1. Dudley Senanayake, who was educated at S Thomas' College and at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, qualified as a barrister before entering national politics in 1936 when he was elected to the State Council and succeeded his father as minister of agriculture and lands in 1946.
Dudley Senanayake served in his father's cabinet as minister of agriculture and lands from 1947 to 1952.
Senanayake, Dudley Senanayake succeeded his father as the second prime minister of Ceylon.
Dudley Senanayake resigned shortly after the Hartal 1953 on health grounds and was succeeded by his cousin Colonel Sir John Kotelawala.
Dudley Senanayake returned to active politics in 1957, and led his party, the United National Party, to a short-lived administration in 1960.
Dudley Senanayake formed a national government in 1965 and served his third term as prime minister until 1970 during which time he initiated planning for the most ambitious construction projects in Sri Lanka, that of the Mahaweli Development programme.
Dudley Senanayake was born on 19 June 1911 to the wealthy Senanayake family, which was at the time becoming active in local colonial-era politics.
Dudley Senanayake's parents were Don Stephen Senanayake and Molly Dunuwila.
Dudley Senanayake was the eldest in the family with a younger brother Robert.
Senanayake took over his role in the local politics, becoming a legislator and eventually leading the island's independence movement and becoming the first prime minister of Ceylon and founder of the United National Party, which is still one of the main political parties in Sri Lanka and of which Dudley would become a lifelong member.
Dudley Senanayake grew up in the comfortable family home Woodlands, but was greatly affected by the events of the 1915 riots when his father was arrested by Punjabi soldiers.
Dudley Senanayake once attended Visakha Vidyalaya, though the exact duration is not confirmed.
Dudley Senanayake became the Head Prefect, captained the college team at cricket at the Royal-Thomian and gained colours in hockey, boxing, and athletics.
Dudley Senanayake won the Victoria Gold Medal for the most outstanding student at S Thomas'.
Dudley Senanayake then went on to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge to read for Natural Science Tripos and after graduation gained admission to the Middle Temple as a barrister.
Dudley Senanayake was elected from the Dedigama electorate in 1936 to the State Council, while his father was Minister of Agriculture and served as a back-bencher for ten years.
Dudley Senanayake resigned from the congress because he disagreed with its revised aim of achieving complete independence from the British Empire, preferring Dominion status and its inclusion of Marxists.
Dudley Senanayake, who became the first prime minister of Ceylon in 1947.
Dudley Senanayake continued many of the agricultural projects he started in his first year and started the ambitious Gal Oya Project, which provided water for the cultivation of over 120,000 acres.
Dudley Senanayake initiated a guaranteed price scheme for paddy and farmers.
Dudley Senanayake was still serving as agriculture minister when his father died unexpectedly.
Four days later, on 26 March 1952, to the surprise of many, Dudley Senanayake was chosen as prime minister by the Governor-General Lord Soulbury over his cousin Sir John Kotelawala.
Dudley Senanayake called a general election, which the UNP won.
Dudley Senanayake returned to politics in 1957 when the UNP lost elections and was appointed President of the UNP.
In March 1960, the UNP managed to form a government after elections and Senanayake became prime minister again, but the coalition fragmented and Dudley resigned as prime minister after only four months in office after new elections were held, in which the UNP won fewer seats.
Dudley Senanayake became the leader of the opposition and helped force early elections in 1965 by persuading 14 supporters of Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike to defect.
Dudley Senanayake was able to form a government following the 1965 elections and served his longest term as prime minister from March 1965 to May 1970.
Dudley Senanayake had narrowly missed an assassination attempt on 23 March 1965 when a bomb was thrown into Esmond Wickremesinghe's house moments after Senanayake had left the premises while negotiations were underway to form a government.
Dudley Senanayake established the Poya holiday, the day of Buddhist sabbath, and rendered formal recognition for the Mahanayaka theros.
Dudley Senanayake undertook many educational reforms, expanding vocation education by setting up the Ceylon College of Technology, Katubedda in 1966 and six Junior University Colleges in 1969.
Dudley Senanayake paid a private visit to the United States for treatment at Walter Reed Hospital, during which time he met President Lyndon Johnson, who informed him that no large-scale aid would be provided by the United States to Ceylon.
Dudley Senanayake stopped off at London but was forced to return to Ceylon following rumors of his impending death.
Dudley Senanayake's government has been credited with restoring the Sri Lankan economy.
Dudley Senanayake initiated planning for the most ambitious construction projects in Sri Lanka, that of the Mahaweli Development programme.
Dudley Senanayake's administration initiated the expansion of the tourist industry, which in later years became a major source of foreign exchange and employment in Sri Lanka.
Dudley Senanayake retained his Dedigama seat in the election, which was one of the few rural seats won by the UNP in the election.
Dudley Senanayake died aged 61 while being member of parliament for Dedigama on 13 April 1973 due to a heart ailment.
Dudley Senanayake is respected by most Sri Lankans as a statesman of simplicity, democratic toleration, and moderation.
Dudley Senanayake is remembered for carrying forward his father's legacy, especially in the areas of agricultural reforms and large-scale projects, introducing his own, and initiating more such as the Mahaweli development programme.
Statues of Dudley Senanayake have been erected in many parts of the island, including one at the Old Parliament Building, Colombo and many schools, libraries, and public buildings have been named in his honor.
Dudley Senanayake's funeral took place at Independence Square, where JR Jayewardene, delivering a moving speech, ended it by saying "Good night sweet Prince".