St. Anthony's Higher Secondary School, Shillong.
St. Anthony's Higher Secondary School, Shillong was established as an orphanage in 1901 by the Salvatorian Missionaries. Rev. Fr. Heribert Winkler SDS became its Director in 1911. The orphanage was taken over by the Jesuit Fathers in 1915 and Fr. J. U. Lambergh, SJ became the Director. In the same year, Bro. Leo Brisson, csc became the Director.
It was in 1922 that the Salesians of Don Bosco took over the school from the Jesuits and Fr. Bonardi was made the first Rector and Headmaster. In 1928, when Fr. Joseph Bacchiarello took over as the Headmaster, St. Anthony's became a full-fledged High School and in 1932 received recognition from the Authorities.
The school had the privilege of having students of theology as teachers till 1933. By 1933 all the students of theology were exempted from this extra activity. Fr. Joseph Bacchierello SDB started St. Anthony's College in the year 1934. Fr. Bacchierello was succeeded by Fr. Ricaldone in 1935. Fr. Ricaldone put up the ground floor of the School building, which during the Second World War, was occupied by the Military. During those years, the school and the college functioned on shift basis.
In 1940 Fr. Noel Joseph Kenny SDB joined the college as an English Professor. He was later appointed as warden of the hostel and the vice principal of the college. In 1943 and in 1959 Fr. Kenny was given additional charge of looking after the school. After the World War II, the school was shifted to the present junior school section in Don Bosco Complex and the college fully occupied the new building. Thus St. Anthony's High School got its independent existence from the college 1946 with Fr. Kenny as its Headmaster. Though he was always a source of joy to all of us while he was among us, In 1961 Fr. Kenny handed over charge to Fr. John Odey. After three years of hard work from 1963-1966 Fr. Tarcicius Resto Phanrang handed over the school to Fr. Abraham Alangimattathil. On his appointment as the Bishop of Kohima-Imphal Fr. Henry Lionel took over as Headmaster. In 1971, Fr. KV George became Headmaster. During his time the school made rapid progress in sports and games and won the famous Subroto Cup. In 1981 Fr. Stephen Mavely took over as Headmaster of the School and began the construction of the Don Bosco Mini Stadium. In 1986, Rev. Fr. Louis Arimpoor was appointed the Headmaster in place of Fr. Stephen Mavely who moved down to St. Anthony's College as Principal. Fr. Sebastian Palatty was appointed Headmaster on 10th April 1990. From 1992 the St. Anthony's Junior School was given a separate identity in the present Anton Hall. In the meanwhile, the construction of the New St. Anthony's Higher Secondary School was begun by the province in the Old College site.
In February 1995, the St. Anthony's junior school was amalgamated into High school. In 1996, the school opted for Plus II Science Stream under the Meghalaya Board of School Education. In February 1997, the entire school was shifted to the new building of St. Anthony's Higher Secondary School, after it was blessed on March 17 1997, by Archbishop Tarcisius Phanrang Resto SDB and Bishop Abraham Alangimattil SDB, both former headmasters. The new school building was inaugurated by Shri MM Jacob, the then Governor of Meghalaya on March 20th 1997 in the presence of Fr. Dominic Jala the then provincial. Thus, St. Anthony's Higher Secondary School became an activity of the Salesian Community of Salesian Training Centre.
Fr. Sebastian Palatty SDB handed over the keys to Fr. Joseph Anikuzhikattil SDB as the Principal, Secretary and Vice-Rector of the unified Higher Secondary School and Salesian Training Centre on April 7, 1977. In August 1998, Fr. L.B. Anthony went to Kent, London for a year of study and Fr. T.O. Jose was appointed the Rector.
Fr. John Paramkamalil SDB took over charge of the school on October 8th 1998 and when Fr. T.O Jose went for further studies, Fr. Joseph Almeida SDB took charge as Rector on June 30th 1999. As St. Anthony's Higher Secondary School opened Commerce Stream on March 1, 2000, the Junior School, comprising of Nursery to class three was shifted to Don Bosco Technical School with Fr. Marius Thongnibah as Headmaster. With the opening of Commerce Stream, St. Anthony's Higher Secondary Section became co-education at the Higher Secondary level.
On January 17 2001, Fr. Thomas Kunnappallil was appointed Rector. On completion of his term on 05.05.2004 , Fr. Joseph Parippil was appointed Rector. When Fr. Parippil went for treatment on 08.05.2006, Fr. Thomas Edamattathu took charge as the Rector and Bro. Albert Longley Dkhar was appointed as Principal from December 2006. He is the first Salesian Brother to take up an assignment as Principal of St. Anthony's Higher Secondary School. On June 6th, 2009, Fr. Joseph Anikuzhikattil SDB took charge as Rector at Salesian Training Centre. Fr. Rajendran K who was the vice-principal took charge of the school as Principal from Br. Albert Longley on 7th July 2010
Till date, St. Anthony's has become a premier institution not only in the North-East, but even in the country.
Directors / Headmasters / Principals (1901-2010)
1911 FR. HERIBERT WINKLER sds
1915 FR. J. U. LAMBERGH sj
1915 BR. LEO BRISSON csc
1922 FR. BONARDI sdb
1928 FR. JOSEPH BACCHIARELLO sdb
1934 FR. IGINO RICALDONE sdb
1941 FR. SILVA sdb
1942 FR. CREMIN sdb
1943 FR. NOEL JOSEPH KENNY sdb
1949 FR. A. NEGRI sdb
1951 FR. ORESTES PAVIOTI sdb
1952 FR. JOSEPH AROKYASWAMI sdb
1959 FR. NOEL JOSEPH KENNY sdb
1961 FR. TARCISIUS RESTO PHANRANG sdb
1966 FR. JOHN ODAY sdb
1966 FR. ABRAHAM ALANGIMATTATHIL sdb
1967 FR. HENRY LIONEL
1971 FR. KARIPPAPARAMPIL GEORGE sdb
1981 FR. STEPHEN MAVELY sdb
1986 FR. LOUIS ARIMPOOR sdb
1990 FR. SEBASTIAN PALATTY sdb
1997 FR. JOSE ANIKHUZHIKATTIL sdb
1998 FR. P. D. JOHNY PARANKIMALIL sdb
2007 BR. ALBERT LONGLEY DKHAR
2010 Fr. RAJENDRAN K sdb