William Gopallawa
Encyclopedia
William Gopallawa MBE
(17 September 1897 - 31 January 1981) was the last Governor General of Ceylon from 1962 to 1972 and became the first (non-executive) President of Sri Lanka
when Ceylon declared itself a republic
in 1972 and changed its name to Sri Lanka. Until 1972, Ceylon was a Commonwealth realm
with Queen Elizabeth II
as the head of state and Queen of Ceylon. He was well known as an austere, nonpartisan and statesmanlike figure who commanded the respect of all political parties.
He represented an era where politics was conducted with a dignified aura and he had a reputation as being a man of integrity and humility. He served as Governor-General during the tenure of different governments headed by the SLFP led regime of Sirimavo Bandaranaike
and the UNP led regime of Dudley Senanayake
. He upheld the law and the constitution to the letter and won respect and admiration of all political parties.
of Ceylon. He is related to Dullewe Dissava
, a signatory on behalf of the Sinhalese
to the Kandiyan Convention of 1815
, by his mother Tikiri Kumarihamy Dullewe. William lost his father, Tikiri Banda Gopallawa when he was three years old.
He received his primary education at the Dullewe village school and at St. John's College, Kandy
. He continued his secondary education at Dharmaraja College, Kandy
and later moved to St.Anthony’s College, Kandy
. After having sat the Cambridge Senior Certificate Examination in 1917 he returned to his home town Matale
and joined as the tutorial staff of Buddhist English School, Matale
(now Vijaya College) and was also instrumental in setting up a library and a scout troop for the benefit of the students there. In 1920 William joined the Ceylon Law College, Colombo
and was enrolled as a Proctor
and Notary Public
in 1924. He was in active practice in Matale, Dumbara and Kandy from 1924 until he took up duties as Municipal Commissioner, Kandy in 1939.
Elections in 1936. In 1939 the Kandy Municipal Council was established and Gopallawa was appointed as the first Municipal Commissioner of Kandy. He served in that capacity throughout World War II
and acquitted himself for efficiency during the great floods in 1950. In 1951 he was appointment as Municipal Commissioner of Colombo and served until 1957 when he stepped down from the post.
Gopallawa was posted as the second Ambassador to China in 1960. On 7 September 1961, while he was serving in China, he was called back and posted as the Ambassador to the United States
; he served there until 1962.
nominated Gopallawa as Governor-General of Ceylon
following the Sir Oliver Goonetilleke
's implication in the attempted military coup
earlier that year. He was the second Ceylonese Governor-General and the first Buddhist hold the post as the representative of Queen Elizabeth II who was the Head of State. Gopallawa served in this capacity until 1972.
His constitutional decision to invite the UNP which won the majority of Parliamentary seats in the 1965 general election, (but not enough for an absolute majority) is heralded as a landmark moment where he respected the nation's constitution and its people's wishes more than the wishes of the defeated SLFP government (that appointed him as GG) which wanted him to delay inviting the winning party to form the government. It averted a major crisis of leadership.
When Ceylon became the Republic of Sri Lanka on 2 March 1972, Gopallawa became the first President. He stepped down from office in February 1978 when then Prime Minister Junius Richard Jayewardene
became President following constitutional changes that effected the creation of an executive Presidency.
.
. His oldest son Asoka is a highly successful entrepreneur businessman,His Second daughter Chinthamani and his youngest son Monty Gopallawa
who died in 2005 was a very popular member of parliament and an affable cabinet minister in the government of President Chandrika Kumaratunga
(daughter of Sirimavo Bandaranaike
).
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
(17 September 1897 - 31 January 1981) was the last Governor General of Ceylon from 1962 to 1972 and became the first (non-executive) President of Sri Lanka
President of Sri Lanka
The President of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the elected head of state and the head of government. The President is a dominant political figure in Sri Lanka. The office was created in 1978 but has grown so powerful there have been calls to restrict or even eliminate its power...
when Ceylon declared itself a republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
in 1972 and changed its name to Sri Lanka. Until 1972, Ceylon was a Commonwealth realm
Commonwealth Realm
A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six...
with Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
as the head of state and Queen of Ceylon. He was well known as an austere, nonpartisan and statesmanlike figure who commanded the respect of all political parties.
He represented an era where politics was conducted with a dignified aura and he had a reputation as being a man of integrity and humility. He served as Governor-General during the tenure of different governments headed by the SLFP led regime of Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike was a Sri Lankan politician and the world's first female head of government...
and the UNP led regime of Dudley Senanayake
Dudley Senanayake
Dudley Shelton Senanayake was a Ceylonese politician, who became the second Prime Minister of Ceylon and went on to become prime minister on 2 more times during the 1950s and 1960s.-Early life:Dudley was born on 19 June, 1911 as the eldest son to Molly Dunuwila and Don Stephen Senanayake, who...
