Kellogg Mookerjee Memorial Seminary

Kellogg Mookerjee Memorial Seminary (K.M.M.S.) is a boarding high school in Jalirpar, Gopalganj. It was the first official Seventh-day Adventist Mission school in the subcontinent of East Bengal (later renamed East Pakistan, now Bangladesh), established in 1921.

Development and Founding

The work of Seventh-day Adventists in East Bengal started in the last decade of the 19^th century.¹ Lal Gopal Mookerjee wrote a comprehensive survey of the early work in that area.² Mookerjee and his American missionary wife, Grace Madeline Kellogg, pioneered the work of the SDA Church in East Bengal in 1906.³ There, they established the first Mission Station at their own expense. They bought land, built bungalows, distributed literature, did preaching tours of the Third Angel’s Message, and ran dispensary quarters.⁴ They also aspired to establish an educational ministry, a boarding school. They then rented a mat-walled Jute Godown in the market area and started a village school in Gopalganj.

In 1908, the Mookerjees returned to the U.S. because of Grace’s health issues. Coming back to Calcutta after two years, Grace passed away on November 12, 1910, due to cerebral meningitis and brain effusion.⁵ Despite this, L. G. Mookerjee did not abandon their dream of building a boarding school. He returned to East Bengal in 1915 with his new wife, Clara May Loveday, who had joined him to continue the mission work left off by them. They bought land, built modest bungalows, and ran three village schools.

The social conditions of the time confined girls at home with no hope for education. It prompted the opening of the Bengali Girls’ School at Dehi Serampore, Calcutta, on January 3, 1916. The admission was restricted to girls with the intent to bring about social reformation.⁶ In addition, the school was intended to be an evangelizing agency to reach the Hindus through a united Bible lesson at the start of everyday classes.⁷ There were eight girls in the boarding section, and 15 day scholars, most of whom were Hindus. They were placed in a rented building with two floors, a large coach-house converted into a school building.⁸ Three weeks after its opening, they had 53 girls enrolled, along with 18 boarders and 35 day-scholars. It became a boarding school with about 19 girls from East Bengal and 40 day-scholar Hindu girls from Calcutta in the year that followed. A missionary, Della Burroway, oversaw the Girls’ School for seven years. Some of the early works included the organization of Y.P.M.V.S. They regularly conducted Bible studies, always kept morning watch, shared the life of one patriarch, and enjoyed singing in the evening. In addition, they forwarded the Bengali Signs of the Times to relatives and friends. On Sabbath afternoon, the young people visited nearby villages and gave lessons.⁹ Their efforts resulted in the conversion of many students.¹⁰

In February 1917, a boarding school called Boys’ School was opened in Calcutta with 21 boys enrolled.¹¹ As the educational work advanced, locating the school outside the city became necessary. A new location with a six-room bungalow was found in the suburb of Ranchi in 1919. It was rented for Rs. 425 for a three-year lease, or about Rs. 35 per month. Providentially, the Mission had free quarters for the school since the missionaries personal rent covered the whole place. The boys’ school was then transferred to Ranchi, where the climate was good for most of the year.¹² The faculty and students worked together to build the new headquarters under the direction of J. L. Burgess, the superintendent of Bengal Mission.

Later, L. G. Mookerjee and Clara M. Loveday found a new location at Jalirpar, in Faridpur district (now Gopalganj), to establish a school. By mid-1919, the Indian Union Committee authorized the opening of a primary boarding school for Bengali boys at Gopalganj, East Bengal.¹³ The boys’ school was established in 1920, with Mookerjee as the principal.¹⁴ It officially became a central boarding school in January 1921, named “Bengali Boys’ School.” At that time, the General Conference recognized Gopalganj as the first S.D.A. Mission Station in East Bengal.¹⁵ It was intended to be an elementary boarding school, but soon it grew into a high school.¹⁶

History and Development

At the end of 1922, the school endured a storm and a flood that disastrously affected land, property, and houses.¹⁷ Despite the adverse circumstances of floods, famine, and epidemics, the school gradually grew and added more students. Seven more students joined the school in the same year, making 25 boarders. Mookerjee reported, “The boarders come from the very poor, depressed classes, and it is all that their guardians can do to pay one rupee per month as the concession fee, and we supply the boarder’s [sic] food, text-books [sic], and the salary of the teachers.”¹⁸ Nevertheless, the boys were active in their manual and industrial work. Aside from doing their house chores, cooking, washing, and cutting firewood, they learned to weave dhoties, saries, dusters, and so on.¹⁹ With the help of donors, the school built a dormitory that could accommodate 60 boys, a kitchen, and a dining room at the cost of R. 8 000.²⁰

The girls’ school was moved to Krishnagar, Bengal, in January 1923, under the leadership of Nettie Knister.²¹ The school curriculum included the following subjects: Bible, geography, arithmetic, English, general history, arts, nature study, and vocational courses.²² The school was committed to practical Christian education, not merely theoretical. Students were trained to read and write and be qualified to do housework as they returned to their native villages. In addition, they learned how to make clothes, lace, and perform “fancy work.” The school program comprised “six hours class recitation, three hours spent in preparing the lessons, two hours in sewing.”²³ For the school fees, parents who could afford it were required to pay a fee of R100 per month, while those from low-income families were earning fees by doing extra sewing and selling their drawn thread work.²⁴ By 1925, there were two leading schools in the Bengal constituent: a middle-English School at Gopalganj and a Bengali-English Girls'’ School.²⁵

