was printed under the leadership of Elder E.W. Pohlman. Elder Steeves expanded the school's resources by accepting nearly 100 acres of land donated to the school for students to have work opportunities. This land, known as "Ghoom" forms an island between the forked canals just behind the school property. It was cleared of its jungle and under bush and turned into fields for sugarcane, which is still cultivated there. Farm work provided the means of "earning while learning" for the students who came from economically weaker backgrounds, many of whom also had families to support.Five years later, "The Retreat" became co-educational with fourteen girls from Chi-Cho-Ki-Malian(Punjab). Dormitory facilities were opened so that single women could further pursue their education.
In 1937, under the leadership of Mr. E.R. Streeter, the school was recognized by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists as a co-educational school under the supervision of the Southern Asia Division. In the same year, Elder Pohlman became the Principal. In 1939, the charge of the school was handed back to Mr. Streeter. In 1942, Elder D.S. Johnson took over the administration of the school for the next five years until Mr. Streeter returned once again in 1947.
In 1947, Pr. B.M. Shad, a graduate of the Philippine Union College, was appointed as the first Headmaster of the school. By then the faculty members were well-qualified Seventh-day Adventist teachers and a two-year Teacher Evangelist diploma course was introduced. Enrolment increased with the dedication of the teachers. Income from the farm products still supplements the school's annual operating budget. By 1931, the school again expanded to provide college-level courses for three ambitious students and when the President of the Division, Elder Ham, visited the school in 1948 and saw the children being instructed under the shade of trees, he sanctioned funds for an elementary school building to house at least 47 students.
Seventh-day Adventist Inter College, Roorkee was founded in 1927 by F.H. Loasby as an Adventist Training School. Under his supervision, the first administration building was built on the spacious campus that later came to be known as "The Retreat" among the missionaries. Twenty-two students enrolled in the school's first year of operation. The Adventist Training School offered a two-year program of instruction in Adventist Doctrine and the Bible, preparing the graduates to evangelize in the neighboring states of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.Two years later, Elder J.M. Steeves succeeded Loasby as Principal and converted the Training School into a High School, hiring additional Christian teachers to facilitate the new classes. The school received an Urdu Litho printing press in 1929. A religious magazine, Quased or "Messenger"
In the same year, the medium of instruction was changed from Urdu to English.
In quick succession, Principals W.H. Mattison, M.G. Champion and Dr. C.H.Tidwell ran the school. In 1952 the name was changed to Seventh-day Adventist High School. The school changed hands again in 1957 with the leadership being given to L.P. Tolhurst, and later to E.R. Stahlnecker, who developed the Schoolboy Industries and a High School Orchestra. Pastors' W.G. Jensen and
B.M. Shad succeeded him as the next principals of the school.
In 1963 Elder Streeter's son, Dr. E.A. Streeter, took charge of the school and built the present administration building, a new cafeteria, made additions to both dormitories and added duplex housing for teachers. Under the junior Streeter, the Inter State Board of Anglo Indian Education recognized the school in 1966. This enabled the students of various disciplines to sit for the Senior Cambridge Examinations.
Pr. I.M. Chand was appointed Principal in 1968 (following Elders Nash and R.G. Anderson)and further improvements were made in the classrooms and puffed wheat was added to the Schoolboy Industry products.
In 1975, the institution began the 10+2 system of education with the ICSE and ISC examinations. The following year the two-year Bible training program was reinstated because members of the Northern India Union Committee felt the need for evangelism training. Fifteen students were enrolled in the program in the first year and twelve more the following year. The overall enrolment in the elementary and high schools was 263 in 1977 (under the leadership of Pr. S.D. Kujur, appointed that year) with 26 teachers catering to the instructional needs.
During the tenure of Pr. S.P. Chand (after Mr. Munger), a duplex was completed in 1983 at the northern end of the campus, a central water tank was constructed and a classroom was added to the elementary wing. Mr. C.J. David served as Principal for two years until the school's present Administrator, Dr. Edwin R, Dass joined in April of 1988. As an alumnus already familiar with the institution's strengths and weaknesses, scrutiny was given to the academic standards and to developing the physical caliber and design of the school grounds. With his administrative expertise and attention to detail, the school now boasts a reputation as one of the top institutions in the country. It is currently known as the Seventh-day Adventist Inter College, Roorkee.The College, under the administration of the Southern Asia Division of Seventh-day Adventists, serves the youth of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Bihar, Jharkhand, Nepal, Bangladesh and some Middle Eastern countries.
In 2001, the International Board of Education of Seventh day Adventists approved the opening of the Roorkee Adventist Community College. This was a further upgrade of the institution into the realm of higher education. The Roorkee Adventist Community College commenced from July 2001, offering two-year associate degrees in the fields of Elementary Teacher Training, Secretarial Science and Nursing Assistantship (equivalent to Auxiliary Nurse/Midwife).
Roorkee Adventist College
A Unique College of Career-Oriented Value-Base Education
Roorkee Adventist College
HISTORY
Roorkee Adventist College
The Retreat; Post Box 46, Roorkee, 247667, Uttarakhand, India
Phone : 01332 272300, 275826, 270760 / Fax : 01332 272018
E-mail :principalsda@hotmail.com