List of University of Ceylon people

The following is a list of notable people associated with the University of Ceylon (1942–52), University of Ceylon, Peradeniya (1952–72) and University of Ceylon, Colombo (1967–1972).

Pro-Chancellor

 * 1942-47 C. W. W. Kannangara
 * 1947-52 E. A. Nugawela
 * 1952-56 M. D. Banda

Academics

 * V. Appapillai – Dean of the Faculty of Science
 * S. Arasaratnam – lecturer of history
 * K. S. Arulnandhy – lecturer in education
 * Chandra de Silva
 * K. M. de Silva – chair of Sri Lanka history
 * Doric de Souza – senior lecturer in English
 * Brendon Gooneratne – Head of the Department of Parasitology
 * H. A. I. Goonetileke – assistant librarian
 * Betty Heimann – first Head of the Department of Sanskrit
 * K. Indrapala – Department of History
 * Valentine Joseph – professor of mathematics.
 * Stanley Kalpage – Head of the Department of Agricultural Chemistry
 * P. Kanagasabapathy – professor of mathematics
 * R. Kanagasuntheram – lecturer in anatomy
 * K. Kanapathypillai – Head of the Department of Tamil
 * K. Kunaratnam
 * E. F. C. Ludowyk – Dean of the Faculty of Arts
 * Baku Mahadeva – lecturer in mathematics
 * Muhammad Ajward Macan Markar – professor of medicine
 * A. W. Mailvaganam – Dean of the Faculty of Science
 * T. Nadaraja – Dean of the Faculty of Law
 * S. Pathmanathan – lecturer in history
 * E. O. E. Pereira – Dean of the Faculty of Engineering
 * Ediriweera Sarachchandra – lecturer in Pali
 * S. Selvanayagam – assistant lecturer
 * V. Sivalingam – professor of parasitology
 * M. Sivasuriya – faculty of medicine
 * Stanley Jeyaraja Tambiah
 * A. Thurairajah – professor of civil engineering
 * S. Vithiananthan – Head of the Department of Tamil
 * A. Jeyaratnam Wilson – chair of political science

Academia

 * Ameer Ali – lecturer in economics
 * Sarath Amunugama – professor of French; vice-chancellor of the University of Kelaniya
 * S. Arulkumaran – professor of obstetrics and gynaecology
 * S. Arasaratnam – professor of history
 * K. Arulanandan – professor of engineering
 * K. D. Arulpragasam – professor of zoology
 * Ganesar Chanmugam – professor of astrophysics
 * Charles Dahanayake – professor of physics, dean of Faculty of Science at the University of Kelaniya
 * Chandra de Silva – lecturer in history, vice provost of the Old Dominion University
 * K. M. de Silva – chair of Sri Lanka history at the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya
 * Mohan De Silva – professor of surgery; dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura
 * K. N. O. Dharmadasa – professor, dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Peradeniya
 * George Dissanaike – professor of physics
 * Elagu V. Elaguppillai – professor of physics
 * Chitra Fernando – lecturer in linguistics, Macquarie University, Australia
 * Brendon Gooneratne – senior lecturer, head of the Department of Parasitology at the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya
 * Sucharitha Gamlath – professor of Sinhala, dean of the Faculty of Arts at the Jaffna Campus of the University of Sri Lanka
 * R. K. W. Goonesekera – professor of law, chancellor of the University of Peradeniya
 * Siri Gunasinghe – professor of history
 * K. Indrapala – professor of history, dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Jaffna
 * Osmund Jayaratne – professor of physics
 * K. N. Jayatilleke – professor of Pali and Buddhist Studies, head of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya
 * W. L. Jeyasingham – associate professor of geography, dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Jaffna
 * Valentine Joseph – professor of mathematics.
 * Silan Kadirgamar – lecturer in history and author
 * David Kalupahana – professor of philosophy
 * P. Kanagasabapathy – professor of mathematics, dean of the Faculty of Science at the Jaffna Campus of the University of Sri Lanka
 * R. Kanagasuntheram – professor of anatomy, dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Jaffna
 * Y Karunadasa – professor
 * Kusuma Karunaratne – professor of Sinhala
 * Sam Karunaratne – professor of engineering, vice-chancellor of the University of Moratuwa
 * R. Kumaravadivel – professor of physics, dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Jaffna
 * K. Kunaratnam – professor of physics, vice-chancellor of the University of Jaffna
 * Muhammad Ajward Macan Markar – professor of medicine
 * M. Nadarajasundaram – professor, dean of the Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce at the University of Jaffna
 * Gananath Obeyesekere – professor of anthropology
 * S. Pathmanathan – professor of history, chancellor of the University of Jaffna
 * Malik Peiris – professor
 * V. K. Samaranayake – professor of computer science, dean of the Faculty of Science at the Colombo Campus of the University of Sri Lanka
 * S. Selvanayagam – professor of geography, head of the Department of Geography at the University of Jaffna
 * K. N. Seneviratne – professor of physiology
 * M. Sivasuriya – professor of obstetrics and gynaecology; chancellor of the University of Jaffna
 * K. Sivathamby – professor
 * Muthucumaraswamy Sornarajah – professor of law, head of the School of Law at the University of Tasmania
 * Stanley Jeyaraja Tambiah – professor of anthropology
 * A. Thurairajah – professor of civil engineering, vice-chancellor of the University of Jaffna
 * A. Veluppillai – professor of Tamil
 * S. Vithiananthan – professor of Tamil; vice-chancellor of the University of Jaffna
 * Chandra Wickramasinghe – professor of astrobiology; director of the Buckingham Centre for Astrobiology at the University of Buckingham
 * Sunitha Wickramasinghe – professor of haematology
 * Stanley Wijesundera – professor of chemistry; vice-chancellor of the University of Colombo
 * Sumedha Chandana Wirasinghe – professor

