Marcian James

Brother Marcian James (30 August 1868 – 2 September 1938), also known as James Marcian and Marcian James Cullen, was an Irish educator and Catholic missionary who served as the Brother Director of St. Xavier's Institution in Penang from 1912 to 1915 and again in 1917, of St Joseph's College in Hong Kong from 1921 to 1922, of St. Joseph's Institution in Singapore from 1922 to 1927, of De La Salle College in Manila from 1933 to 1936, and of St. Michael's Institution in Ipoh in 1938. He wrote the lyrics to the school songs for several Lasallian institutions, including four of the five aforementioned.

Early life and education James was born on 30 August 1868 in the village of Emo in what was then Queen's County, Ireland. He was the son of James Cullen. He joined the De La Salle Christian Brothers in his youth, receiving his education in Ireland and France.

Career James was first posted to the De La Salle Teachers Training College in Waterford as the Assistant Master. In 1903, he was posted to the Far East, serving in Colombo and Penang. He held the positions "with great distinction". In 1912, he was appointed the institution's Brother Director, succeeding Brother Marius James Byrne. By August 1916, he was the president of the Selangor Catholic Club's Literary Association. He again served as the headmaster of St. Xavier's Institution for a brief period around August 1917. As headmaster, he was regarded as a "zealous worker and an experienced educationalist." In the late 1910s, he was the Director of the St. Joseph's Novitiate in Pulau Tikus, Penang. In September 1919, he stepped down from the novitiate and left for Europe as he had been in "indifferent health".

James was then posted to Hong Kong to serve as the Brother Director of the St Joseph's College (SJC), Under his leadership, the school performed well academically and in athletics, winning the local Schools Football League. He stepped down from the post on 1 February 1922 as he was to be transferred to the St. Joseph's Institution (SJI) in Singapore. However, the latter would not ultimately return to the post and James officially assumed the position instead. As headmaster, he revived an old Lasallian practice which required each class standing up every half an hour. The hall monitor would say: "Remember that we are in the Holy Presence of God." The rest of the class would respond with a "Hail Mary". The practice was again discontinued in the 1950s, though it continued to "[survive] tenuously". He founded the school's cadet corps. Under his tenure, the school performed well in athletics. According to The Straits Budget, he "did much to encourage the Boy Scout movement" in Singapore. In May 1927, James announced that he would be retiring from the post. A farewell was held on 4 May, shortly before his departure. He was succeeded at SJI by Stephen Buckley, who had previously served as the school's director. Sometime in this period, he returned to Queen's County, Ireland to teach at the Novitiate in Castletown. In 1931, James acted as the Director of the St. Paul's Institution in Seremban in place of Brother Barnitus Kennedy, who had been admitted to the Singapore General Hospital. After this, he returned to directing the Pulau Tikus Novitiate before leaving for Manila in 1933 to assume the post of President at De La Salle College, where he remained until 1936.

In January 1938, James arrived in Ipoh and assumed the position of Brother Director at the St. Michael's Institution, succeeding Brother Finan Ryan. As Director, he founded the Confraternity of the Infant Jesus and secured the future expansion of the school's enrollment from the local Education Department. He also initiated dual sessions at the school. He was reportedly "much loved by pupils who crowded around him especially during the times when he was in hospital." His term as Director was cut short by his death five months into the role.

At St. Joseph's College, he wrote the lyrics to the school song,

Personal life and death At the Novitiate at Pulau Tikus, James was "revered" as Novice Haster.