The appointment of Rev. J.T.Arulanantham as Acting Principal of St. John's College, Jaffna. in 1940 was acclaimed in all quarters. He was an Old Boy, and the first Ceylonese to hold that post. He had been Vice Principal for 4 Years and was aware of and sufficiently acquainted with the difficulties of administering an institution with such noble traditions as St. John's. He had the backing of the Staff and the Old Boys. At a reception to the new Principal by the 0. B. A.. Rev. Stopford, representing the C. M. S. said they had searched four continents to find a successor to the Late Rev. Polo and came to the unanimous decision that Rev. J. T. Arulanantham was the most suitable candidate.

When the young Arulanantham took the reins of St. John's, it was not the most propitious of times. The Second World War, which had started quietly the previous year, was now raging in Europe. Hitler's Nazi marauders had laid waste Western Europe and rampaged through France. The British Expeditionary Force to Europe had been routed and the invasion of the British Isles seemed imminent. Winston Churchill had replaced Neville Chamberlain as Prime Minister of England and was exhorting the British people to rally round and fight to the last man in defence, of his country. The Battle of Britain was about to start. It was at this moment in history that Rev. Henry Peto was lost to St. John's and Rev. J. T. Arulanantham was called upon to shoulder the heavy burden of taking the leadership of the College.

The times were difficult and it was a daunting task to step into the shoes or so eminent a personality like the Rev Peto. It was still more onerous to be suddenly pitch forked into that position. A lesser man than "J.T" as Rev. Arulanantharn was affectionately referred to, would have buckled under the weight, But "J.T" with characteristic fortitude and faith in God. set out on his unenviable task. Even he was hesitant at the start. At the reception given to him by the 0. B. A., he said that when the Principalship was offered to him, he accepted it after some wavering. But the strength he derived from 3 sources made him accept the post. Firstly the valuable traditions built for St. John's by eminent men from Oxford and Cambridge and the noble men and women who had worked as teachers for over a 100years, secondly the loyal body of Old Boys who always rallied round the school, and the third tower of strength lay in the dedicated Staff, carefully selected by Rev. Peto.

Rev. Arulanantham began, significantly, by completely renovating Robert William's Hall and giving it a new look. In addition, an Art Room, a Handwork Room and two class rooms to the existing kindergarten block were added in quick succession.

In the academic field, Inter-Science and Inter-Arts classes were started to prepare students for a London degree. Hitherto, students at St. John's had to leave the school after passing the Cambridge Senior or London Matriculation exam and go to schools in Colombo to continue their education. The introduction of these Inter-Classes .was a god-send and people soon began to realise that Rev. Arulanantham was worthy successor to Rev. Peto. The mantle of Elijah had fallen upon Elisha and was resting on him in a acceptable manner- The C. M. S. Realised this and by early 1941, Rev. J. T. Arulanantham was confirmed in his post as Principal of St. John's College, Jaffna. Coincidentally, Dr. Miss. E. M. Thillaiampalam was made Principal of Chundikuli Girls' College, the first Ceylonesc appointed to that post. Mr. P. C. Gaussen was made Vice Principal of St. John's.

One of the great characteristics of Rev. Arulanantham was his courage to launch on schemes that others less bold than he would have hesitated to consider. Wine he launched on the most ambitious building scheme in the history of the College in 1941, there were several who were genuinely sceptical of the out-come of the whole project. The war was on and living conditions difficult. Materials and labour ware scarce and expensive. But on the other hand, due to the war, there were several. evacuees who were streaming into Jaffna and the number seeking admission to schools was increasing and was expected to increase further, as by now it was clear that the war would be a prolonged one. In 1941, the buildings acquired from Girls' College which were in a dilapidated condition, were given a new roof and half of what had been Miss. Page's Bungalow was converted into quarters for the married house-master in charge of Evarts House and the other half became the Vice Principal's Bungalow. The Figg Hall had its thatched portion of the roof removed and exchanged for tiles, and extensive repairs were effected. The Thompson Boarding House was also renovated and expanded to provide a new kitchen. With this, living quarters were provided for the Boarding Master with accommodation for about 35 boarders.

