1928

Raffles College

1918 - The Centenary Memorial Committee headed by Sir George Maxwell, the Colonial Secretary of the Straits Settlements, and comprising leading local community leaders, recommended the establishment of Raffles College as a memorial to commemorate the centenary of the founding of Singapore by Sir Stamford Raffles and to be the nucleus of a future university.

1919 - A working committee headed by the Director of Education, H W Firmstone submitted a report recommending the establishment of a college for higher education to be known as Raffles College.

1922 - The ordinance for the incorporation of Raffles College was passed and an empire-wide architectural competition was conducted to invite designs for the new college.

1928 - The first 43 students were admitted to Raffles College.

1929 - Raffles College was officially opened by Sir Hugh Clifford, the Government of the Straits Settlements and High Commissioner for the Malay States, with endowments by the Governments of the Strait Settlements, and the Malay States, and donations from Chinese ($540,000) and European ($426,563) donors. Among these, Oei Tiong Ham, Tan Soo Guan and Eu Tong Sen contributed $150,000, $120,000 and $100,000 respectively; Sir Manasseh Meyer gave $150,000. The Director of Education Mr Richard Winstedt (later knighted) was appointed Principal (1928-1931). The College granted diplomas in English, History and Economics, Geography, Education, Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.

1934 - The colonial government began the policy of selecting two of the best students in Raffles College for administrative positions in the Straits Settlement Civil Service

1938 The College began one year postgraduate course in education for students selected by the Education Department.

1940 Lim Tay Boh was the first local lecturer employed at Raffles College.

1941 - At the outbreak of war, the College was requisitioned by the colonial government medical department to become a convalescent hospital, and a first aid post of the Medical Auxiliary Service.

1946 - Raffles College reopened after the end of the Second World War, with Mr W. E. Dyer appointed as Principal, Raffles College (1946-1948)