Prof. R. Natarajan addresses the audience at the foundation stone laying ceremony, 1962

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Institute Events , Administrators

R. Natarajan, the first Registrar of IIT Madras, is one of the key figures who played a significant role in the inception of the Institute during the initial stages. He served as the Registrar from 1959 to 1965. Known for his “genial and smiling countenance”, as M. Vikram Rao puts it in his article in a 1963 edition of Campastimes, Natarajan was a keen administrator of the Institute. Known for his love for cricket, as his articles in the publications so blatantly depict, his gift for writing complemented his love for willow and leather. Some of his articles-- My Team to Mars, The Panther from Baroda, The Royal Tiger from Pataudi, The Marvel from Mangalore and The Mantle of Mankad-- are literary masterpieces, rich in alliteration and dauntless description, lined with a gripping narrative. Whether he is talking about “Hall gathering a harrowing harvest of Indian wickets”, or “Pataudi’s bludgeoning blade…studded with shots scintillating like shooting stars”, Natarajan managed to keep his readers engaged to the very last ball of the match he was describing.

Collection:

Gourishankar Collection

Album Name:

Visit of the German President and Buildings of IIT Madras, 1962

Photograph ID:

001/0259/IMG_0349

Album ID:

0259

Photographer:

C. Gourishankar (1936-2002). A geologist by qualification, Gourishankar started his career as a photographer after working for many years with the Geological Survey of India. In everything that he did, Gourishankar strove to achieve flawlessness and impeccable quality. Thus his photography too was characterised by this drive for perfection. Every photograph that Gourishankar took was meticulously planned and shot and printed with diligence and patience. Gourishankar carried out most of the official photography at IIT Madras in the 1960s.

Event:

Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony

Place:

Open Air Theatre (OAT)

Date:

3 December 1962