A new Dining hall capable of seating 150 boys was also constructed. This was used for the first time on 26th July 1941 when the Old Boys met for lunch there. The previous day had been a red letter day for St John's as Dr Ivor Jennings, Principal of the University College, Colombo had laid the foundation stone for a new science laboratory. The Bishop of Colombo also gave his blessings at the foundation laying ceremony.

Exactly a year later, on July 25th 1942, the Centenary Science Block as it was named, was ceremonially opened by one of the most distinguished Old Boys St. John's had produced, Prof. A. Kandiah, the Dean of the Faculty of Science of the newly established University of Ceylon. The Bishop of Colombo presided at the ceremony which was attended by a large gathering of Old Boys and friends. It was perhaps symbolic that the Bishop and Prof. Kandiah represented the twin aspirations of Religion & Science which St. John's hoped to nurture in a brave new world.

The new Science Block was a 2 storeyed building and consisted of 3 laboratories for Chemistry, Physics and Zoology and 2 lecture rooms for Chemistry and Physics. The Chemistry Lab. was named Clough Lab. as the earlier lab. had been known. The Physics Lab was called Thompson Lab. and the Biology lab as Peto Lab. The Science Library adjoining the Biology Lab. was named Ratnavale Science Library. The whole block was called the Centenary Science Block. It may be remembered that funds were collected for the Thompson Memorial and Centenary fund for the purpose of a science laboratory. When Rev. Peto died, the 0. B. A. wanted a suitable memorial for him and contributed money for it. Mrs. Seenicutty had earlier donated Rs. 1,500 in memory of her son Ratnavale as had been related in an earlier chapter. Therefore the aspirations of all concerned were met in the naming of the various sections of the new building.

In 1942, Dr. A. Rajasingam, an old Boy, gifted Rs. 750/- for the construction of a well which was sited near the Principal's bungalow. Even today, the water from this well is probably the best in the locality. Another building project which commenced in 1942 was the construction of the Rose Walton Sick Room which was funded by Mr W. A. Walton, a retired Teacher St John's, famous for the Shakespeare plays he produced during the Thompson era. The building was completed and formally opened in 1944. It gave employment to the sick room attendant Chinniah who was popularly known as "Dr. Kill" because of his penchant for giving iodine whatever the ailment a student may be suffering from! He still works as a labourer in the College,

1941 was the centenary year of the shifting of St. John's College to its present premises from Nallur. A beautiful Hymn of Thanksgiving was composed by Mr. V. C. Canagaratnam of the Staff for the occasion and sung for the first time at the 1941 Prize Giving when Dr. Ivor Jennings was Chief Guest. It was also the first time Rev. Arulanantham officiated as Principal at the College Prize Giving.

Two other anniversaries were also celebrated in 1941. On Sept. 29th , the 25th anniversary of the Scout Movement in Jaffna and also at 3t. John's was celebrated. There is no doubt that Scout Training builds up character and initiative, self control and self reliance. A scout is inculcated to a sense of duty, honour, service and responsibility. The St John's College Scout Troop leader, Ramasamy was awarded the Gold Medal and a certificate of merit for gallantry in 1943 by the Imperial Head Quarters for saving two boys from drowning.

The Senior Literary Association celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 1941. That year, due to the formation of the

The significant event in 1942 in the sphere of Education was the opening of the University of Ceylon, with Sir lvor Jennings as its first Vice Chancellor. It was perhaps a good omen that the St, John's College Science Laboratory was also built during 1942. In the years to come, students from this lab. were to go in appreciable numbers to the university and distinguish themselves in later life. St. John's was well represented at the new University. Mr. A. M. K. Cumaraswamy was Registrar, Mr. F. H.V. Gulasegaram Professor of Mathematics, while Prof. A. Kandiah who was in charge of Chemistry was also the Dean of the Faculty of Science. Mr. Nadaraser and Mr. Selvanayagam were lecturers. It may be mentioned that S. Vithiyananthan, who later on became Professor of Tamil and also the Vice Chancellor of the University of Jaffna., was among the first batch of students at the University at that time, having entered from St. John's.

