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Mr P J Morsingh – First Headmaster Of St Michael’s Institution
Reverend Father J B Coppin, Parish Priest of St Michael's Catholic Church, Ipoh, initially convinced La Salle Brother Visitor James Byrne, stationed at the St. Xavier's Institution (Penang), to start a school in Ipoh. The La Salle Brothers bought a piece of land at Kampong Pisang, Ipoh and the school was started in a Malay bungalow on the site. P J Morsingh, a Sikh convert teaching in St. Xavier's Institution (Penang), was the first headmaster of St. Michael's School, from 4th December 1912 until 1920. When he left the school in 1920, Vicar-General Father Mariette inveighed upon Brother Visitor to take over the school immediately and the first batch of La Salle Brothers were made available for St Michael’s.
Assisted by Reverend Father Coppin, Mr. Morsingh took took the school forward to bring it up to a more suitable level; 1915 saw the large attap shed of the school being converted to classrooms and in 1918, another temporary shed was put up behind the Indian Muslim mosque to to make room for more classes.
With Mr. Morsingh in command the school grew in strength and reputation, achieving commendable examination results in the latter stages of his time with the school and on his departure in 1920, the school enrolment had risen from 39 in 1912 to 327 pupils. A great start to a great school.
He was replaced by Brother Paul Gallagher.
To read more about Father J B Coppin, click here.
To read more about Brother Visitor James Byrne, click here.
To read more about Brother Paul Gallagher, click here.
To read more about St Michael’s Institution, click here.