Moved by the story of Grace Kellogg, a new graduate of Loma Linda University, C. F. Schilling, came to Gopalganj as a missionary to begin a medical work. He established a hospital in Jalirpar,²⁶ while his wife served as a school principal in 1929. The Bengali Girls’ School was transferred to Gopalganj.²⁷ During her tenure, the boys’ and girls’ schools were amalgamated to experiment with the principle of co-education for two reasons. First, the wives of missionaries had overseen the girls’ school for the past ten years. And once missionaries moved from one place to another, which happened rather frequently, the school also had to relocate. Second, the lack of qualified teachers for the Girls’ School had been the most significant difficulty in the field, hence, the union tried out the co-education plan.²⁸ Facilities at Gopalganj were enlarged to host the boys and girls. The school’s name then changed to “Bengali Co-educational School.”²⁹ There were six teachers--three men, and three women. Schilling taught the girls how to care for their bodies and help others who may be sick.³⁰

The school was upgraded into a complete high school in 1931 under the principalship of LeRoy Hunter.³¹ Several challenges occurred along the way. Financially, it survived on a budget of $957.³² The school supported itself by producing fruits, vegetables, and crops. Cultivating rice, jute, and grain made feeding the students and staff possible.³³

In 1938, the school was named Bengal Mission High School under the direction of H. H. Mattison.³⁴ An action was carried out during the Northeast Indian biennial meeting to exchange stations between the S.D.A. hospital in Jalirpar and the school in Gopalganj in 1939.³⁵ What prompted the decision was, on the one hand, the transportation difficulties to the school due to floods. The new location was more appropriate to fulfill the objectives of the educational system.³⁶ On the other hand, medical work was perceived to prosper much more at Gopalganj as it was now in a more populated area.³⁷ Thus, the school was moved back to its previous location at Jalirpar, 18 miles north of the sub-divisional town of Gopalganj. The school’s name was then changed to the “Jalirpar Secondary Boarding School.”³⁸ A portion of the Emergency Appropriation granted by the General Conference was allocated for the necessary building alterations, additions, and adaptations for school use.³⁹ The school board members at that time included F. H. Loasby (chairman), C. A. Larsen (secretary), C. Jensen, W. B. Votaw, P. D. Kujur, and N. G. Mookerjee.⁴⁰

During P. C. Gayen’s tenure, the school gained high school status in 1946, and its name was then changed to the Kellogg-Mookerjee High School.⁴¹ This name was in honor of the early American educator Grace Kellogg-Mookerjee, who had the vision to build a school in East Bengal, and her husband, Lal Gopal Mookerjee, who pioneered the work of the Seventh-day Adventists in Bangladesh and played a pivotal role in establishing the school.⁴²

The school level upgraded from the sixth standard in 1949 to the seventh standard in 1950, and the eighth standard was added the following year. The tenth standard was added in the 1953 school year, making Kellogg-Mookerjee a fully-fledged high school.⁴³ Soon after the passing of L. G. Mookerjee on February 14, 1952,⁴⁴ the school’s name was changed to “Kellogg-Mookerjee Memorial High School.” Originally built as a hospital, the school lacked hostel facilities. At that time, 53 boys were accommodated in the lower part of the principal’s bungalow and were literary packed. Thirty-four girls stayed in the upper part of the original hospital. Some had to sleep on the enclosed veranda due to a lack of space.⁴⁵ The school acquired more land than before, but it was mostly used to plant crops.⁴⁶ In 1957, about 120 students were in attendance, yet only three classrooms were available for ten classes being taught simultaneously. Hence, the 12 teachers had classes in every nook and cranny available. Classes were held in teachers’ houses, on the front veranda of the principal’s bungalow, in the chapel, at the back veranda of the girls’ dormitory, in the library, and from other possible options. Nevertheless, students were happy and not grumbling.⁴⁷

The building program began in 1957. Under the leadership of Brian J. Jacque, the kitchen, press, and industrial buildings were constructed.⁴⁸ With help from the 13^th Sabbath School overflow, the school built new dormitories, four duplex homes for teachers, and a new chapel.⁴⁹ M. W. Shultz, the school’s principal in 1961, took a great step forward. Some notable developments included raising the land around the school, establishing fine quarters, and a girls’ hostel. In addition, the first electric generator (a 36 H.P. Diesel) was installed in the area. The school farm of nearly 45 acres prospered, providing one-third of the school’s rice requirements. There was a large area of jute to provide income for diligent students.⁵⁰ O. W. Lange reported, “A successful rice mill is bringing in daily average income of more than R. 50, and other industries, such as printing, and wood working are under way. The school print-shop is already functioning in a small way.”⁵¹

Two notable events occurred between 1960 to 1965. First, during the 1960-61 school year, 140 students enrolled, and 70 of them joined the baptismal class. A total of 40 students were baptized before the year concluded.⁵² Second, 1963 marked significant academic improvement. C. H. Hamel reported that of the ten top honors in the Division examinations, Kellogg-Mookerjee had the first and second with cash scholarships and two other honorable mentions.⁵³

The school also encountered several challenges. In May 1965, a cyclone struck and ripped the roof from almost every budling at Kellogg-Mookerjee High School.⁵⁴ The exact number of people affected was not known. W. H. Toews reported one million were left homeless.⁵⁵ Three weeks later, a second, larger cyclone out of the Bay of Bengal happened. It destroyed the homes of more than 10,000,000 Pakistanis.⁵⁶ C. R. Bonney reported that:

