Ravenshaw College (now Ravenshaw University) is located in Cuttack, India. The college was established in 1868 for Thomas Edward Ravenshaw, a descendant of William Withers. Thomas and his wife, Mary Susannah Symonds Ravenshaw, were residents of India and were successful in the Indian Political Service.
After the great famine of 1866, the people of Odisha and few liberal Britons wanted to start a college at Cuttack. Thomas Edward Ravenshaw, Officiating Commissioner of Odisha Division finally made the Government of Bengal realise the difficulties of Oriya students in getting College education and succeeded in obtaining permission to start collegiate classes in the Cuttack Zilla School. Thus the first College in Odisha was born in January 1868 with only intermediate classes and having six students on roll.