The number of students seeking admission to St. John's became a rush in 1942, with new admissions totalling 230, the highest in any year up to that time. It was as well that the new laboratory, class-rooms and hostels were ready to accommodate them. The Inter Science & Arts classes were expanded and for the first time, girls students were admitted to St. John's for these classes. They were to provide a most welcome colour and attraction in the College scene for many years to come.

With the setting up of the University, the Dept. of Education introduced the Higher School Certificate (H. S. C.) exam and University Entrance Exam in 1943. Therefore the London Matriculation Exam and the other external exams were done away with. At St. John's, VIth form classes were introduced to cope with the H S. C. and University Entrance classes. At the start these were only one year courses but later the Education Dept. realised that one year was insufficient to cover the syllabus required and the course was made into two years. This change was welcomed because the students were better prepared and more mature to enter a University life and also it enabled them to develop more of their talents and also acquire leadership qualities at school.

With the influx of bigger boys following University Entrance courses and joining boarding houses, the senior boarders were accommodated at Fleming House, the Juniors accommodated in Evarts House (building taken over from Girls' College) and the "Intermediates" in Thompson House. It was around this time that the Principal introduced the noble idea of the Cottage System of boarding houses. In this, the boarding house-master and his family were given quarters adjoining the boarding houses so that they and the boarders lived as members of one family. This was much appreciated by the boarders who could treat the "Cottage" as their home and not feel homesick.

In 1944, the 0. B. A. South Ceylon made a change in their constitution in having an elected President. Hitherto the Principal of St. John's had been ex-officio President of the 0. B. A, but now the Principal was made ex-officio Patron. The first elected President of the South Ceylon 0. B. A. was fittingly enough, Mr. A. J. R. Vethavanam. The Jaffna 0. B. A. followed suit a year later and elected Dr. C. Kandiah as its first President.

1944 also marked the retirement of Mr. A. G. Charles who had taught at the College for 42 years, He was the only one to have served under the "Big Three" of St. John's, Rev. Thompson, Rev. Peto and Rev. Arulanantham. Mr. Charles has been referred to as the Baron Munchausen of St, John's for his tall stories in connection with his teaching of Geography. But he adopted this method to rouse the interest of his students and he seems to have succeeded in this. Even today, Old boys who had been his students say that they remember the location of Red Sea, Black Sea, Niagara Falls etc. because of Mr. Charles' hair raising tales of adventure in those seas with red and Black handkerchiefs. Mr.Charles had been a good cricketer too in his days and still his story is retold at every 0. B. A. gathering, how an opposing batsman had hit a steepling high catch which seemed to keep on climbing in the direction of long on. The fielding captain is supposed to have cast lots as to who should attempt the catch and unfortunately Mr. Charles had drawn the winner and had to make the attempt. At that moment he had been fielding at slips but by now the ball was on its descent and he made a dash towards long on and just in time, hugged the ball for an impossible catch while the batsmen were crossing for their eighth run This story seems to belong to Ripley's "Believe it or not" series rather than to Baron Munchausen, but has now found a place in the College history. Anyway, Mr. Charles' record of 42 years as a teacher at St. John's seems destined never to be broken. Another teacher Mr. J. T. Solomons, Art Master also retired that year. The College suffered a great loss in 1945 when Mr. K. Nesiah left the staff to join St. Thomas Gurutalawa. 1944 also robbed the College of its oldest Old Boy, Mr. James Hensman, who died at the ripe old age of 94. A very distinguished scholar, he was a Fellow of Madras University and had retired as Principal of Kumbakonam College. He was a founder member of the 0. B. A. of St. John's and its college magazine. His family presented his large collection of books to the College library and the school was closed on the morning of his funeral.

