U. N. Gunasekera
Encyclopedia
U.N. Gunasekera BSc
Eng (London
), MI.Struct. UK, FIE is considered to be Sri Lanka's greatest construction magnate of the 20th century.
team, winning the coveted Bradby shield
, he was also a member of the Cricket team and Athletics team. He also played for the Sri Lanka Public Schools Rugby Team and was known to be one of the best young rugby players of that era. He also held the All-Island Public Schools record for the 220 yard hurdles. He obtained his degree in Engineering from the University of London
after completing the University of Cambridge
Higher Diploma. He was the President of the Institute of Engineers in Sri Lanka for an unprecedented five years.
, making the lineage one of the most prominent traditionally-rich families in Sri Lanka. He is the grandson of Gate Mudaliyar Abraham Mendis Gunasekera Wijaya Sri Wardana
(Founder of the Sinhala-English Dictionary) and Great-Grandson of Mudaliyar Bastian Mendis Gunasekera.
BSC
BSC is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:Science and technology* Bachelor of Science , an undergraduate degree* Base Station Controller, part of a mobile phone network; see: Base Station subsystem...
Eng (London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
), MI.Struct. UK, FIE is considered to be Sri Lanka's greatest construction magnate of the 20th century.
Early life
U.N.Gunasekera, born in 1922, was educated at Royal College, Colombo where he was the Captain of the RugbyRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team, winning the coveted Bradby shield
Bradby Shield Encounter
The Bradby Shield Encounter - commonly known as "The Bradby" - is the blue ribbon of Sri Lanka's school rugby union season. It is played annually between traditional rivals Royal College, Colombo, and Trinity College, Kandy. The encounter consists of two legs, one being played in the Royal College...
, he was also a member of the Cricket team and Athletics team. He also played for the Sri Lanka Public Schools Rugby Team and was known to be one of the best young rugby players of that era. He also held the All-Island Public Schools record for the 220 yard hurdles. He obtained his degree in Engineering from the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
after completing the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
Higher Diploma. He was the President of the Institute of Engineers in Sri Lanka for an unprecedented five years.
Family
He married the daughter of Sir Ernest de Silva, the Cambridge-educated business magnate and Founder-Chairman of the Bank of CeylonBank of Ceylon
Bank of Ceylon is a government-owned, major commercial bank in Sri Lanka. Its head office is located in iconic cylindrical building in the capital Colombo, the political and commercial capital of the islandThe bank has a network of 308 branches and 200+ extension centers covering all parts of the...
, making the lineage one of the most prominent traditionally-rich families in Sri Lanka. He is the grandson of Gate Mudaliyar Abraham Mendis Gunasekera Wijaya Sri Wardana
Abraham Mendis Gunasekera
Gate Mudaliyar Abraham Mendis Gunasekera was a leading literary figure in Ceylon. Gunasekera produced a Sinhalese grammar as well as Sinhalese-English and English-Sinhalese dictionaries. He is the grandfather of the famous Sri Lankan construction engineer U.N. Gunasekera.-Sources:...
(Founder of the Sinhala-English Dictionary) and Great-Grandson of Mudaliyar Bastian Mendis Gunasekera.