The school at Jalirpar, in East Pakistan, has twice suffered extensive damage from hurricanes in the last four years. Just recently the storm was so furious that almost all roofs of the buildings, including dormitories, were ripped off, and the buildings so damaged that the students had to be sent home.⁵⁷

According to W. E. Kuester:

“A cyclone ripped the roofs from almost every building of the school plant doing $20,000 worth of damage to the school and killing 15,000 people of the area. Three weeks later a large tidal wave which resulted in 30,000 more deaths and almost total crop loss.⁵⁸

The school was situated in Jalirpar, which, as its name suggests, means “place of water“ along the banks of a large tributary of the Brahmaputra River.⁵⁹ The area used to experience high humidity at certain seasons and was subject to annual flooding by the waters of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers.⁶⁰ Rainfall ranged from 600 to 900 inches annually.⁶¹ According to K. S. Brown, “One flying over might well ask, ‘where is the land?’ It would appear as if there were only a few islands here and there in a vast lake. Some years the river inundates practically the entire country.” ⁶² Consequently, Bengal’s working season was often short. The inhabitants put in a lot of labor during dry months;⁶³ however, the floods caused crop damage, resulting in widespread dire poverty. Often floods were followed by severe epidemics of smallpox, cholera, and typhoid. Famines after the floods have become habitual.⁶⁴ In school, a significant part of the campus was flooded yearly during the high-water season.⁶⁵ The main highway was the river, and the school was accessed only by boat. The flood and devastating cyclones were followed by severe drought in 1966.⁶⁶

Disaster and Famine Relief funds and other assistance helped rebuild the school facilities in response to these calamities. Attempts were made to raise the land and lift houses; however, all yards and teachers’ houses were still flooded during high water seasons each year.⁶⁷ Hence, the school had to be relocated for two main reasons, transportation difficulties and periodic floods.⁶⁸ The Southern Asia Division assisted Kellogg-Mookerjee High School by allocating 50 percent of the Third Quarter 13^th Sabbath School overflow in 1967 to facilitate the relocation of the high school.⁶⁹ K.M.M.S. obtained 45 acres of land that would never flood and had access to electricity and telephone lines.⁷⁰ The new location was ideal and more healthful since it was not subject to annual flooding. It was near the capital city of East Pakistan; thus, transportation was less hazardous, and there was easy access to medical facilities, food, and industrial supplies, and a better market for the school products.⁷¹

Another challenge was the lack of space to accommodate the growing number of students. Despite 192 students enrolling, the school could only hold 150 students at the time.⁷² Many students slept on the hallway floors, dining room, kitchen, and other places during the night. In the morning, students would take their bedding to some other rooms. Notwithstanding the unfavorable circumstances, the students strived to receive a Christian education.⁷³

During the war of independence in 1971, the school closed and reopened multiple times. It resulted in a decrease in the number of staff, faculty, and students. After independence, some programs were discontinued, including the DLSC examination of SDA schools. The senior high section was transferred to Bangladesh Adventist Academy (now Bangladesh Adventist Seminary and College) at Kharajora, Gazipur District. Few teachers and students were left in the hostel. The school was reduced from high school to middle school. The plan was to phase out the school gradually and entirely build up another at Goalbathan.⁷⁴ However, Kellogg-Mookerjee High School regained its path to growth. The school leadership worked hard to increase the number of students and to upgrade the school to a higher secondary institution. The school started offering a government curriculum.⁷⁵ It even tended to run the “plus two” program in the school. The year 1972 saw a significant increase in enrollment, with 220 day scholars and 157 boarding students.⁷⁶

The school promoted a holistic education. Part of the school’s spiritual activities included the annual week of prayer that culminated in baptism. On August 11 to 19, 1972, the week of prayer conducted by O. R. Scully, director of the Seventh-day Adventist Welfare Service (SAWS) in Bangladesh, and Fred Bischoff, an Adventist Volunteer Service Corps worker, was remarkable. Scully baptized 29 students and one adult on that final Sabbath. This was the largest single baptism ever held in the history of K.M.H.S.⁷⁷ Fred Bischoff reported, “The high spiritual note in the school is further evidenced by the fact that the students conduct five branch Sabbath schools in the village nearby.”⁷⁸

The year 1976 marked a significant academic improvement. Under the direction of Sukrit K. Dass, the school was again upgraded to a high school with the understanding that the institution would only concentrate on science. There were 275 students. The medium of instruction was changed from Bengali to English in the high school section. The school regularly hosted debates, forums, and field trips. In addition, it offered four core vocational courses in tailoring, typing, photography, and welding.⁷⁹ A year later, the school was renamed Kellogg-Mookerjee Memorial Seminary.⁸⁰ It offered a science and commerce stream and temporarily operated a “plus 2” program in 1979.⁸¹

Several developments occurred throughout the following three decades. This started with the construction of a two-story building to serve as an administrative facility. Thereafter, various leaders served K.M.M.S. The following is an approximate survey with their significant contributions: Byron B. Bol (1980-1987) oversaw academic development. The school started granting sponsorship for students who were orphans and entirely dependent on support and donations.⁸² Further facilities were built during Swapon Halder’s tenure (1988-1992), including a new church, warehouse, orphanage, and boys' hostel. Simson Biswas (1993-1995) continued developmental works, including the construction of a staff quarter, the foundation of the girls' hostel, and the purchase of land. George B. Halder (1996-1998) oversaw the completion of the new girls’ hostel and other projects. Robert Bikash Bairagee's tenure (1999-2000), mac-building, foreign guestroom, and orphanage buildings were constructed.⁸³ He was followed by David Dulal Mitra (2001-2003), who renovated the roads/pathways around the campus. Moses Barikder led K.M.M.S. from 2004 to July 2005. He was followed by Bernard Ashim Baidya (2005 July -2010). Other faculty houses and a two-story building were also built during this period.

