Since at least 1906, South Asian students have been attending the University of Illinois. For the next three decades, early South Asian Illini enrollment continued to grow. Early South Asian Illini have included actors, agriculturalists, bankers, business executives, chemists, dairy farmers, economists, educators, electrical engineers, journalists, mechanical engineers, political scientists, singers, university professors, and writers too.

Read on to learn even more about early South Asian Illini!

Early Illinois – South Asia Connections

At least as early as November 1921, it was reported in The Daily Illini, for academic year 1922-1923, Political Science Professor James W. Garner (1904-1938) had become the first American elected to the Tagore Professorship of Law at the University of Calcutta. In January 1923, a interview between a Calcutta newspaper and Professor Garner included his description of student life at Illinois. The following month, for a DI interview in February, Professor Garner recounted his experiences in Calcutta and his subsequent tour of South Asia and East Asia, before his return to Illinois. At the end of the month, he gave a campus talk “India: Some Impressions on its Social and Political Problems” too. In April, for the local Thirty Club, following a discussion of the writings of Rabindranath Tagore, Mrs. Garner would give an informal talk about her experiences in India. The same month, for the local Trinity Club, she gave a talk about Indian arts and crafts too. In June, Professor Garner gave a new campus talk “Some Impressions of India and its Problems”. While in October, he published an article on his observations of politics in India, in the US edition of Harper’s Bazaar.

On multiple occasions, the writer Mr. Syud Hossain gave multiple campus talks. In November 1924, he gave a talk “The Moslem and Eastern Civilization“. In one part of his talk, Mr. Hossain was critical of the content and structure of U.S. education. In another part of his talk, Mr. Hossain criticized the current state of the U.S. Navy. His critical reviews were welcomed on campus and he was invited to return. In March 1930, as part of the Open Forum series, hosted at the Hillel foundation, his new talk was titled “Eastern and Western Ideals“. In 1944, for an Illinois Education Association meeting, Mr. Hossain returned to speak on civil war in India. While in 1935, Mr. Tarini Prasad Sinha was invited to campus for two talks including “Gandhi and Tagore” for the Wesley League and “300,000,000 People Strive for Freedom” for the YMCA. In November of that year, he returned to speak on “Great Britain, Ethiopia, and India” at the invitation of Phi Kappa Epsilon.

A review of the Board of Trustees proceedings (Record Series 1/1/802) yields multiple additional instances of emerging connections between the University and the countries of South Asia. For example, as early as 1952, some Indian students were supported by US A.I.D. (Agency for International Aid) contracts (Record Series 8/1/19). At the same time, the University administered agricultural assistance projects to Allahabad Agricultural Institute and the North Central Region of India (Record Series 24/2/11). Also at the same time, the University administered engineering assistance projects including working with the Indian Institute of Technology at Kharagpur, in West Bengal (Record Series 24/2/12).

During the late 1950s and 1960s, a variety of guest speakers and student events were organized. In 1958, Mr. Amiya Chandra Chakravarty visited campus to give three talks, including, “Modern Trends in Hinduism”, “Modern Oriental Literature”, and “New Approaches to the Middle East and Far East Dilemmas”. In 1961, as part of a celebration of Rabindranath Tagore’s centennial, in the Illini Union’s Wedgewood Lounge, there was an exhibit about Mr. Tagore’s works. Also, students organized two performances, including “Chitra” in English and “Valmiki Pratibha” in Bengali. In 1962, at the invitation of the YMCA-YWCA Graduate Group and Little UN Committee, Mr. Amiya Chandra Chakravarty returned to town to give two new talks including, “God, Cows, and Humanity” and “Which Way — The United Nations”. In fact, in 1966, Mr. Chakravarty was invited to give his United Nations talk again and another talk titled “Cross Currents in Asia”.

Just a few years later, in 1965, the University also participated in exchange programs with Jawaharlal Nehru Agricultural University and Uttar Pradesh Agricultural University (Record Series 24/2/8). During the 1950s and 1960s, Agricultural Economics Professor Harold W. Hannah (Record Series 8/4/34) spent a significant amount of his career involved with projects concerning Uttar Pradesh Agricultural University in India (1956-59) and as a Ford Foundation agricultural consultant in Pakistani villages (1962-63).

More connections continued with time. From 1963 to 1965, Sociology Professor Harvey M. Choldin (Record Series 15/21/25) was a demographic analyst for the Population Council at the Pakistani Academy for Rural Development in Comilla, Pakistan. During the late 1970s, Plant Pathology Professor James B. Sinclair (Record Series 8/13/21) studied soybean diseases and production in Nepal. In 1982, University collaborations began with the Pakistan Northwest Frontier Province Agricultural University (Record Series 8/1/853).

While during the 1970s and 1980s, the Midwest Universities Consortium for International Activities (MUCIA) programs included reports on higher education in agriculture in Nepal (Record Series 24/2/37) and Accountancy Professor Vernon K. Zimmerman (Record Series 9/1/22) participating in a management education and training project in Bangladesh.

