History of St. Stanislaus College, 1866-2026 160 Years of Education by Dr. Joanne Collins-Gonsalves PhD (History) FRHistS (UK)

It is a momentous milestone to be celebrating 160 years of St. Stanislaus College delivering education to Guyana’s youth. Alumni have gone on to serve in Guyana and internationally, with Guyana’s current President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, being a proud graduate, and Sir David Rose, the first Guyanese to become Governor-General of Guyana also attended the College for a time.[i] The school was originally named the Catholic Grammar School and was first housed on the compound of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Brickdam, Georgetown, Guyana, a city block bordered by Pollard Place, Brickdam, Hadfield, and Camp Streets.[ii]  The name of the school was later changed to St. Stanislaus College and relocated to the current location at upper Brickdam, Stabroek, Georgetown, from 1907.[iii] 

A few important milestones of St. Stanislaus College are as follows:

• 1866 (May 1st): Catholic Grammar School, Brickdam, Georgetown, British Guiana (now Guyana), the location of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Brickdam.

• 1876: School temporarily closed. 

• 1880: School re-opened. 

• 1907: School moved to current premises on Brickdam street, Georgetown, Guyana.

• 1907: Official adoption of the name Saint Stanislaus College from Catholic Grammar School.

• 1928: Weld Wing completed.

• 1929: Weld Wing officially opened on January 17, 1929.

• 1942: College Association formed. 

• 1952: Scannell Wing opened. 

• 1966: 100th Anniversary of the College celebrated.

• 1972: Hopkinson Wing completed.

• 1973: Hopkinson Wing officially opened on November 13, 1973.

• 1974: Workshop built, officially opened on December 4, 1974.

• 1975: College Farm at Sophia, Georgetown opened. 

• 1975: College becomes co-educational (along with all other schools in Guyana). First batch consisted of 36 girls.

• 1976: College becomes a non-denominational school.

• 1980: College no longer administered by the Roman Catholic Jesuits (Society of Jesus).

• 1991: 125th Anniversary of the College celebrated

• 2005: New Board of Governors formed.

• 2024: Scannell Wing and Labs refurbished.

• 2026: 160th Anniversary of the College celebrated.

• 2026: New buildings erected.

Weld Wing, St. Stanislaus College, 1928.

Update Notice: This post will be updated later to include an extended version of this article - History of St. Stanislaus College, 1866-2026: 160 Years of Education. A shortened version of this article was published in the 2026 edition of the Saint Stanislaus Magazine (Guyana).

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NOTES

[i] “Current Events”, St. Stanislaus Magazine, vol. 53, November 1966, 19; and “Falling Scaffolding Kills Guyanese Aide in London”, The New York Times, Nov. 11, 1969.

[ii] John Bridges, Men of Faith Who Served the Catholic Church in British Guiana Under Bishops Etheridge, Butler and Galton, 1857-1931 (London: Jesuit Missions, 1988), 17.

[iii] “The Story of St. Stanislaus College”, St. Stanislaus Magazine, Centenary Year, November 1966, 51.

(c) Joanne Collins-Gonsalves 2026