Dr. A. L. Mudaliar addresses the audience, 1962

< Back

Administrators , Inaugurations

This photograph was taken during the inauguration of the Open Air Theatre (OAT) which coincided with the foundation stone laying ceremony of IIT Madras.

Dr. A. L. Mudaliar (Chairman, Board of Governors) talked about the accomplishments that IIT Madras was able to achieve including the status it earned as an 'Institution of National Importance' under an Act of Parliament passed in 1961. He also thanked the Federal Republic of Germany, the Government of India and the Government of Madras for their co-operation. He mentioned "We deem this institution as one of the most important and fruitful of the Indo-German Projects in this country."

Dr. A. L. Mudaliar completed his education from Madras Christian College, after which he joined Madras Medical College to study medicine. He served as the first Indian principal of Madras Medical College in 1939, after having completed his specialisation in obstetrics and gynaecology (O&G). He later served as Vice Chancellor of Madras University for a period of 27 years. He was also the Deputy Leader of the Indian delegation to the First World Health Assembly in Geneva in 1948. Following this, Mudaliar was elected as the chairman of the World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board in 1949 and 1950. Apart from this, Mudaliar was knighted in the 1945 New Year Honours. In 1954, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan in 1963.

An identical photograph can be found in the Gourishankar Collection in Album 0259 under the ID: 001/0259/IMG_0339

Album 0003

Collection:

Central Photographic Section Collection

Album Name:

Visit of h. c. Heinrich Luebke, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, 1962

Photograph ID:

001/0003/IMG_0154_1

Album ID:

0003

Date:

3 December 1962

Place:

Open Air Theatre (OAT)

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