A prize for excellence

Winner of 2006 – W. A. Wijesinghe

The Saravanamuttu Prize is awarded by the Saravanamuttu Trust to a student of S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia for showing ‘early promise of exhibiting human excellence and virtue on adult life’, and to commemorate a distinguished Thomian Family.

Since 1851 the College has fulfilled its Founder’s vision of moulding character, and sending out into the world many who have made a difference to the nation’s life. A number of ‘Thomian’ families have contributed to the life of both the school and the nation.

At S. Thomas’, the Saravanamuttus spanning three generations excelled in both curricular and extra curricular activities, Five members of the family won the F. L. Goonewardene Batting Shield seven times between them, four won the Peiris – Siriwardene Gold Medal, two won the Victoria Gold Medal, three won the Miller Mathematical prize, two won the Arndt Memorial Prize, one won the Rajapakse Classical Prize and one, Manickam, won the prestigious English University Scholarship, and had the honour of being named ‘the best all-round Thomian boy of the Century’ in the Centenary Year of 1951. Five of them were Head Prefect and two captained the Cricket 1st XI. Seven have played in the Royal Thomian Cricket matches, while two captained Soccer and one captained Boxing.

It is hoped that the Saravanamuttu Prize awarded at S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia since 2004 will not only honour this outstanding family, but also help to inspire future generations of Thomians to maintain the high standards of excellence that the College has been famous for.