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{{Infobox person
|name = William Gopallawa
|image =
|birth_date = September 17, 1897
|birth_place = Matale, Sri Lanka
|death_date = January 31, 1981
|death_place = Colombo, Sri Lanka
|occupation = President of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), General of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka)
|spouse = Seelawathie Gopallawa
|children = Five
}}
'''William Gopallawa '''(17 September 1897 - 31 January 1981) was the first [[President]] of [[Sri Lanka]]. He was the last [[Governor-general|Governor-General]] of Ceylon from 1962 to 1972 before [[independence]] from the [[British Empire|United Kingdom]]. Gopallawa was the 1st President of Sri Lanka from 1972 to1978. After his presidency, the next president was [[J. R. Jayewardene]]. <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121008115945/http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/01/30/fea02.asp  First President of the Republic of Sri Lanka]</ref>

He represented an era where politics was conducted with a dignified aura and he had a reputation as being a man of [[integrity]] and humility. He served as Governor-General during  different governments headed by the SLFP led regime of [[Sirimavo Bandaranaike]] and the [[United National Party]] led regime of [[Dudley Senanayak]]<nowiki/>e. He upheld the law and the [[constitution]] to the letter and won respect and admiration of all political parties. William Gopallawa was born on 17 September 1897 at the Dullewe Maha Walauwa, Dullewe in the [[Matale District]] of Ceylon. He is related to Dullewe Dissava, a signatory on behalf of the Sinhalese to the [[Kandiyan Convention]] of 1815

==References==

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gopallawa, William}}
[[Category:1897 births]]
[[Category:1981 deaths]]
[[Category:Governors-General of Ceylon]]
[[Category:Presidents of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan generals]]


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