Two others who had passed beyond the veil were Mr. J. K. Arnold a former secretary of the College 0. B. A, for several years, who died in 1942, and Mr. Gordon Kadirgarnar, a physical director of the Colombo Y. M. C. A. who had been teaching at St. John's when he died after a prolonged illness in 1943

1944 is remembered in the annals of Education in Ceylon as the year in which the "Pearl of Great Price"- Free Education was introduced by Mr. C. W. W. Kannangara. But in 1945, St. John's decided to be outside this scheme. The main reasons wore that they feared that the standard and quality of education which they had hither to maintained would go down. The College authorities were convinced that with the grant that was promised, had they joined the free schools, they would not be able to maintain the various departments of the school at the high level to which they had been built up. Even though it was regretted that parents would lose the benefits of a free education to their children, it was felt that once they joined the free scheme, the management as well as parents would lose the measure of control they had over the education of their children. Once the school abolished the students' fees, it would lose its main source of income and with it, the power to initiate its own schemes and give effect-to its policy, Therefore, for the time being, St, John's kept out of the free scheme, but they had another 3 years to opt to either join it or remain a fee levying school.

There were other impending changes in the Government's Education policy, with more emphasis to be given to the national languages. With this in view Tamil was made the medium of instruction in the lower school (Std. V& below). It was felt that all Ceylonese should be conversant with both national languages and in 1945 Sinhalese was introduced at St. John's as a regular subject from Forms I to 111 and optional in Forms IV & V. Actually in 1943, conversational Sinhalese had been taught in the middle school (Forms I to 111) as a subject. However, English was retained as a subject from the Upper Kindergarten classes.

With the introduction of the S. S. C. & H. S. C. Exams it will be interesting to have a glance at the results of those times.

Year	Exam	No Sat	No Passed	No 1st Divisions	No Distinctions
1943	SSC	70	51	01	15
1944	SSC	69	42	01	12
1945	SSC	61	30	04	13
1946	SSC	76	39	03	14
1947	SSC	23	02	14

The higher exams consisted of the London Intermediate Arts & Science, Technical College Entrance, The Ceylon H. S. C. and University entrance and the Pre-medical (or 1st M. B.). In 1944, out of 22 students in the above VI form classes, 6 students passed and I was referred. In 1945, out of 9 students, 5 passed. In the London Inter-Science & Arts in 1943, out of 10 students 3 passed and 3 were referred. In 1944 Out of 5, 3 students passed and 2 were referred.

In 1945, out of the 8 students who passed the H. S. C. from Jaffna. 3 wore from St. John's, with V. A. Benjamin getting a first Division and Distinctions in Botany & Chemistry. At the University Entrance exam, out of 11 students 6 passed, 3 in Science and 3 in Arts. In 1946, in the upper classes, out of 26, 14 were successful, 8 gaining admission to the University, I passing the Inter-Arts. 2 the Inter-Science and 3 the Technical College Entrance Exams.

In 1947, 5 students entered the University, I passed the H.S.C. arid I the Technical College entrance exam while 9 students were successful in the London Matric Exam. The above results, both at the S. S. C and higher level exams, stood comparison favourably with that of any other school in the island.

The war years restricted the outdoor activities somewhat, especially cricket. But the indoor extra-mural activities
available to students were increased. The Dramatic Society had been formed in 1942. In 1944 they staged five plays and earned Rs. 2,500/- for the College building fund. The Hindu Study Circle was also formed in 1944. They met weekly with the study of Hinduism and the mother tongue as two of its main aims. Mr. K. Subramaniam was its Vice Patron

The Music Society too was formed in 1944, mainly for the furtherance of Western Music. The combined St. John's - Chundikuli Girls' College Choir used to meet regularly for choir practices under the training of Miss. E. 1. Kelk. They reached great heights within a few years and termed what was probably the best school choir in Ceylon at that time.

The St. John's & Girls' College Carol Services and the Combined Schools Carol Services under the direction of Miss. Kelk were eagerly looked forward to and always drew packed audiences at the College chapel and Town Hall year after year. Their favourite rendering of the Hallelujah chorus from "Messiah" by Handel was greatly appreciated. A tribute should be paid to Miss. Kelk for her part in training the choristers. Several of her students became choir masters when they entered the University and were responsible for training the University choir, both in Colombo and at Peradeniya. It was in 1942 that the first of the celebrated choir dinners took place, the venue alternating between St. John's & Girls' College every other year.

The History and Politics Society and the Natural Science Society also were formed in 1944.

