Home The Association History Activities Office Contact
Events Shop
Est. 1858 • Bangalore

Old Boys
Association

"Fide et Labore" — Faith and TOIL

Bonded in Love & Fellowship — The Old Boys Association of St Joseph's Boys' High School, Bangalore. Men & women for others, in partnership with the Jesuit ethos.

1858
School Founded
1912
OBA Formed
113+
Years of Legacy
30+
Annual Events
About Us

The Association

Popularly known worldwide as the OBA, the Old Boys Association has been in existence since 1912. Though formed on 25 August 1912, it did not convene again till 1919 and thereafter has been active to date.

Its Annual General Body meeting (named OBA Day) is fixed for the first Sunday of September, traditionally following the School's Annual Sports Day.

Since 1937, SJBHS has been shepherded by the Jesuit order and its parent body is the Bangalore Jesuit Educational Society (BJES). Around 2006, girls were inducted into the 11th/12th ISC grades and as such, Old Girls are now very much an integral part of the OBA.

The Office of the OBA is situated on the ground floor of the Sports Complex at St. Joseph's Boys' High School.

"

Our Vision

Bonded in Love & Fellowship — We shall endeavour to be men & women for others in partnership with the Jesuit ethos & goal… "to give and not to count the cost"… as included in our preamble.

1912
Established
113+
Years Active
Heritage

Our History

A remarkable journey of faith, education, and service stretching from the mid-19th century to present day.

1854
Priests of the Missions Etrangères de Paris purchased land at St. John's Hill for Rs. 1,000. Fr. Bouteloup constructed St. Joseph's Seminary, housing an orphanage and residential school.
1858
With the Madras University established, Fr. Charbonnaux decided to open a school for European boys — the beginning of St. Joseph's College.
1875
The orphanage transferred to St. Patrick's Church. The entire campus was given to the school and boarding house — 64 boarders and 80 day scholars.
1882
Fr. Maurice Vissac affiliated the school to Madras University as a second grade college. In 1884, two candidates successfully qualified for F.A. exams.
1894
Fr. Vissac purchased the Rocklands property on Museum Road and laid the foundation stone for the stately new buildings.
1898
The school transferred to Museum Road with 100 boarders and 89 day scholars — the location it still calls home.
1910
Adopted the High School Examination System. The school became known as St. Joseph's European High School.
1912
The Old Boys Association was formed on 25 August 1912, establishing a lasting bond of fellowship and service among alumni.
1937
The Society of Jesus (Jesuits) accepted stewardship. Fr. A. Ambruzzi S.J. became the first Rector; Fr. L. Proserpio the first Principal.
1968
Officially renamed from St. Joseph's European High School to St. Joseph's Boys' High School.
2007
Girls admitted to Standards 11 and 12, marking a new chapter. Old Girls became an integral part of the OBA.

— History compiled by Fr. Hedwig Da'Costa SJ

What We Do

Activities

The OBA is widely acknowledged as the trend setter and flag bearer among all peer school alumni associations in Bengaluru. Our annual calendar features more than 30 events.

🎓

Towards Students

  • Academic Scholarships (General & Loyola Scholars)
  • Mid-Day Meals Programme
  • Academic & Sports Prizes (Josexcel)
  • OBA Buzz
  • Social Innovation Lab
  • Loyola Technology Centre
  • Breakfast for Sports Teams
  • Career Counseling & Guidance
  • BLS Training (Basic Life Support)
👨‍🏫

Towards Staff

  • Teachers Insurance Fund — Medical & Accident insurance for current and retired teachers
  • Life Skills & Support Talks for Teachers
  • Teachers Appreciation Fund for retiring/retired teachers
🏆

Towards Old Boys

  • Lifetime & Significant Achievement Awards
  • Inter-batch Sporting Events
  • OBA Century Football Tournament
  • OBA Jimmy Anklesaria Cricket Tournament
  • OBA Cynthia Britto Basketball Tournament
  • OBA Boarders Hockey Tournament
  • OBA Christmas Dinner
  • OBA Blue & White Ball
  • OBA Chief Guests for Events
Our Space

The OBA Office

It was in the early 1980s that the OBA was kindly allotted space within the school premises by the then Principal Fr. Denis Coelho. The OBA functioned from the same office next to the parlour until 2004 when the school was rebuilt.

The office was shifted multiple times before settling into the current state-of-the-art premises of the Loyola Sports Complex. The foundation stone was laid in September 2012 with Rector Fr. Stany D'Souza blessing the ceremony.

The OBA Office was formally inaugurated by Old Boy Rahul Dravid (Class of 1989) on OBA Day, September 2013, and blessed by Principal Fr. Clifford Sequeira.

97 irreplaceable school annuals spanning nearly 15,000 pages have been preserved in a digital archive — including the very first School Annual from 1910. Rajeev Shenoy (Class of 1996) was instrumental in digitizing the annuals. Arjun Nambisan (Class of 1989) was the architect of the office design.

Office Highlights

Wi-Fi Enabled Hub A centre for camaraderie, networking, and nostalgia
Lounge & Display Arena Showcasing memorabilia and school heritage
Digital Archive Kiosk 97 annuals — 15,000+ pages since 1910
Meeting Area With overhead projection facilities
Secretary's Cabin Staff workspace and store-cum-pantry
What's Happening

Events

Discover upcoming OBA events — from sporting tournaments and reunions to award ceremonies and celebrations.

Get in Touch

Contact Us

Old Boys' Association

St. Joseph's Boys' High School
No. 27, Museum Road
Bangalore – 560 025