This oration has been instituted by CMC, Vellore in memory of Rev. Dr. John Scudder I, the first American medical missionary to serve in Ceylon and in India as a witness to the healing ministry of Jesus Christ and grandfather of Dr. Ida Sophia Scudder. By the pouring out of his life in the service of others, he has inspired countless others to follow in his footsteps.
Through this oration, Christian Medical College, Vellore seeks to honour healthcare professionals who have spent a lifetime fulfilling the mission of Jesus Christ, that it may inspire in the listener, a desire to follow in the footsteps of our Lord, serving one another in love.

When he shared this call with his wife Harriet, she unreservedly responded by saying, “Where thou goest, I will go.” But his father, Joseph Scudder, a reputed lawyer, in his anger, disinherited him for venturing out on this “mad project”.  Despite this, on June 8, 1819, Dr. John Scudder, then 26 years old, boarded the ship Brig Indus along with his wife and daughter Maria from Boston’s Fulton St. Dock to embark on a journey that would significantly alter the eternal destiny of many lives in this part of the world. The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Mission was sending forth probably the world’s first medical missionary. 

Dr. John Scudder established his first dispensary in Panditeripo. After 18 years in Jaffna, which formed his second missionary journey, in 1836, he was transferred to Madras, where he began his third missionary journey.Preaching was his first calling. Each morning, when patients gathered in his clinic, he always started by preaching the Gospel and then would provide his medicines. Distributing tracts both written by hand on ‘olai’ (palm leaf) or printed materials was the principal means of his ministry. 

Did Rev. Dr. John Scudder ever dream about a mission venture in Vellore? He beautifully described his experience standing on the top of Vellore’s Fort Hill on September 25, 1824. “The view of the plain from this mountain is most charming. I had a most commanding sight of the whole city. It is very large. I also had an excellent view of the villages in the vicinity of Vellore. The tops of trees, which appeared at a distance; the paddy fields, in perfect green or yellow; the white bed of the river, which is nearly dry; the shades cast over a part of the plain by the passing cloud, while the full sunshine was on other parts of them; the fort, with its surrounding water and so forth, presented a scene which beggars all description. Vellore is not entirely surrounded by mountains, but you would be led to make such a supposition had you been where I was. Vellore is an excellent place for missionary labour. It needs a dozen of labourers …” Probably it was this vision that gave rise to CMC and the college song, “Girded round by her strong ageless mountains…

A century later his granddaughter (Dr. Ida Scudder) went on to fulfil that dream.  More importantly, over 40 of his descendants then went on to contribute over a thousand years (1074 years) in serving Christ in India. 

Significant contributions of John & Harriet Scudder include CMC Vellore, Scudder Memorial Hospital at Ranipet, Voorhees College, Tindivanam High School, a vital role in the formation of the Church of South India, publishing scriptural literature in the local languages, translation of scriptures, Ladies Seminary at Chittoor, Palmaner lace making unit, and an elaborate organization of schools.

As a busy medical practitioner in New York, he had a thriving practice. While visiting a Christian patient, he found a tract lying on the table with a call to go to missions “The conversion of the World or the claims of six hundred million.” He borrowed it. Read and reread it. The message penetrated deep into his soul. His first response was that someone should respond and to the call. Almost in an unexpected lightening flash the call appeared to be directed at him. “Come over and help us.”