# William Gopallawa

_Sri Lankan President (1897-1981)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/william-gopallawa
Last updated: 2026-11-09

> William Gopallawa was a Sri Lankan statesman who served as the last Governor-General of Ceylon from 1962 to 1972. That year, Ceylon became a republic, and changed its name to Sri Lanka; he would serve as the first and only non-executive President of Sri Lanka until 1978.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 17 September 1897 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q205993#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Matale ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q205993#P19))
- **Died:** 31 January 1981 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q205993#P570))
- **Place of death:** Colombo ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q205993#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Sri Lanka ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q205993#P27))
- **Occupation:** diplomat; politician ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q205993#P106))
- **Political party:** independent politician ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q205993#P102))
- **Education:** St. Anthony's College, Kandy; Christ Church College, Matale ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q205993#P69))
- **Spouse:** Seelawathie Gopallawa ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q205993#P26))
- **Positions held:** Secretary General of the Non-Aligned Movement (16 August 1976 – 4 February 1978); President of Sri Lanka (22 May 1972 – 4 February 1978); ambassador ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q205993#P39))
- **Awards:** Member of the Order of the British Empire ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q205993#P166))

## Questions

**When was William Gopallawa born?**  
William Gopallawa was born on 17 September 1897 in Matale.

**What positions has William Gopallawa held?**  
Positions held by William Gopallawa include: Secretary General of the Non-Aligned Movement (1976–1978); President of Sri Lanka (1972–1978); ambassador.

**Where did William Gopallawa study?**  
William Gopallawa was educated at St. Anthony's College, Kandy, Christ Church College, Matale.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): William Gopallawa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Gopallawa) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q205993](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q205993) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: JFKWHP-AR6771-B (cropped).jpg by Abbie Rowe (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:JFKWHP-AR6771-B_(cropped).jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article William Gopallawa, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: JFKWHP-AR6771-B (cropped).jpg — Abbie Rowe, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"William Gopallawa". DigiNepal. Last updated 9 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/william-gopallawa. Retrieved 10 November 2026.