A New Era
By the twenties, Science was also becoming popular and an increasing number of applications underlined the need of extending the premises to cope with the demand. Another wing was clearly indicated, particularly for the accommodation of the departments of Chemistry and Biology. The Principal, Fr. Ethelbert Blatter (1919-1924), was himself a scientist of no small repute. Together with his associates and friends he collected a very large number of plants for the Herbarium which was started at the end of the nineteenth century and was named after him in 1941. It now contains the largest collection of plants in Western India and has a well-stocked library on Systematic Botany, thus providing ample facilities for the study of Plant Systematics.
November 1924, marks an important stage in the promotion of higher education in Bombay. The University took the initiative and undertook the development of the new system of post-graduate work. But in the organization of the scheme the cooperation of affiliated colleges was invited.
In 1925 Fr. H. Heras tried to set the ball rolling for The Indian Historical Research Institute with what was available. As the College Librarian he was able to supply the would-be research students with books. He even succeeded in acquiring a room for himself and his students who, however, found the work painstaking and exacting and abandoned it. Far from being discouraged, Fr. Heras displayed the authentic characteristics of a research student - an infinite capacity for attention to the minutest detail. Gradually the students settled down to work for their M.A. and Ph.D. degrees and the Indian Historical Research Institute which Fr. Heras had so indomitably built up was born. Appropriately enough, it was named the Heras Institute of Indian History and Culture after his death in 1955.
In the meantime Fr. Blatter had made way for Fr. Joseph Duhr (1924-1932), and the extension of the East-West science wing was completed towards the end of 1925 and duly opened by Sir Leslie Wilson, the Governor of Bombay, on 26th January, 1926. The total cost was Rs. 2 lakhs and the Government contributed Rs.109,000 thereby revealing its appreciation of science teaching. The rest had to be raised by the Jesuits themselves.