In the sports field, in 1941, the 1.st XI Football team became runners-up in the Jaffna Schools Sports Association
(J.S. S. A.) tournament, while the 2nd XI became champions. The cricket and athletic teams did not measure up to these standards. But they made amends in 1942 when the cricket team won the championship winning all their matches easily. Special mention should be made of A. Kanaganayagam who scored 2 centuries including a brilliant 132 vs. St. Patrick's and averaged 57 during the season. According to knowledgeable critics, A. Kanaganayagam was probably the best batsman St. John's produced in the first half of the twentieth century. He later went on to play for St. Joseph s Co!lege, Colombo and the Tamil Union. The Athletic team were runners up.

In 1943 too the Athletic team were runners-up to St. Patricks. That year the J. S, S. A. did not organise a cricket tournament due to difficulty in obtaining materials because of the war. However, the College played some friendly matches and gave a good account of themselves which included a victory over Jaffna Central College. The Football X I did not lose a single match. At the Inter House Athletic Meet at the College, a very high standard was reached, but the meet had to be abruptly ended when an Old Boy, Mr. Henry Aiyathurai died of a heart attack after the Old Boys' race.

1944 was the year in which those who were fortunate to witness the Inter Collegiate Athletic meet will never forget it. The St. Patrick's team had been winning the championship for the previous 10 years and were considered invincible. The Johnians were improving and had been runners-up to them the last two years. In 1944 they were being coached by Mr. Mr. P. E. Rajendra who was determined to make his team champions. The huge crowd anticipated a keen contest. They were not disappointed. Both teams were neck to neck with 73 points each until the very last event of the day, the 4 x 440 yards relay. After the first 3 laps it looked as though St. Patrick's would carry the day. They had a 10 yard lead when their captain, Keil, took the baton. But the Johnian anchor man P. Tharmalingam showed true grit and fighting courage and ran the race of his life for his college, just pipping the Patrician at the post. Pandemonium reigned as the crowds surged into the field - and the Johnian supporters hugged and kissed each other with tears of joy running down their cheeks. P. Tharmalingam had earlier won the long jump and A. R. Rasiah had won the high jump and pole vault events while S. Nadarajah won the mile and V. A. Benjamin the low hurdles among the seniors. Of the Juniors, A. W. Yogarajah bad come first in the 100 & 220 yds. and also helped in winning the 4 x I 00 yds. relay for St. John's. It was a fitting farewell to Mr. P. E. Rajendra who was leaving the College. Later in life he went on to become a National Athletic Coach and was one of those who helped N. Ethirweerasingam to break the Asian Games High Jump record at Tokyo in 1958 in winning the Gold Medal for
Ceylon.

There was no organised tournament for cricket in 1944 as in 1943 and for the same reasons. However, in the friendly matches played, St. John's won the Unofficial Championship by defeating Central College in the last match by an innings. In 1945 the Athletic team carried off the championship again, this time more comfortably. This year too there was no J. S. S. A. tournament and the cricket team played only two matches, winning both, one of which was against Central College.

The war which had been roaring around the world was drawing to a close in 1945. St. John's College supported the war effort in a variety of ways. The A. R. P. Headquarters and Control Room were housed in the school (Twynam Museum). The Chief Air Raid Warden's Office was in one of the class-rooms. The Vice Principal Mr. Gaussen, had given both school time and spare time to his duties as one of the five officers in-charge of the Jaffna Peninsula A. R. P. Scheme. A good number of Scouts joined the A.R. P . Besides Messenger Service & A. R. P. Activities, the College had a Salvage Collection and War Savings Group in which all the members of the staff joined. A good number of Old Boys were recruited to the three fighting services and served in foreign countries. Rev. Peto's son Morton served as a Captain in the Army and for some time was attached to the Madras Regiment.

In 1946, with the war over, all school activities were invigorated. The cricket tournament was re-started and St. John's won all its matches with ease except for one draw against Kingswood. This ended in a thrilling draw with St John's ending at 255 for 3 when set 261 runs to win in 90 minutes. The opening pair, Thiru Kadirgamar and Reggie Jeyarajah set the blistering pace with 175 runs in just one hour. Jeyarajah thundered his way to a fabulous 141 but it was just not enough. In the big match against Jaffna Central, St. John's scored 248 in 2 and half hours and won by an innings, their seventh successive victory in the Big Match & their tenth win in I I years.

