About Us

History

Pastor and Mrs. Lowry received a calling in 1948 from General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists to be the pioneer Missionary in Mizoram (formally Lushai Hills.) After getting their entry permit and a long and difficult journey with their two children eleven years old son, Eric and nine years old daughter, Carolyn, they arrived the capital city of Mizoram, Aizawl on December 13, 1949.

Shortly after their arrival in Aizawl in 1949, Pr & Mrs. Lowry were invited by Mr. Lalrinchhana Sailo, the Assistant Superintendent of Mizoram and who was a close relative to Mr. Lallianzuala Sailo, to Christmas Party. Mr. SN Barkataki (IAS), the Superintendent of Mizoram, and a Hindu by religion was also present at the party. Mr. Barkataki had wanted to get a teacher to teach his children. So he asked Mrs. Lowry to start an English Medium School. She was told that all the children of the Assam Rifles officers would also attend the school thus making it a total of about 10 students. So with the permission and promise of help from the Superintendent the first English Medium was opened on January 17, 1950 in the bungalow of the District Superintendent which is now the residence of the Governor of Mizoram.

Shortly after the school was opened, Mr. Barkataki’s children contacted chicken pox and for fear of spreading it to other children, the school was moved to the temporary residence of the Lowry’s at Mr. Lallianzuala’s house – a bamboo house with a thatched roof situated at which is now called Republic Veng.

As the days and years passed by, the progress of the school satisfied Mr. Barkataki so much that he requested Mr. Lowry to open a school for the public on a permanent basis. Since the land was on the hill, the Adventist volunteered to level to place so that the building of the school could be started. To meet the immediate needs of the school they erected bamboo structure with thatched roof and mud floor. They had classes from lower KG to standard VI. They build a separated office and a hostel for boys on the western side and for girls on the northern side on the hills.

During 1952 members of the Adventist church build a road from Vaivakawn to the school which made transportation much easier. foreseeing the scarcity of water three huge water reservoirs was constructed, one near the hostel and the other two near the Bungalow, the residence of Pastor & Mrs. Lowry.

The strength of the school gradually increased as the year passed by. The school gain wider acceptance and recognition in and around Mizoram. The school has been producing valuable and efficient people right from its inception in 1950.

Due to political upheaval Pastor & Mrs. Lowry had to leave Mizoram on December 13th, 1964 after fifteen years of service. At the time of Pastor & Mrs. Lowry departure, the responsibility of running the school fell into the hands of the Adventist leaders and workers of the Mission and as well as the local church members. Those who took up the responsibility were honest and diligent in following the guideline laid by the missionaries. They ensured that the school was managed in the manner in which it was conceived to. In the days that followed, leaders as well as the people at large felt that it would be most appropriate to honour the founder of the school by naming the school after the founder, Mrs. Helen Lowry, so they named the school Helen Lowry School. The school since 1977 has been known by this name.

In 1976, the Government of Mizoram recognized the school as a junior High School; that is up to class VIII. In 1980, the Education Department of Mizoram Gov’t recognized it as a full fledge High School (up to Class-10). Based on the notification of upgrading the High school into Higher Secondary School for Arts stream served by the Governor of Mizoram on June 23, 2020, with effect from 2000 academic session, the Director of School Education department, Government of Mizoram informed the school to open and function for Arts stream, and open a Higher Secondary School and started functioned on August 1, 2000.