Arts

 * Gunadasa Amarasekara – author
 * Nihal De Silva – novelist
 * Vasantha Obeysekera – film director
 * Iranganie Serasinghe – actress
 * Ambalavaner Sivanandan – novelist

Business and finance

 * Eastman Narangoda - Chairman of Seylan Bank
 * J. M. Rajaratnam - Vice President of Singer Company

Civil service

 * Austin Fernando - permanent secretary, Governor of Eastern Province
 * Gamini Iriyagolla – civil servant
 * Nihal Jayawickrama – permanent secretary at the Ministry of Justice
 * Jayantha Kelegama – permanent secretary at the Ministry of External and Internal Trade
 * K. C. Logeswaran – permanent secretary at the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and the Media, District Secretary for Vavuniya District, ambassador to South Korea
 * H. M. G. S. Palihakkara - permanent secretary, ambassador, Governor of Northern Province
 * V. M. Panchalingam – District Secretary for Jaffna District
 * M. J. Perera – permanent secretary at the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs, chairman of the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation
 * Ranji Salgado – civil servant
 * Nihal Seneviratne – Secretary General of Parliament
 * Bernard Tilakaratna – permanent secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
 * Lalith Weeratunga – permanent secretary to the President of Sri Lanka
 * Wickrema Weerasooria – permanent secretary to the Ministry of Plan Implementation; high commissioner; associate professor of law
 * Wilhelm Woutersz – permanent secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Diplomacy

 * Susantha De Alwis – ambassador
 * John De Saram – diplomat
 * Yogendra Duraiswamy – diplomat, District Secretary for Jaffna District
 * Ahmed Aflal Jawad – ambassador
 * Palitha Kohona – diplomat
 * Vernon Mendis – ambassador
 * A. T. Moorthy – diplomat
 * Nimalasiri Silva – diplomat and civil servant

Government and politics

 * Sarath Amunugama – government minister
 * Felix Dias Bandaranaike – government minister
 * Ronnie de Mel – government minister
 * Amarasiri Dodangoda – government minister
 * K. Ganeshalingam – Mayor of Colombo
 * Lakshman Kadirgamar – Minister of Foreign Affairs
 * Vikramabahu Karunaratne – politician
 * M. A. Abdul Majeed – deputy minister
 * G. L. Peiris – government minister
 * K. Thurairatnam – Member of Parliament for Point Pedro
 * Tissa Vitharana – government minister
 * Ranil Wickremasinghe – Prime Minister
 * Nissanka Wijeyeratne – government minister

Journalism and media

 * Mervyn de Silva – editor of The Times of Ceylon, Ceylon Daily News and Lanka Guardian
 * Vijita Fernando – journalist
 * K. Kailasapathy – editor of Thinakaran, president of the Jaffna Campus of the University of Sri Lanka
 * R. Sivagurunathan – editor of Thinakaran

Law

 * Ranjit Abeysuriya – Director of Public Prosecutions
 * John De Saram – Director of the Office of the Legal Counsel, United Nations Office of Legal Affairs
 * H. L. de Silva – lawyer, ambassador
 * Basil Fernando – lawyer
 * Mark Fernando – Supreme Court judge
 * Saleem Marsoof – Supreme Court judge
 * Shiva Pasupati – Attorney General
 * Satchi Ponnambalam – Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Belize
 * H. D. Thambiah – Chief Justice
 * Neelan Tiruchelvam – lawyer, academic and Member of Parliament for National List
 * C. V. Vigneswaran – Supreme Court judge, chief minister of the Northern Province
 * Upawansa Yapa – Solicitor General

Medicine

 * Surendra Ramachandran – consultant physician, nephrologist

Military

 * Sepala Attygalle – Commander of the Army
 * Janaka Perera – Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army
 * Chelliah Thurairaja – Colonel Commandant of the Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps

Religion

 * Bastiampillai Deogupillai – Roman Catholic Bishop of Jaffna
 * S. J. Emmanuel – Roman Catholic Vicar General of the Jaffna Diocese, president of the Global Tamil Forum
 * S. Jebanesan – Church of South India Bishop of Jaffna
 * Lakshman Wickremasinghe – Anglican Bishop of Kurunegala

Sports

 * Hemasiri Fernando – rifle shooter, vice president of the Commonwealth Games Federation
 * P. H. D. Waidyatilleka – Vice President of the Athletic Association of Sri Lanka

Other

 * Gamani Corea – Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
 * Cyril Herath – Inspector General of Police
 * Rajan Hoole – human rights activist and lecturer in mathematics
 * Nandasiri Jasentuliyana – Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs
 * A. M. Mubarak – Director of the National Science Foundation
 * Rudra Rajasingham – Inspector General of Police
 * Ana Seneviratne – Inspector General of Police
 * T. Somasekaram – Surveyor General
 * Kanagaratnam Sriskandan – civil engineer
 * Bala Tampoe – general secretary of the Ceylon Mercantile Union
 * P. H. D. Waidyatilleka – civil engineer; senior vice president of the Athletic Association of Sri Lanka