. He upheld the law and the constitution to the letter and won respect and admiration of all political parties.
Early life
William Gopallawa was born on 17 September 1897 at the Dullewe Maha Walauwa, Dullewe in the Matale DistrictMatale District
Matale District is a district in Central Province, Sri Lanka. Its area is 1,987 km².- Demographics :The population according to 2001 census is 441,328. 80.1 % of the population are Sinhalese, 8.7 % Sri Lankan Moors, 5.5 % native Sri Lankan tamils and 5.3 % tamils of...
of Ceylon. He is related to Dullewe Dissava
Dissava
Dissava was a feudal title associated with high office in the Kandian and central region of Sri Lanka. Persons were appointed to the title and office by the King during the Kingdom of Kandy, these appointees headed the administration of a large province of the Kingdom known as a Dissava and was the...
, a signatory on behalf of the Sinhalese
Sinhalese people
The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...
to the Kandiyan Convention of 1815
Kandyan Convention
The Kandyan Convention was an agreement in 1815 between the British and the Chiefs of the Kandyan Kingdom, in Sri Lanka for the deposition of rule King Sri Vikrama Rajasinha. The king who was of Telugu ancestry faced powerful opposition from the Sinhalese chieftains who sought to reduce his power...
, by his mother Tikiri Kumarihamy Dullewe. William lost his father, Tikiri Banda Gopallawa when he was three years old.
He received his primary education at the Dullewe village school and at St. John's College, Kandy
Kandy
Kandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...
. He continued his secondary education at Dharmaraja College, Kandy
Dharmaraja College, Kandy
Dharmaraja College , founded in 1887 is a premier Boys' School in Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is a Buddhist school with around 175 teaching staff and around 4,500 students. The school has many renowned figures in its alumni including William Gopallawa, A. E...
and later moved to St.Anthony’s College, Kandy
St.Anthony’s College, Kandy
St. Anthony’s College, Kandy founded in 1854, is one of the leading Roman Catholic School in Sri Lanka. It is considered to be a leading Public School in Sri Lanka....
. After having sat the Cambridge Senior Certificate Examination in 1917 he returned to his home town Matale
Matale
Matale is a town in the hill country of Sri Lanka, from Colombo and from Kandy. It is an area steeped in history and village living. The mayor of Matale is Hilmy Careem, as of May, 2006....
and joined as the tutorial staff of Buddhist English School, Matale
Matale
Matale is a town in the hill country of Sri Lanka, from Colombo and from Kandy. It is an area steeped in history and village living. The mayor of Matale is Hilmy Careem, as of May, 2006....
(now Vijaya College) and was also instrumental in setting up a library and a scout troop for the benefit of the students there. In 1920 William joined the Ceylon Law College, Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
and was enrolled as a Proctor
Proctor
Proctor, a variant of the word procurator, is a person who takes charge of, or acts for, another. The word proctor is frequently used to describe someone who oversees an exam or dormitory.The title is used in England in three principal senses:...
and Notary Public
Notary public
A notary public in the common law world is a public officer constituted by law to serve the public in non-contentious matters usually concerned with estates, deeds, powers-of-attorney, and foreign and international business...
in 1924. He was in active practice in Matale, Dumbara and Kandy from 1924 until he took up duties as Municipal Commissioner, Kandy in 1939.
Political life
In 1926 Gopallawa contested and won in the Matale Urban Council Elections and served continuously in the council for a period of 13 years from 1926 - 1939. He served as the chairman of the Matale Urban Council for 5 years, at his office he was the youngest Urban Council Chairman in Ceylon at that time. In 1936 Gopallawa unsuccessfully contested for the Matale seat at the State CouncilState Council of Ceylon
The State Council of Ceylon was the unicameral legislature for Ceylon , established in 1931 by the Donoughmore Constitution. The State Council gave universal adult franchise to the people of the colony for the first time...
Elections in 1936. In 1939 the Kandy Municipal Council was established and Gopallawa was appointed as the first Municipal Commissioner of Kandy. He served in that capacity throughout World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and acquitted himself for efficiency during the great floods in 1950. In 1951 he was appointment as Municipal Commissioner of Colombo and served until 1957 when he stepped down from the post.
Diplomatic role
On 18 June 1958 when S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike's government started diplomatic relations with People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
Gopallawa was posted as the second Ambassador to China in 1960. On 7 September 1961, while he was serving in China, he was called back and posted as the Ambassador to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
; he served there until 1962.