Four principals successively served K.M.M.S. during the following two decades: Sudan Chowdhury (2011-2014), Litton Sushanto Halder (2015-2017), Sudan Chowdhury (2018-2019), W. G. Falia (2020-2021), and Arun Roy (2022 to present). Among the noteworthy developments was the construction of the Lal Gopal Mookerjee road and the fence around the school property. In addition to other renovations, the school opened the Bina Computer Lab with 15 new computers between 2015 and 2017. Also, the projects for a chicken farm, raising cows, developing a fishpond, and making a banana tree plantation were maximized to generate income for the school. In 2016, K.M.M.S. started an English Version School (E.V.S.). Moreover, additional facilities, including the two staff quarters, were built between 2018 and 2019. American Asian Aid donors (Child Impact) helped start three-story schools and an administration facility. The development in K.M.M.S. between 2020 and 2022 were the new administration building for AIMS K.M.M.S. and Bangla version, new foreign guest room, and centennial park.⁸⁴

Historical Roles

K.M.M.S. has played a rather important role in history. The school has two clear mission views: to educate mission workers, and to be an evangelizing agency.⁸⁵ Firstly, as one of the pioneering works in East Bengal, education significantly contributed to the spread of Adventism in that area.⁸⁶ Dass stated, “the educational programme is one of the strongest media through which the Lord's cause is being effectively carried forward in Bangladesh section [sic].”⁸⁷ L. G. Mookerjee also affirmed, ”There is no other agency in the mission field to the cause of God in India as the educational agency.”⁸⁸ Bible studies were a priority every day at the start of classes, providing the opportunity to reach out to the strong Hindus and Mohammedans people of Bengal. Students heartedly joined the school and Sabbath School lesson, later bringing the light of truth into their homes and neighborhood after school.⁸⁹ In addition, students and staff conducted evangelistic meetings or Voice of Youth in the vicinity of the school each year.⁹⁰ In 1953, four branch Sabbath Schools were opened, with N. D. Roy as the sponsor for the department.⁹¹ I. R. Thomas stated, “To the teachers and students, evangelism was the ultimate goal and they pledged to make the school a beacon of light in warning and saving the perishing soul of East Pakistan.”⁹² Lay evangelism by groups was a regular feature of the Kellogg-Mookerjee High School program.⁹³ Several students joined the baptismal class and were baptized in the school every year.⁹⁴ Moreover, the Christian education offered in the school changed students’ lives from worshiping idols to the kingdom of God. Thousands of Bengali inhabitants accepted Christ through the dedicated services of the missionaries and workers. And school was one of the most potent agencies for reaching Bengali people with the gospel.

Secondly, K.M.M.S. was the beacon light and the center of S.D.A. education.⁹⁵ History demonstrates that K.M.M.S. produced a number of Church leaders in Southern Asia.⁹⁶ Just a decade after its opening, L. G. Mookerjee reported numbers of students from the boarding school who served in various capacities all over the Northeast Union and in the Southern Asia Division.⁹⁷ The school continues to produce workers in multiple disciplines for the community and the church.

The school fulfilled the educational need of the nation of Bangladesh. In a region with more than 50 million residents in 1967, the Kellogg-Mookerjee High School was the sole boarding school academy.⁹⁸ At that time, only 18 people out of every 100 persons could read and write.⁹⁹ Several children from nearby elementary schools (up to 3^rd standard) and from far-flung villages came to K.M.M.S. to continue their studies.¹⁰⁰ In 1963, students from Kellogg-Mookerjee showed solid academic performance. Of the top 10 honors in the Division examinations, Kellogg-Mookerjee had the first and second place with cash scholarships and two other honorable mentions.¹⁰¹

The school also served the community by producing jute using the rope-making method. It was the primary product in East Pakistan and at Kellogg-Mookerjee, which augmented the school income.¹⁰² Notably, K.M.M.S. was also the only school that operated a printing press in East Pakistan.¹⁰³ Furthermore, the school assisted students who could not afford their education by providing several scholarships, including Asian Aid, B.C.S.S.A., Reach, and more. Each scholarship recipient was required to serve two hours a day at the school: cleaning, gardening, farming, or security services.

Outlook

A century has passed since the first missionary came to East Bengal. K.M.M.S. has exercised a remarkable influence on the advancement of the Adventist mission. It has overcome many hurdles to achieve high standards and to stay true to its mission. K.M.M.S. currently has an extensive infrastructure of about 22.5 acres. There is a need to improve and expand the school’s facilities, including a modern science lab, library, and venue for social activities and sports. The school is currently working on a project to provide purified water for drinking. The school’s future construction projects include the new cafeteria, new faculty and staff houses, and guest room for K.M.M.S. alumni, a third floor of the new administration building.¹⁰⁴ The school needs to provide more scholarships programs for underprivileged students to attend K.M.M.S. and receive a quality education.

