Don Bosco Matriculation Higher Secondary School - Egmore
Don Bosco Matriculation School was born on July 1 1958 in the premises of Dominic Savio Preparatory school, SanThome, Madras. The Local Jesuit superiors embarked on the Loyola School Project. This school was planned to be housed in the Loyola colony. The tenants of the Colony were given notice to quit. The inmates made representations to the Jesuit General. The Jesuit General refused permission to open the school at any time. The Rector of Loyola, Fr. Kalathil S.J., and Fr. Murphy S.J., approached His Grace the Archbishop of Madras-Mylapore to solve the problem. As a solution to the problem Most Rev.Louis Mathias, Archbishop of Madras-Mylapore requested,Rev.Fr. Pianazzi - the Provincial of the Southern Province of the Salesian Society of India - to bear the yoke of the Project. He in turn placed Father John Patrick Mallon, the Principal of St. Bede’s, in-charge of the new venture which was renamed Don Bosco High School. The school started with 140 students and eight staff members, with Rev. Fr. Mallon as the Principal. Today the total strength of the School is 2,200 with 106 staff members (Teaching – 74, and Non-teaching – 32).
We are in our present premises owing to the valuable advice and efforts of Mr. Pais, the advocate who obtained a written consent from Mr. Skell, the tenant of Egmore Lodge, to commence work on the new school. Father Mallon was the one who molded Don Bosco Matriculation School from little beginnings into the fine institution it is today.
On October 23rd 1958, His Grace, The Archbishop Louis Mathias, Rev. Fr. Murphy, S.J., and Fr. Mallon met the Vice-Chancellor A.L. Mudaliar of the Madras University regarding the recognition of the school. The Vice-chancellor regarded it as “an ambitious scheme”. He said that it was a real necessity to have a Matriculation school for boys in the city. The formal application for recognition was made to the Registrar who also expressed his satisfaction at the new venture. On August 22nd 1959 the Right Rev. Dr. F. Carvalho, Auxiliary Bishop of Madras-Mylapore, blessed the newly opened Don Bosco High School, Egmore.