Governor-General of Ceylon & President of Sri Lanka
In 1962, he was called back to Ceylon, after his son in law's sister, the then prime minister Sirimavo BandaranaikeSirimavo Bandaranaike
Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike was a Sri Lankan politician and the world's first female head of government...
nominated Gopallawa as Governor-General of Ceylon
Governor-General of Ceylon
The Governor-General of Ceylon was the representative of the Ceylonese monarch, and head of state, who held the title of Queen of Ceylon from 1948 when the country became independent as a Dominion until the country became the republic of Sri Lanka in 1972.-Role:The monarch, on the advice of the...
following the Sir Oliver Goonetilleke
Oliver Ernest Goonetilleke
Sir Oliver Goonetilleke , GCMG, KCVO, KBE was an important figure in the gradual independence of Ceylon from Britain, and became the third Governor-General of Ceylon...
's implication in the attempted military coup
Attempted military coup in Ceylon, 1962
The 1962 Ceylonese coup d'état attempt was a failed military coup planned in Sri Lanka . Several Christian senior military and policy officers planned to topple the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Mrs...
earlier that year. He was the second Ceylonese Governor-General and the first Buddhist hold the post as the representative of Queen Elizabeth II who was the Head of State. Gopallawa served in this capacity until 1972.
His constitutional decision to invite the UNP which won the majority of Parliamentary seats in the 1965 general election, (but not enough for an absolute majority) is heralded as a landmark moment where he respected the nation's constitution and its people's wishes more than the wishes of the defeated SLFP government (that appointed him as GG) which wanted him to delay inviting the winning party to form the government. It averted a major crisis of leadership.
When Ceylon became the Republic of Sri Lanka on 2 March 1972, Gopallawa became the first President. He stepped down from office in February 1978 when then Prime Minister Junius Richard Jayewardene
Junius Richard Jayewardene
Junius Richard Jayewardene , famously abbreviated in Sri Lanka as JR, was the first executive President of Sri Lanka, serving from 1978 till 1989. He was a leader of the nationalist movement in Ceylon who served in a variety of cabinet positions in the decades following independence...
became President following constitutional changes that effected the creation of an executive Presidency.
Faith
While he was a devout Buddhist, he respected all faiths and never failed to attend the annual Vel Hindu ceremony and never failed to host Christmas carols and also attended various Muslim ceremonies in his role as titual head of state; he was acutely cognizant of his role as a uniter of all Sri Lankans during his tenure. He was the first to establish a spartan Buddhist Shrine room at the Queen's HousePresident's House, Colombo
President's House is the official residence of the President of Sri Lanka, located in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It used to be the Queen's House until Sri Lanka became a Republic in 1972.-History:...
.
Family
Gopallawa married Seelawathie Rambukwella Gopallawa;they had 5 children. He was survived by 4 children out of 5. One died early on while he was still working in Matale. His eldest daughter Chandrika Iranganie married Dr. Mackie Ratwatte, the private secretary and a brother of Sirimavo BandaranaikeSirimavo Bandaranaike
Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike was a Sri Lankan politician and the world's first female head of government...
. His oldest son Asoka is a highly successful entrepreneur businessman,His Second daughter Chinthamani and his youngest son Monty Gopallawa
Monty Gopallawa
Monty Gopallawa Monty Gopallawa Monty Gopallawa ( (born 16 January 1941 - September 26, 2005) was a Sri Lankan politician.Monty was the son of William Gopallawa who served as Governor-General of Ceylon and President of Sri Lanka. Monty was a member of Sri Lanka's parliament...
who died in 2005 was a very popular member of parliament and an affable cabinet minister in the government of President Chandrika Kumaratunga
Chandrika Kumaratunga
Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga born June 29, 1945) was the 4th Executive president of Sri Lanka, serving from November 12, 1994 to November 19, 2005. The daughter of two former Prime Ministers, she was also the leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party until end of 2005...
(daughter of Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike was a Sri Lankan politician and the world's first female head of government...
).
Honours
- Member of The Most Excellent Order of the British EmpireOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(MBE) - LLDLegum DoctorLegum Doctor is a doctorate-level academic degree in law, or an honorary doctorate, depending on the jurisdiction. The double L in the abbreviation refers to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both Canon Law and Civil Law, the double L indicating the plural, Doctor of both...
(Honoris Causa) from the University of CeylonUniversity of CeylonThe University of Ceylon was the only university in Sri Lanka from 1942 until 1972. It had several constituent campuses at various locations around Sri Lanka. The University of Ceylon Act No. 1 of 1972, replaced it with the University of Sri Lanka which existed from 1973 to 1978. In 1978 it was...
in 1962 - LLDLegum DoctorLegum Doctor is a doctorate-level academic degree in law, or an honorary doctorate, depending on the jurisdiction. The double L in the abbreviation refers to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both Canon Law and Civil Law, the double L indicating the plural, Doctor of both...
from the VidyalankaraUniversity of KelaniyaThe University of Kelaniya is a state university of Sri Lanka. Situated just outside the municipal limits of Colombo, in the ancient and historic city of Kelaniya, the University has two major campuses, seven locations, six faculties and four institutions....
in 1962 - D.Litt. from the Vidyodaya in 1962.