Official Names

Bengali Boys’ School (1916–1925); Bengal Boys’ Middle School (1925–1930); Bengali Co-Educational School (1930–1938); S.D.A. Mission High School (1938–1939); Jalirpar High School (1940–1942); Jalirpar Secondary Boarding School (1943–1945); Kellogg-Mookerjee High School (1946–1949); Kellogg-Mookerjee Elementary Boarding School (1950–1951); Kellogg-Mookerjee Boarding School (1951–1952); Kellogg-Mookerjee Memorial High School (1953–1977); Kellogg-Mookerjee Memorial Seminary (1977–present).

List of Principals

L. G. Mookerjee (1916–1923); Clara May Loveday Mookerjee (1923–1926); C. A. Larson (1926–1927); A. G. Youngberg (1927–1928); Mrs. C. F. Schilling (1929–1930); Clara May Loveday Mookerjee (1930–1931); LeRoy Hunter (1931–1937); H. H. Mattison (1938–1940); LeRoy Hunter (1940–1942); P. C. Gayen (1942–1944); S. K. Halder (1944–1945); N. G. Mookerjee (1947–1948); R. N. Dass (1948–1950); P. K. Gayen (1950–1951); Santosh K. Halder (1951); P. C. Grayen (1952); I. R. Thomas (1953–1955); Brian J. Jacques (1955–1959); M. W. Shultz (1959–1963); Niranjan K. Baroi (1963, acting); K. S. Brown (1964); Peter D. Duricheck, Jr. (1965–1968); Nirmal Chandra Dewri (1969–1972); Samuel K. Bairage (1973–1975); Sukrit K. Dass (1976–1979); Byron B. Bol (1980–1987); Swapon Halder (1988–1992); Simson Biswas (1993–1995); George B. Halder (1996–1998); Robert B. Bairagee (1999–2000); David Dulal Mitra (2001–2003); Moses Barikder (2004–July 2005); Bernard Ashim Baidya (July 2005–2010); Sudan Chowdhury (2011–2014); Litton Sushanto Halder (2015–2017); Sudan Chowdhury (2018–2019); W. G. Falia (2020–2021); Arun Roy (2022–present).

Sources

Baroi, N. K. “Educational Needs of East Pakistan.” Mission Quarterly, August 5, 1967.

“Bengal and Bihar.” Eastern Tidings, February 1, 1925.

Bischoff, Fred. “Thirty Baptized at Kellogg-Mookerjee School.” Southern Asia Tidings, December 1, 1972.

Bonney, C. R. “What if There is No Hospital.” Missions Quarterly, July 1, 1967.

Brown, K. S. “East Pakistan’s Challenge to Advent Believers.” Missions Quarterly, January 1, 1962.

Burgess, D. J. “The Bengali Girls’ School.” The Eastern Tidings, February 1916.

Burgess, L. J. “Ranchi.” Indian Union Tidings, December 15, 1919.

Burroway, Della. “Culcutta Bengali Y.P.M.V.S.” India Union Tidings, November 15, 1917.

Dass, Sukrit K. “42 Schools in 12 Districts in Bangladesh.” Southern Asia Tidings, November 1, 1978.

Dass, Sukrit K. “After a Five-Year Break K.M.S. Students sat for D.S.L.C.” Southern Asia Tidings, September 1978.

Dass, Sukrit K. “S.D.A. Education in Bangladesh Union.” Southern Asia Tidings, November 1, 1983.

Fletcher, W. W. “Report of the Bengali Division.” Indian Union Tidings, September 15, 1918.

Fletcher, W. W. “Union Mission Committee Meeting.” India Union Tidings, June 15, 1919.

Hamel, C. H. “Pakistan Union.” Southern Asia Tidings, September 1, 1963.

History of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Bangladesh. 110 Years Celebration, 2016. A brochure in the author's private collection.

Jacobs, Jamile. “World’s Worst Disaster Area of 1965.” Missions Quarterly, July 1, 1967.

Jacques, Brian J. “Our School Is in Need.” Mission Quarterly, July 1, 1957

“Kellogg-Mookerjee High School.” Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia, 10, revised edition, eds, Neufeld, Don F. & Julia Neuffer, Washington, D.C: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1976.

Knister, Nettie. “India.” Eastern Canadian Messenger, February 13, 1923.

Koberson, Langhu. “Seventh-day Adventist Educational Mission in India: A Historical Sketch and Retrospection for the Future.” Journal of Adventist Mission Studies, 2019.

Kuester, W. E. “Youth in Southern Asia.” Canadian Union Messenger, September 6, 1967.

Lange, O. W. “Dr. Lowry Visits Pakistan.” Southern Asia Tidings, January 1, 1971.

Lange, O. W. “Report from East Pakistan.” Southern Asia Tidings, October 15, 1961.

Loasby, F. H. “Interesting Items from Latest Letter to Furlough Workers.” Eastern Tidings, April 15, 1939.

Loasby, F. H. “Northeast India Biennial Meeting.” Eastern Tidings, April 15, 1939.

Lowry, G. G. “N. E. India Union.” Eastern Tidings, July 1, 1929.

Lowry, G. G. “Work in East Bengal.” Eastern Tidings, June 1, 1933.

McHenry, W. J. “Bangladesh: Toilsome Itinerary Nets Many Honours.” Southern Asia Tidings, September 1, 1973.