The College Football and Athletic teams were runners-up while the 2nd XI football team became champions. This was the last year in which St. John's participated in J. S. S. A. championship tournaments In 1947, they and other leading schools withdrew from the J.S.S.A, tournaments and hence forth participated in only friendly matches.

In 1947, only two schools cricket matches were played by St. John's in Jaffna one of which they won, an innings win against Jaffna Central, with the Johnian skipper Thiru Kadirgamar scoring a polished 113 which stood with Werkmeister's 113 as the record individual score in the Big Match until eclipsed in 1 982. The team however, had two matches outside Jaffna, one against Kingswood and the other against Nalanda, both ending in draws. The Cadets also brought honour to the College by winning the Treasure Hunt at Diyatalawa.

Among other activities, the Dramatic Society acted "Jiafar" with great success. The cast acted it in Colombo at the Y. M. C. A. under the distinguished patronage of an Old.Boy, Justice C. Nagalingam, then Attorney General and the first Tamil Judge of the Supreme Court. The enthusiasm was so great that the play was acted in Kandy also at the Trinity College Hall.

The S. C. M. also introduced a new feature in meeting every Sunday after the early morning service and breakfast at the College. On the first Sunday of each month, a guest speaker from outside addressed them. They also did Social Service Work in combination with the Y. M. C. A.

In the school administration field, St, John's had mixed fortunes. A theatre had been built right opposite the college and this was a source of nuisance, irritation and disturbance to the College as well as the Church. On the other hand, the College welcomed the new salary scheme for teachers which was to be uniform throughout Ceylon. After the war, it was more and more difficult to manage the College affairs without sufficient funds. It was felt that a school the size of St. John's, making its contribution in various ways to the life of the people, ought to have resources of its own on which it can call in times of need. An annual income from a permanent fund would enable the College to initiate and maintain activities which will enrich the life of the students. Besides, old buildings must be maintained and new ones put up from time to time. Good students sometimes needed grants to help them through school. Laboratories and the library had to be replenished and well stocked. Therefore, the College introduced the Endowment Fund in 1946. A great start was given to this fund when Mr. S. C. Samuel donated Rs. 25,000/ towards it. This was the largest gift an Old Boy had given to St. John's up to that time. A donation of Rs. 3;000/ was received from the Indian old boys from Upcountry.

Among the other Old Boys who stole the limelight in 1947 were the following M. Ps in the I st Parliament in 1947. Hon. C. Suntheralingam (Vavun iya) was Minister of Commerce & Industries, Mr. S. J. V. Chelvanayagam (K. K. S.). Mr. Maitripala Senanayake (Madawachehiya) and Mr. S. H. Mahadiulwcwa (Kalawewa). Mr. E. M. V. Naganathan was elected to the Senate. The Rt. Rev. S. Kulendran was appointed the first Bishop of the Jaffna Diocese of the Church of South India.

A distinguished visitor to the College in 1947was Mr.K.Meenakshi Suridarampillai, former Professor of Tamil at Annamalai University. That year the College bade farewell to Mr. D.H. Chinniah who had been on the staff for 30 years and went on transfer to Kopay.

Towards the end of 1947. a boundary wall was being constructed along the Old park Road and Main Street. "J. T" could well be satisfied with the progress of the College in his first 7 years as Principal. He had guided the destinies of the College through the war and new Educational Policies. The face of the College had been dramatically changed with the construction of the Science Block, Dining Hall, and Sick Room. In addition the William's Hall & the ex-Girls' College buildings had been given a new and modern look. Finally all the old buildings had been given a face lift and the whole College looked spruced up. Rev, Arulanantham had not only created history by being the first Ceylonese Principal at St. John's but had also created Geography by altering the features of the locality ! The coming year, 1948 was to be a Jubilee year, the 125th anniversary of the College, and everybody was eagerly looking forward to it, hoping for a better arid healthier outlook after the recent war.