Frank D'Souza

Frank D'Souza (born in Karachi, British India) was the first Indian to be appointed member of the Indian Railway Board.

D'Souza was born in Karachi, British India (now Pakistan). He was educated at St Patrick's High School, Karachi. After finishing school with a Matriculation, Frank D'Souza started to work as a Railway Guard. He was a self-made man and educated himself over the years. In 1929 he became one of the most famous and important Karachi Goans in all of India when he was the first Indian to be appointed by the British as a Member of the Railway Board of India. In those days, a small group of men controlled the mighty railways of India. The board comprised the Chief Commissioner, a Financial Commissioner and three Members, one responsible for Way and Works, Projects and Stores one for General Administration and Staff and one for Traffic, Transportation & Commercial matters. It was the railways that kept the Indian Empire working efficiently and effectively, and it was important therefore, that membership of the Board was the preserve of the brightest and best. All the Britishers on the Board were members of the Indian Civil Service, which was an exclusive institute. Frank D'Souza was not an ICS person or a College Graduate at the time, but was brilliant.

At the time of Partition, Frank D'Souza opted for India and because of the Evacuee Property Law, which was established by both India and Pakistan, he lost his large property 'Maryville' in Karachi, Pakistan. However, Pakistan urgently needed the services of someone to set up the Railway system there and decided the only man who could help in this direction was Frank D'Souza, so in 1947 Mr. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Founder and the First Governor-General of Pakistan specifically requested Frank D'Souza to help in setting up the Pakistan railway system. Frank agreed, but on the condition that his home 'Maryville' be returned to him. Jinnah and the Government of Pakistan agreed.

On completion of his job in Pakistan, Frank returned to India and gave his beautiful house in Karachi to an order of nuns, the Sisters of Mercy, to be used as a home for the aged. Subsequently one of Frank D'Souza's son's, Ronald - a Catholic Priest who worked in Lahore - lived the last few years of his life at the home.

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