Miller, W. W. “About the Field.” Eastern Tidings, August 1906.

Mookerjee, L. G. “A Comprehensive Survey of the Early Work.” Eastern Tidings, May 8, 1941.

Mookerjee, L. G. “Co-Educational Middle English Boarding School.” Eastern Tidings, September 14, 1931.

Mookerjee, L. G. “East Bengal.” India Union Tidings, April 15, 1919.

Mookerjee, L. G. “Gopalgunj (Fadirpur, East Bengal) Middle-English School.” Eastern Tidings, January 15, 1923.

Peterson, H. W. “Give a Liberal 13^th Sabbath Offering on Southern Asia Day September 30, 1967.” Atlantic Union Gleaner, September 15, 1967.

Pettit, G. W. “Bengal Mission.” Indian Union Tidings, January 1917.

Rema, D. P. “A profitable retreat in Bangladesh.” Southern Asia Tidings, November 1984.

Rice, R. E. “Building Better, Bigger Schools.” Missions Quarterly, September 9, 1967.

Schilling, C. F. “Our Newest Medical Center: Jalirpar Hospital, East Bengal.” Eastern Tidings, June 1, 1933.

Selmon H. Dio, “Bangladesh,” Light Dawns Over Asia: Adventism’s Story in the Far Eastern Division 1888-1988, ed. Gil G. Fernandez, Silang CA: Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies, 1990.

Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia. First revised edition. Washington, D.C: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1976. S.v. “Bangladesh.”

Shaw, J. L. “Obituary.” The Eastern Tidings, November 15, 1910.

Spiess, F. E. “He Sleeps in Jesus.” Eastern Tidings, May 15, 1952.

Stevens, Della. “Bengali Girls’ School.” Eastern Tidings, January 15, 1923.

Storz, W. F, “The Rain Came Down and the Floods Came Up so: Give Us Higher Ground – East Pakistan.” Southern Asia Tidings, September 1967.

“Thirteenth Sabbath Special Projects in the Southern Asia Division.” Southern Asia Tidings, July 1979.

Thomas, I. R. “Kellogg-Mookerjee High School.” Eastern Tidings, September 15, 1953.

Toews, W. H. “Pakistan.” Southern Asia Tidings, January 1, 1966.

“Union Presidents Report Onward Progress: Summary of Reports Presented at the Division Mid-Year Meetings, June 28-30.” Southern Asia Tidings, August 1972.

“We must move….” Atlantic Union Gleaner, September 15, 1967.

Wycliffe, J. John. “Planting the Seed: How Adventist Work Began in Southern Asia.” ARH, September 30, 1993.

“Year-end Committee Notes.” Southern Asia Tidings, January 1, 1966.

Notes

1. Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia (1976), s.v. “Bangladesh.”↩

2. L. G. Mookerjee, “A Comprehensive Survey of the Early Work,” Eastern Tidings, 36, no. 9a. May 8, 1941, 7-12.↩

3. Lal Gopal Mookerjee was the grandson of Lal Chand Mookerjee, son of the first Brahmin converts of William Carey. His son, A. M. Mookerjee, and grandson Gopal Mookerjee accepted the Three Angel’s Message. See, J. John Wycliffe, “Planting the Seed: How Adventist Work Began in Southern Asia,” ARH, 179, no. 39, September 30, 1993, 9.↩

4. W. W. Miller, “About the Field,” Eastern Tidings, 3, no. 8, August 1906, 2; See also L. G. Mookerjee, “East Bengal,” India Union Tidings, 14, no. 8, April 15, 1919, 2, 3.↩

5. J. L. Shaw, “Obituary,” The Eastern Tidings, 5, no. 11, November 15, 1910, 3.↩

6. Langhu Koberson, “Seventh-day Adventist Educational Mission in India: A Historical Sketch and Retrospection for the Future,” Journal of Adventist Mission Studies, 15, no. 2, 2019, 140.↩

7. D. J. Burgess, “The Bengali Girls’ School,” The Eastern Tidings, 11, no. 2, February 1916, 8.↩

8. Ibid.↩

9. Della Burroway, “Culcutta Bengali Y.P.M.V.S.,” India Union Tidings, 12, no. 21, November 15, 1917, 5.↩

10. G. W. Pettit, “Bengal Mission,” Indian Union Tidings, 12, no. 1, January 1917, 10. Della Burroway and her husband, W. H. Stevens, who oversaw the book work in the Northeastern Union Conference, were missionaries who lived in Calcutta. Nettie Knister, “India,” Eastern Canadian Messenger, 23, no. 7, February 13, 1923, 4.↩

11. W. W. Fletcher, “Report of the Bengali Division,” Indian Union Tidings, 13, no. 18, September 15, 1918, 2.↩

12. L. J. Burgess, “Ranchi,” Indian Union Tidings, 14, no. 24, December 15, 1919, 2.↩

13. W. W. Fletcher, “Union Mission Committee meeting,” India Union Tidings, 14, no. 12, June 15, 1919, 1.↩

14. Selmon H. Dio, “Bangladesh,” Light Dawns Over Asia: Adventism’s Story in the Far Eastern Division 1888-1988, ed. Gil G. Fernandez, (Silang CA: Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies, 1990) 307.↩

15. For seven years, he oversaw the boys’ school. W. F. Storz, “The Rain Came Down and the Floods Came Up so: Give Us Higher Ground–East Pakistan,” Southern Asia Tidings, 62, no. 6, September 1967, 7.↩

