TOOLS IN SCHOOLS

Fr. Eugene Lafont (1837 to 1908)

We dedicate our work to the memory of Fr. Eugene Lafont (1837 to 1908) Fr. Eugene Lafont arrived at Calcutta from Belgium on December 4, 1865. was a Prof. of Physics at St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata. Soon after, he was appointed to teach science at St. Xavier’s College, an institution that was merely 5 years old at that time. He installed a laboratory in this college, perhaps the first of its kind in modern India. He taught Jagadish Chandra Bose and inspired him to conduct hands on- research in science. Fr. Lafont gave popular science lectures to demonstrate new inventions like the magic lantern, telephone, X Ray, phonograph and the camera Fr. Lafont always brought new technology into the classroom. He was one of the first in India to acquire a movie camera and use it for scientific experiments.