Jaffna College

Jaffna College is a private school in Vaddukoddai, Sri Lanka. It was founded in 1871 as a successor to the Batticotta Seminary which had been established by American missionaries.HistoryIn 1816 American missionaries founded the American Ceylon Mission in Jaffna. The ACM established missions in other parts of the Jaffna peninsula including one in Vaddukoddai. The ACM established numerous schools on the peninsula, the first school being the Common Free School (Union College) in Tellippalai. In 1823 the Batticotta Seminary was established in Vaddukoddai to educate the brightest boys on the peninsula. The seminary was intended to convert the boys to Christianity but most boys retained their Hindu faith. As a consequence the seminary was closed around 1855.Alumni of the Batticotta Seminary and other local Christians led a campaign to re-open the seminary and in 1871 Jaffna College was opened on the former seminary site.Evelyn Rutnam Institute for Inter-Cultural StudiesThe Evelyn Rutnam Institute for Inter-Cultural Studies is located in Jaffna and established in the memory of Evelyn Wijeyaratne Rutnam, the late wife of late Dr. James T. Rutnam. Dr. Rutnam had a huge collection of books and research articles by his contacts and collection from university dons. researchers, leading legal figures and businessmen. Learned personnel always visited him there for consultation and made use of his library. Later on Dr. Rutnam has given his collection of books to Jaffna College in Vaddukoddai and established a building in Jaffna to store books for research purposes. It was named the Evelyn Rutnam Institute and remains under the American Missionaries as a testimony to James Rutnam's love of research and learning, and encouragement to young students.