16. R. E. Rice, “Building Better, Bigger Schools,” Missions Quarterly, 56, no. 3, September 9, 1967, 17.↩

17. L. G. Mookerjee, “Gopalgunj (Fadirpur, East Bengal) Middle-English School,” Eastern Tidings, 18, no. 2, January 15, 1923, 6.↩

18. Ibid.↩

19. Ibid., 7.↩

20. Ibid., 6.↩

21. Nettie Knister, “India,” Eastern Canadian Messenger, 23, no. 7, February 13, 1923, 4.↩

22. Eastern Tidings, 18, no. 8, April 15, 1923, 20-22.↩

23. Della Stevens, “Bengali Girls’ School,” Eastern Tidings, 18, no. 2, January 15, 1923, 6.↩

24. Ibid.↩

25. “Bengal and Bihar,” Eastern Tidings, 20, February 1, 1925, 3.↩

26. C. F. Schilling, “Our Newest Medical Center: Jalirpar Hospital, East Bengal,” Eastern Tidings, 28, no. 11, June 1, 1933, 5.↩

27. Currently, it is the location of South Bangladesh Mission of the Seventh-day Adventist.↩

28. G. G. Lowry, “N. E. India Union,” Eastern Tidings, 24, no. 13, July 1, 1929, 6.↩

29. Ibid.↩

30. Ibid.↩

31. History of Seventh-day Adventist Church in Bangladesh, 2016, 72.↩

32. L. G. Mookerjee, “Co-Educational Middle English Boarding School,” Eastern Tidings, 26, no. 17, September 14, 1931, 8.↩

33. “The soil is alluvial in nature, and extremely fertile, which probably accounts in large measure for the dense population of the district—a population estimated at over 900 to the square mile.” C. F. Schilling, “Our Newest Medical Center: Jalirpar Hospital, East Bengal,” 5.↩

34. F. H. Loasby, “Northeast India Biennial Meeting,” Eastern Tidings, 34, no. 8, April 15, 1939, 7.↩

35. Ibid.↩

36. W. F. Storz, “The Rain Came Down and the Floods Came Up so: Give Us Higher Ground – East Pakistan,” Southern Asia Tidings, 62, no. 6, September 1967, 7.↩

37. F. H. Loasby, “Interesting Items from Latest Letter to Furlough Workers,” Eastern Tidings, 34, no. 8, April 15, 1939, 7; Brian J. Jacques, “Our School is in Need,” Mission Quarterly, 46, no. 3, July 1, 1957, 22.↩

38. Sukrit K. Dass, “SDA Education in Bangladesh Union,” Southern Asia Tidings, 78, no. 11, November 1, 1983, 9.↩

39. Loasby, “Northeast India Biennial Meeting,” 7.↩

40. Ibid., 7.↩

41. Dass, “SDA Education in Bangladesh Union,” 9.↩

42. W. J. McHenry, “Bangladesh: Toilsome Itinerary Nets Many Honours,” Southern Asia Tidings, 68, no. 9, September 1, 1973, 16.↩

43. I. R. Thomas, “Kellogg-Mookerjee High School,” Eastern Tidings, 48, no. 18, September 15, 1953, 2.↩

44. F. E. Spiess, “He Sleeps in Jesus,” Eastern Tidings, 47, no. 10, May 15, 1952, 8.↩

45. Thomas, “Kellogg-Mookerjee High School,” 2.↩

46. Ibid.↩

47. Brian J. Jacques, “Our School is in Need,” Mission Quarterly, 46, no. 3, July 1, 1957, 23.↩

48. “Kellogg-Mookerjee High School,” Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia, 726.↩

49. K. S. Brown, “East Pakistan’s Challenge to Advent Believers,” Missions Quarterly, 51, no. 1, January 1, 1962, 8.↩

50. O. W. Lange, “Report from East Pakistan,” Southern Asia Tidings, 56, no. 20, October 15, 1961, 5.↩

51. Ibid.↩

52. Brown, “East Pakistan’s Challenge to Advent Believers,” 8.↩

53. C. H. Hamel, “Pakistan Union,” Southern Asia Tidings, 58, no. 17, September 1, 1963, 6.↩

54. Jamile Jacobs, “World’s Worst Disaster Area of 1965,” Missions Quarterly, 56, no. 3, July 1, 1967, 5.↩

55. W. H. Toews, “Pakistan,” Southern Asia Tidings, 61, no. 1, January 1, 1966, 7.↩

56. Jamile Jacobs, “World’s Worst Disaster Area of 1965,” Missions Quarterly, 56, no. 3, July 1, 1967, 5.↩

57. C. R. Bonney, “What if There is No Hospital,” Missions Quarterly, 56, no. 3, July 1, 1967, 15.↩

58. W. E. Kuester, “Youth in Southern Asia,” Canadian Union Messenger, 36, no. 19, September 6, 1967, 377.↩

59. R. E. Rice, “Building Better, Bigger Schools,” Missions Quarterly, 56, no. 3, September 9, 1967, 17.↩

60. C. F. Schilling, “Our Newest Medical Center: Jalirpar Hospital, East Bengal,” Eastern Tidings, 28, no. 11, June 1, 1933, 5.↩

