Two eminent alumni of Richmond College, Galle Prof. E. F. C. Ludowyke and Herbert Keuneman will be commemorated by two new memorial prizes to be awarded at the school annually, under a Trust established by the late K. V. J. de Silva in his last will.

De Silva, a founder vice president of the Richmond Union, Colombo, has placed the trust in the custody of the Union. De Silva was one of the leading figures in the world of books, much respected here and abroad, and a connoisseur of the arts.

Prof. Ludowyke, after a school career at Richmond, where his father had been headmaster from 1916 to 1935, joined the staff of the University College (later, the University of Ceylon). In the nineteen forties, he was Professor of English at the Ceylon University. Some of the intellectual elite of Sri Lanka, many of whom are at the pinnacles of professional and public life today, were his pupils. He later settled down in England, but continued to maintain contact with Sri Lanka. He wrote three books on Sri Lanka: "The footprint of the Buddha", "The story of Ceylon" and the "Modern History of Ceylon". Prof. Ludowyke was one of most inspiring figures in intellectual and academic life in Sri Lanka during his time.

Under the inspiration and direction of Prof. Ludowyke and several other great teachers, Richmond was famed for its traditions of Drama & Music. Among these great teachers was Herbert Keuneman. Keuneman played a major part in the activities of the famous Apollo Club of Richmond along with the multi-faceted Major A. F. de Saa Bandaranaike (who was the Headmaster of Richmond Primary, and later Royal Primary). Among the several plays staged by the Club, apart from Shakespearean Drama, were "The Child of Flanders". "The Bishop’s Candlestick", "Tom Sawyer", "The Invisible Duke", "Domestic Troubles", and the Sinhala play "Ralahamy" written by the late W. A. Lanerolle of the staff. Keuneman is remembered with affection by his pupils, especially those who were members of the Apollo Club & Choir.

Among those who adorned the Apollo Club, most of whom were pupils of Ludowyke and Kueneman were V. L. Wirasinghe and his brother Shelton Wirasinghe, Percy Colin Thome, Dr. H. A. I. (Ian) Goonetileke, Colin de Silva, Ellis Grenier, Allan de Saa Bandaranaike, Louka Musoka the Uganda Chieftan’s son who had a rich baritone voice Caxton Njuki from Kenya, H. M. Samaraweera, Revd. Shelton and Ivor de Silva.