1 OF 3 
Dewan Bahadur Sir Samuel Ebenezer Runganadhan
1 of 3 portraits of Dewan Bahadur Sir Samuel Ebenezer Runganadhan
© National Portrait Gallery, London
Share this
Dewan Bahadur Sir Samuel Ebenezer Runganadhan
by Bassano Ltd
bromide print, 1940
Purchased, 1996
Photographs Collection
NPG x84648
Sitterback to top
- Dewan Bahadur Sir Samuel Ebenezer Runganadhan (1877-1966), Indian educationist and diplomat. Sitter in 3 portraits.
Artistback to top
- Bassano Ltd (active 1901-1962), Photographers. Artist or producer associated with 42746 portraits.
Placesback to top
- Place made: United Kingdom: England, London (photographer's studio, 38 Dover Street, London)
Events of 1940back to top
Current affairs
Following the German invasion of the Netherlands, Belgium and France, Neville Chamberlain resigns and Churchill is appointed Prime Minister making the famous speech: 'I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.'The Battle of Britain ends the Phoney War with Germany's attack on the nation from the air. Britain's cities, airbases and ports are bombed during the Blitz.
Art and science
With little access to sculpture materials, and a bombed out studio Henry Moore starts experimenting with drawings of war subjects. After taking shelter in a London Underground station during an air raid Moore was inspired to begin a series of Shelter Drawings. With a commission from the War Artists Advisory Committee, headed by Kenneth Clark, these became some of the most popular example of official war art.International
Britain's attempt to defend France against German invasion by landing troops on the French coast ends in failure; France surrenders and Britain is left to face the Axis Powers alone. While the Dunkirk Landings were a failure, the heroic rescue of troops by a fleet of English civilian boats was a victory for morale, and the 'Dunkirk Spirit' came to stand as an emblem of British triumph in adversity.Comments back to top
We are currently unable to accept new comments, but any past comments are available to read below.
If you need information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service . Please note that we cannot provide valuations. You can buy a print or greeting card of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at around £6 for unframed prints, £16 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Use this image button, or contact our Rights and Images service. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.
Lester Caldwell
31 August 2017, 19:07
This gentleman is my Great grand uncle.
Dewan Bahadur Sir Samuel Ebenezer Runganadhan (also Ranganathan) (30 December 1877 - December 1966)[1] was an Indian educationist who served successively as Vice-Chancellor of Annamalai University and Madras University and as the last High Commissioner for India from 1943 to 1947.[2]
Runganadhan was born to Reverend C. Runganadhan of the London Missionary Society, and entered the Indian Educational Service in 1921. He married one Leila Rau, daughter of K. Krishna Rau of Madras, and had a son and a daughter. From 1929 to 1935, he served as Vice-Chancellor of Annamalai University, in which capacity he was a delegate to the Congress of the Universities of the Empire, held in Edinburgh in 1931. He was subsequently Vice-Chancellor of Madras University from 1937 to 1940. He was president of the Indian Christian Association of Madras and vice-president of the All-India Christian Conference. In 1938, he was elected a member of the upper house of the Legislative Council of the Madras Presidency, serving until 1940, when he became the adviser to the Secretary of State for India. In 1938-1939, he was the Chairman of the Inter-Universities Board of India.[3]
Conferred the title of Diwan Bahadur, Runganadhan was knighted in the 1943 New Year Honours list and appointed the last High Commissioner for India in May 1943.[4][5] He was a delegate to the Conference of the Institute of Pacific Relations in December 1942, and the leader of the Indian delegations to the 1945 International Labour Conference (Paris), the 1946 Conference (Montreal) and to the Paris Peace Conference in 1946.[6] He retired as High Commissioner in April 1947, shortly before Indian independence, and died in Bangalore, aged 88.