61. K. S. Brown, “East Pakistan’s Challenge to Advent Believers,” Missions Quarterly, 51, no. 1, January 1, 1962, 8.↩

62. Ibid.↩

63. G. G. Lowry, “Work in East Bengal,” Eastern Tidings, 28, no. 11, June 1, 1933, 5.↩

64. Brown, “East Pakistan’s Challenge to Advent Believers,” 8.↩

65. W. E. Kuester, “Youth in Southern Asia,” Canadian Union Messenger, 36, no. 19, September 6, 1967, 377.↩

66. Jacobs, “World’s Worst Disaster Area of 1965,” 5.↩

67. Rice, “Building Better, Bigger Schools,” 16.↩

68. H. W. Peterson, “Give a Liberal 13^th Sabbath Offering on Southern Asia Day September 30, 1967,” Atlantic Union Gleaner, 66, no. 17, September 15, 1967, 7.↩

69. “Year-end Committee Notes” in Southern Asia Tidings, 61, no. 1, January 1, 1966, 16; Storz, “The Rain Came Down and the Floods Came Up,” 3; “Thirteenth Sabbath Special Projects in the Southern Asia Division,” Southern Asia Tidings, 74, no. 7, July 1979, 3-4.↩

70. Kuester, “Youth in Southern Asia,” 377.↩

71. “We must move…,” Atlantic Union Gleaner, 66, no. 17, September 15, 1967, 6.↩

72. Kuester, “Youth in Southern Asia,” 377.↩

73. N. K. Baroi, “Educational Needs of East Pakistan,” Mission Quarterly, 56, no. 3, August 5, 1967, 10.↩

74. S. K. Dass, “After a Five-Year Break KMS Students sat for DSLC,” Southern Asia Tidings, 73, no. 9, September 1978, 13.↩

75. O. W. Lange, “Dr. Lowry Visits Pakistan,” Southern Asia Tidings, 66, no. 1, January 1, 1971, 6.↩

76. “Union Presidents Report Onward Progress: Summary of Reports Presented at the Division Mid-Year Meetings, June 28-30,” Southern Asia Tidings, 67. No. 8, August 1972, 1.↩

77. Fred Bischoff, “Thirty Baptized at Kellogg-Mookerjee School,” Southern Asia Tidings, 67, no. 12, December 1, 1972, 22.↩

78. Ibid.↩

79. Dass, “After a Five-Year Break KMS Students sat for DSLC,” 13.↩

80. “Kellogg-Mookerjee Memorial Seminary,” accessed on December 2, 2022, from http://adventist.asia/information/institutions/bangladesh-union-mission/kellogg-mookerjee-memorial-seminary/.↩

81. S. K. Dass, “42 Schools in 12 Districts in Bangladesh,” Southern Asia Tidings 73, no 11, November 1, 1978, 6.↩

82. D. P. Rema, “A profitable retreat in Bangladesh.” Southern Asia Tidings. November 1984, 10.↩

83. W. J. McHenry, “Bangladesh: Toilsome Itinerary Nets Many Honours,” Southern Asia Tidings, 68, no. 9, September 1, 1973, 16. Bairagee also facilitated the opening of the new high school at Bangladesh Adventist Academy, Gowalbathan, Gazipur.↩

84. Arun Roy, the principal of KMMS, communication through Facebook Messenger, March 2023.↩

85. G. G. Lowry, “Educational Work,” Eastern Tidings, 8, no. 11, June 1, 1933, 6.↩

86. Dass, “SDA Education in Bangladesh Union,” 9.↩

87. Dass, “42 Schools in 12 Districts in Bangladesh,” 6.↩

88. L. G. Mookerjee, “Co-Educational Middle English Boarding School,” Eastern Tidings, 26, no. 17, September 14, 1931, 8.↩

89. Burgess, “The Bengali Girls’ School,” 8.↩

90. Dass, “After a Five-Year Break KMS Students sat for DSLC,” 13.↩

91. Thomas, “Kellogg-Mookerjee High School,” 2.↩

92. Ibid.↩

93. Southern Asia Tidings, 62, no. 6, September 1967, 5.↩

94. See more testimonies in N. K. Baroi, “Educational Needs of East Pakistan,” Mission Quarterly, 56, no. 3, August 5, 1967, 10.↩

95. Dass, “SDA Education in Bangladesh Union,” 9.↩

96. R. E. Rice, “Building Better, Bigger Schools,” Missions Quarterly, 56, no. 3, September 9, 1967, 17.↩

97. See the details in L. G. Mookerjee, “Co-Educational Middle English Boarding School,” Eastern Tidings, 26, no. 17, September 14, 1931, 8.↩

98. Kuester, “Youth in Southern Asia,” 377.↩

99. Baroi, “Educational Needs of East Pakistan,” 10; Kuester, “Youth in Southern Asia,” 377.↩

100. Since K.M.M.S. could accommodate all the students from these feeder schools, more elementary schools were established in Southern (Khulna) and Northern (Monosapara) part of Bangladesh. These school later were upgraded into Junior High Schools with Monosapara as a Boarding School. Dass, “SDA Education in Bangladesh Union,” 9.↩

101. C. H. Hamel, “Pakistan Union,” Southern Asia Tidings, 58, no. 17, 1963, 6.↩

102. Southern Asia Tidings, 62, no. 6, September 1967, 6.↩

103. Jacques, “Our School is in Need,” 22.↩

104. Arun Roy, the principal of K.M.M.S., communication through Facebook Messenger, March 2023.↩