Students

Classes of 1920, 1921, and 1922

Mr. Seturam S. Gandheker, (B.S. Chemistry, 1920) was a member of Cosmopolitan Club, and, after graduation, Mr. Gandheker continued his studies at Harvard University.

Mr. Bhupendra N. Bysack, (B.S. Banking, 1921; M.S. Economics, 1922) was the business manager for the new national publication Hindustan Review of America (previously The Hindustanee Student).

Mr. Sarat K. Roy, (B.S. Geology, 1922), of Krishnagar, left a few records on campus. From DI reporting, we know that Mr. Roy gave an untitled talk on India for the Foreign Trade Club (October 1921) and another talk at a Hindustan Student Association meeting (December 1923).

Class of 1923

Mr. Vidiya Bhushan, (B.S. Electrical Engineering, 1923), of Srinagar, was elected into the honorary electrical engineering fraternity Eta Kappa Nu, just before graduation.

Mr. Jugal-Kishore Dubey, (M.S. Chemistry, 1923), of Bhopal, was both a graduate student and active student leader on campus. For academic year 1923 to 1924, Mr. Dubey was club president of the Hindustan Student’s Association. In this capacity, Mr. Dubey was often found as a primary source of information on South Asian student experiences at on-campus events and off-campus events too, including at least one Y.M.C.A. foreign student mixer (October 1923) and a First Congregational Church Forum Internationale (October 1923). Mr. Dubey was also invited for talks about India too, including an untitled talk about Chemistry in Asia, for the Chemistry Club (February 1923) and an untitled talk on Hinduism, for the Urbana Women’s Literary Club (January 1924). After graduation, Mr. Dubey worked for the Armour Company in Chicago, and he initially planned to return to India, until he took an opportunity to continue his studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology too.

Mr. Karam Chand Kataria, (B.S. Banking, 1923), of Amritsar, was a frequent student speaker. Some of his invited talks included, “Trade Opportunities and Customs in India” for the Foreign Trade Club (October 1922) and a panel talk with six other students titled “Why You Should Know More of My Country” at the Forum Internationale (February 1923). After graduation, remembering “a good many students interested in India”, Mr. Kataria kept in-touch with campus and even wrote a one-page-long editorial “A Few Months in Central India” solely for the edification of Daily Illini readers.

Mr. Muppanna Chanvirappa T. Katti, (B.S. Chemistry, 1923; M.S. Chemistry, 1924; PhD Chemistry, 1926), of Tiptur, was another frequent speaker and student leader too. For example, he was a charter member of the honorary inter-collegiate international fraternity Phi Kappa Epsilon, and he was a later club president too (1925-1926). Some of his talks included, “Is It Justifiable to Impose Christianity on India” for a Christian Endeavor meeting of the McKinley Church (February 1924), a talk on “India’s Fight for Political Recognition” (April 1924), “The Educational System of Ancient India” for another Christian Endeavor Meeting (July 1924), an untitled talk at an off-campus Y.M.C.A. graduate student mixer (October 1925), a five-student-panel on conditions in their native countries, for the Men’s Club of the Presbyterian Church in nearby Danville, Illinois (January 1926), and “Christian Churches and World Brotherhood” for a Young Peoples’ meeting of the McKinley Memorial Presbyterian Church (January 1926). In 1926, Mr. Katti even co-authored a study on the composition and methods of refining Pongamia glabra oil, The Daily Illini reported. After graduation, Dr. Katti donated a sandalwood bookrest to the campus Oriental Museum, the DI reported.

Mr. Pagadala N. Ethirajalulu Naidu, (LAS, 1923) arranged for Mr. N. S. Hardiker to speak at the University’s second World Problems Forum in 1920. Mr. Hardiker’s talk concerned the “revolutionary changes” in South Asia. Mr. Naidu was also the managing and associate editor of the Hindustanee Student in 1921.

Mr. Mooljibhai Shivabhai Patel, (B.S. Chemistry, 1923). In a 1921 DI interview, Mr. Patel stated that there would be no violence in India for at least as long as Gandhi and the movement lived. After graduation, Mr. Patel continued his studies at Cornell University.

Mr. Shiripat Venkatesh Puntambeker, (B.S. Chemical Engineering, 1924; PhD Chemical Engineering, 1926), of Poona City (now Pune), came for his bachelor’s degree and remained for a doctorate, and he was involved in student life too. Under Dr. Puntambeker’s presidency (1922-23), the 27-member Hindustan Club successfully organized their annual social party by inviting 500 faculty members and students, including University administrators, to learn about their country. Dr. Puntambeker was a frequent speaker too, and some of his talks included, “India” for the Dames Club (April 1924) and for the First Congregational Church (May 1924), “Liberators and National Heroes of India” for the First Congregational Church International Forum (February 1925), an untitled service at University Place Christian Church (March 1927), and “Mahātmā Gandhi” for a weekly student forum of the McKinley Memorial Presbyterian Church (June 1927).

