Dr. Manuel A. Thangaraj (11 Jul 1918 - 26 Dec 2003) had a long and illustrious career in the field of Education, starting off as a lecturer at Madras Christian College, Chennai, in 1939. In 1942 he won the prestigious Vincent Massey scholarship for pursuing a doctoral degree at the University of Toronto, but had to wait till the end of WWII before he could travel to Canada. Along the way he competed for and won the coveted Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University in 1945. After completing his
Ph .D in Physics at the University of Toronto in 1948 he was appointed Professor and Head of the Department of Physics at Madras Christian College, a position he held until 1967 when he took
up the Principalship of the American College in Madurai, Tamilnadu. While at American College he founded ANBAGAM in 1970 along with his wife, Mrs. Mary Thangaraj. After retiring from American College in 1979, Dr. Thangaraj took on the strenuous assignment of General Secretary, All India Association for Christian Higher Education, in New Delhi, until 1982. He served in an honorary capacity on several prestigious academic bodies, including Chairman of the Governing Board, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, Tamilnadu (1971-78), Member of the Board of Governors, St. Stephen's College, New Delhi (1979-82), Member of the Governing Board, Union Christian College, Batala, Punjab (1979-82), Honorary Treasurer, Diocese of Madurai and Ramnad (1982-85), Honorary Director, Christian Mission Hospital, Madurai, Tamilnadu (1982-85), Member of the Governing Board, International School, Kodaikanal, Tamilnadu (1985-97), Member of the Governing Board, Lady Doak College, Madurai, Tamilnadu (1986-99), Chairman, India Program, United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia (1991-97), Member of the Governing Council, The American College, Madurai, Tamilnadu (1997-2003), Chairman of the Governing Board, Lady Doak College, Madurai, Tamilnadu (1999-2003), Honorary Director, SBT Teachers' Training College, Madurai, Tamilnadu (1990-2003).
Dr. Thangaraj leveraged his experience in the field of education to make the American College the first
autonomous college in India and pioneered the development of autonomous colleges all over India, for which he received the National Pioneer Award for Educational Innovation from the All India Association for Christian Higher Education, New Delhi, in 2000, and was informally known as the Father of College Autonomy in India.
Dr. Thangaraj found time to write several books in his field, including a textbook in English on Modern Physics (1961) and several books in Tamil: Life-Giving Sun (1963), Rays Visible and Invisible (1965), Energy From The Atom (1968), Space Travel (1968), Conquest of Space (1973) and Electronics (1979). His book on College Autonomy could not be completed since the briefcase containing source documents and handwritten manuscripts was stolen at Frankfurt Airport.
Dr. Thangaraj's life truly reflects Matthew 5:13,14,16: "You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. Let your light so shine before others that they may see the good you do and praise your Father in heaven". He was an educator, author, scientist and philanthropist, and a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle. He served the Lord through protecting God's children. His love and devotion will never be forgotten.
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