
Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Foreign Minister of Pakistan and, the Vice Chairman of PTI
Shujaat Hussain, former Prime Minister of Pakistan and current President of PML-Q
Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, former Chief Minister of Punjab (Pakistan)
Rao Sikandar Iqbal (1943–2010), former Defence Minister of Pakistan
Farooq Leghari, former President of Pakistan.
Syed Afzal Haider, former Pakistani law minister
Balram Jakhar (1923–2016), an Indian politician, parliamentarian, and former Governor of Madhya Pradesh.
Rafique Rajwana, Governor of Punjab.
Kulsoom Nawaz, wife of Mian Nawaz Sharif
Pyare Lal Kureel, Indian politician, Dalit activist and Urdu poet
Yashwant Singh Parmar, founder and first chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, India
Bureaucrats and diplomats
Roedad Khan, former Secretary General Ministry of Interior.
Jamsheed Marker, United Nations Under-secretary General, Ambassador at Large of Pakistan (honorary doctorate)
Judiciary
Justice (retired) Wajihuddin Ahmed, Former Candidate for Presidential Election against Pervaiz Musharraf, Former Supreme Court Judge
Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan, Former Chief Justice Peshawar High Court, Supreme Court of Pakistan Judge
Sir Abdul Rasheed, First Chief Justice of Pakistan
Justice (retired) Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, Former Chief Justice of Pakistan
Educators and scholars
Kauser Abdulla Malik, secretary of the National Commission on Biotechnology.
Eqbal Ahmad, post-colonial scholar and writer
Ishtiaq Ahmed, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Stockholm University and Honorary Senior Fellow, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore
Cecil Chaudhry, a decorated war hero, who served as the Principal of St. Anthony's College (Lahore)
Mohini Maya Das, associate national secretary of the YWCA for India, Ceylon, and Burma
Bipan Chandra, eminent historian
Anwar Nasim, nuclear scientist and molecular biologist
Georg Pfeffer (1943–2020), German anthropologist
Rama Tirtha, Indian teacher of the Hindu philosophy of Vedanta
Khan Bahadur Muhammad Yusuf Syed-Al-Hashmi, educator, mentor, reformer, All India Muslim League and Pakistan Movement leader
Arfa Sayeda Zehra, Pakistani educationalist and Urdu language expert
Industry
Chaudry Ahmed Saeed, CEO of Servis Industries
Lord Paul, Swaraj Paul, founder and CEO of Caparo Group
Sir Mohammad Pervaiz Anwer, Co-founder & Chairman, United Bank Limited.
Journalism
Mushtaq Minhas, Provincial Minister for Information and Communication AJK Assembly, anchor of Bolta Pakistan on Geo TV
Kuldip Nayar, Indian author and journalist
Literature and arts
"Agyeya" (real name Sachchidananda Hirananda Vatsyayan), modernist Hindi author and journalist
Anwar Kamal Pasha, pioneer Pakistani film director and producer.
Krishan Chander, short story writer
Mehr Lal Soni Zia Fatehabadi, Urdu poet
Yawar Hayat Khan, senior producer/director of PTV
Balwant Gargi, Punjabi playwright and author
Harcharan Singh, Punjabi playwright and dramatist
Shae Gill, singer
Armed forces
Noel Israel Khokhar, General Officer Commanding 23rd Division and Major General of Pakistan Army
Pervez Musharraf, former President of Pakistan, and former Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan Army
Michael John O'Brian, O'Brian was the first Pakistan Air Force officer to serve as the Commandant of the National Defence University, Islamabad.
References
External links
List of alumni
Ewing Literary Society
Educational institutions established in 1864
1864 establishments in British India
Nationalisation in Pakistan