Class of 1924

One century ago, it was not common to find South Asian cuisine in town, as evidenced in one story of hospitality featuring Mr. Yog Dhiyan Ahuja, (B.S. Electrical Engineering, 1924), of Khushab, Punjab. In 1921, as favorably reported in the Daily Illini, Mr. Ahuja generously hosted multiple University professors and cooked dinner in the style of his mother.

Meanwhile, Mr. Suid Mustafa, (B. S. Electrical Engineering, 1924) and Mr. Chandoolal Nanchand Sha, (B. S. Chemistry, 1924) left few records behind.

Classes of 1925, 1926, 1927, and 1928

Mr. Anant Keshar Joshi, (B.S. Chemistry, 1925), of Bombay, worked in the Chemistry Building and he was able to self-fund his studies. He was Secretary of Hindu Students Club (1922-23) too. Mr. Joshi gave at least two talks too, including “The Advantages and Disadvantages of English Rule in India” for the Economics Round Table (February 1925) and “The Ghandi Movement” at the 19th Annual Convention of Cosmopolitan Clubs (December 1926).

Mr. Trymbak Waman Talwalkar, (B.S. Ceramic Engineering, 1926; M.S. Ceramic Engineering, 1927) left few records behind except for one notice of a November 1926 Ceramic Journal Club meeting, Mr. Talwakar gave a talk titled, “The Measurement of Plasticity”, and another talk titled “American and India: Their Relations” for a weekly student forum of the McKinley Memorial Presbyterian Church (June 1927).

While Mr. Yashwant Gopinath Karnik, (B.S. Electrical Engineering, 1927), and G. V. Desai, (Dentistry, 1928), might have left few records behind.

Classes of 1929, 1932, and 1944

Mr. Gian Chand Nagrath, (B.S. Electrical Engineering, 1929) of Jalalpur, Punjab, was a frequent speaker on culture and religion in South Asia. Some of Mr. Nagath’s talks included, “Christianity in India” for Wesley Church (February 1928), “Wedding Customs in India” for McKinley Foundation (October 1928; November 1928), a lecture on “India” and singing too for the University Dames Club (December 1928), a student panel presentation on exchanges between Christian missions and local cultures, (March 1929), “Manners and Customs of India” for the Y.M.C.A. World Fellowship Group (March 1929), “The Contribution of India to Culture” for the Wesley Foundation Undergraduate League (April 1929), a sermon for the First Baptist Church in Urbana (April 1929), and “India” for the Wesley Foundation Undergraduate League (April 1929).

Mr. Ram Das Varma, (B.S. Electrical Engineering, 1932) left few records behind. We do know that for the 1932 American Society of Electrical Engineers Urbana Section best papers competition, Mr. Varma submitted his paper “Electrification of Railways in India”. After graduation, Mr. Varma took a position with the Siemens-Schuckert Company in Berlin.

Mr. Allan Ebrahim Currimbhoy, (B.S. Industrial Administration, 1944), of Bombay, was a busy student leader. Mr. Currimbhoy was active on campus through the Cosmopolitan Club and off campus through the Y.M.C.A.  In Cosmopolitan Club, Mr. Currimbhoy was elected vice-president (1942-1943), president (1943-44), and he was one of the student leaders who oversaw the inclusion of women members in Cosmopolitan Club (1943),

In fact, Mr. Currimbhoy was often a campus and off-campus speaker too. Some talks included, a World War II economy forum called “Post War Reconstruction” (1943), a three foreign student member panel talk titled, “My Country–Its Hopes, Aspirations, and Dreams” on the auditorium steps, an “International Night” for the U.S.O. in Champaign (1943), and a student panel member for a talk titled “Racial Problems on Campus” (1944). After graduation, Mr. Currimbhoy continued his studies in Chicago, visited campus a few more times and traveled the country with Cosmo Club friends, before returning to India.

Organizations

Before 1947, some South Asian students have organized student clubs in a variety of ways. For example, from at least 1919 through at least 1924, there was one group known under at least three variant names including “Hindustan Club“, “Hindustani Club“, and “Hindustan Students Club“. The Club or Association organized annual social dances in December, they provided support for fellow students, and they provided a central resource for South Asia on campus, as well as legendary dinner parties according to one DI writer.

By 1947, the term “Hindustan” was replaced with “India” which later included “Pakistan”, and other nations including Bangladesh and Sri Lanka too. Following independence in 1947, more student organizations would be created over time, including but not limited to today’s “Bangladeshi Students Association“, “Indian Graduate Student Association“, “Indian Student Association” (Record Series 41/64/18), “Pakistani Students Association“, and “Sri Lankan Society“.

Are you a South Asian Illini? Do you know someone who is? We’d like to hear from you! Please send us a message or leave a comment below. We want to include you and your story, as we celebrate the first 150 years of the University of Illinois.

Happy First 150 everyone!

References

[] As always, a special thank you to all students whose tireless work for student life and publications (many of which are available at the University Archives) help preserve the memories of Illini everywhere.