[3] Margar Hovhannisian is considered to be a pioneer in establishing schools for Calcutta's Armenian students, educating them from 1763 in his own home.
The Armenian Seminary of St. Sanducts at Sukias Lane existed even prior to 1851, when a report of its examinations (in 1851) appeared in the local Calcutta Press, "The Friend of India".
Some writers incorrectly state that he could have left money to establish an "Armenian College" when the name itself was not even decided at the time of his death.
Later, another Julfa born merchant, Manatsakan Sambat Vardanian of Saidabad in 1816, published a pamphlet "Hravirak" through which he urged his compatriots to donate money for establishing a school for Armenian children.
[citation needed] In 1884, ACPA, purchased the house and land at 56B, Free School St, later known as Mirza Ghalib Street, which had been the birthplace and residence of William Makepeace Thackeray (1811–1863), the Anglo-Indian poet and novelist.
The first floor had a stage which served as a theatre during concerts and cultural programs as well as the dining hall of the school, designed for 200 people.
The Trust deed stated that the Committee of the St. Mary's Church Isfahan, would have rights of "nomination" of Scholars, and if no Armenians were to be found from Iran, then the benefits would be applicable to needy students of India.
Crete was a fabulously rich Roman Catholic Armenian Merchant with huge interests in real estate and a pioneer in the coal mining industry in Raniganj, West Bengal, India.
The college has educated students from India, Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia.
In 2006, ACPA celebrated its 185th anniversary, the college receiving a number of distinguished guests on the occasion, including the governor of West Bengal.
it has no tuition and provides free room and board due to the funds donated by Kolkata-born ethnic Armenian Sir Catchick Paul Chater.
[5] As of 2006[update] Armenians were the majority with a significant number from Iran; two of the students in total were locals from Kolkata and one was from Iraq.
[2] many students come to the school to improve their English abilities as the English-language environments of their home countries are not as robust as India's.
A third attempt was initiated on 16 February 1846, when Mesrop Taghiadian opened a girls’ school and named it Saint Sandught, later adding a boys section.
David (in his own name) and started a school for local girls and boys, inviting Mrs. Sandught Hovhannisian to teach in the new institution.
It was his intention to expand the school from his own house at Royd Street, to a much bigger place and Davidian purchased the huge grounds and buildings of the London Missionary Society at No 1, Ashutosh Mukherjee Road, Calcutta 700025 and gave it to the Trust in an agreement with the Official Trustee, Govt.
In January 1890, the late Professor Frederick Conybeare, a distinguished Armenist of international reputation, paid a visit to the Academy, accompanied by his accomplished wife, who was a daughter of the world-renowned orientalist, Max Muller.
He wished to see the college library, expecting to find some rare Armenian manuscripts, as he had found in Armenia, during a tour in 1888.
We happened to be present in the college at that time, and acted as a cicerone, not knowing who the strange visitor, with long hair, was.
When we looked at the books, we found that most of them were worm-eaten but the older 17th and 18th century ones were in better shape than the newer ones because paper used to be made from cotton rags rather than wood pulp combined with softening chemicals.