Colonel Henry Steel Olcott

Colonel Henry Steel Olcott an American from Orange, New Jersey, is a national hero in Sri Lanka.

Col. Olcott was a military officer who served in the U.S. civil war. He later became a lawyer and served in the commission to investigate the assassination of President Lincoln.

His interest in spiritual concepts led to the establishment of the “Theosophical Society.” Col. Olcott was one of its co-founders, as well as its president (DATES). He traveled to India and Sri Lanka in 1880 and established the Buddhist Theosophical Society in both countries.

Col. Olcott played a pivotal role in the national Buddhist revival movement in Sri Lanka, fighting for the rights of Buddhists to practice their religion under then British colonial rule. The leaders of that movement, including Ven. Hikkaduwe, Sri Sumangala and Anagarika Dharmapala embraced him.

Col. Olcott established Buddhist English schools throughout the country via the Buddhist Theosophical Society; thereby becoming one of the pioneers of Buddhist education in Sri Lanka. Ananda College was the first school he founded.

Alumni of the Ananda College Old Boys Association – East Coast decided 12 years ago at the first cricket festival to give a Challenge Trophy to the winning team in memory of its founder Col. Olcott.

Colonel Henry Steel Olcott
By Dr. Wije Kottahachchi