Thamotharam Somasekaram | |
---|---|
![]() | |
37th Surveyor General of Sri Lanka | |
In office 1991–1992 | |
Preceded by | E. M. Perera |
Succeeded by | S. Berugoda |
Personal details | |
Born | 22 September 1934 |
Died | 11 March 2010 | (aged 75)
Alma mater |
Jaffna Hindu College University of Ceylon Fitzwilliam College Ohio State University |
Profession | Surveyor |
Ethnicity | Sri Lankan Tamil |
Sri Lanka Sikhamani Thamotharam Somasekaram (22 September 1934 – 11 March 2010) was a leading Sri Lankan Tamil geographer and Surveyor General.
Somasekaram was born on 22 September 1934. [1] He was educated at the Jaffna Hindu College. [2] [3] After school he joined the University of Ceylon, Colombo from where he graduated in 1956 with a BSc degree. [1] [4] [5]
Somasekaram married Sathanithi. They had three children (Damayanthi, Jayanthi and Arjun). [6] [7]
After university Somasekaram joined the Government Survey Department as an Assistant Superintendent of Surveys. [1] [4] A year later he joined Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge in 1958 to study the Part II course in geography, which he completed in 1959. [1] On returning to Ceylon he rejoined the Survey Department. [1] [4] He became Superintendent of Surveys in 1967, Assistant Surveyor General in 1971 and Deputy Surveyor General in 1973. [1] [4] The latter position made in head of the Institute of Surveying and Mapping. [4]
Somasekaram joined the Ohio State University in 1976 on a United Nations Fellowship, graduating with an MSc in Geodesy and Cartography. [1] [4] [5]
Somasekaram became Surveyor General in 1991. [1] [8] He came up with the idea of the Sri Lankan Atlas and chaired the committee charged with creating it. [1] [4] He was awarded the Sri Lanka Sikhamani title, a Sri Lankan national honour, in 1990 for this work. [1]
Somasekaram was president of the Surveyors' Institute of Sri Lanka (1985–87) and the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science. [1] [4] [9] In 1998 he was admitted as a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and received an honorary doctorate from the University of Jaffna. [1] [4] He was vice-president of the Organisation of Professional Associations of Sri Lanka between 1985 and 1991 and a member of the Canadian Institute of Geomatics. [4]
Somasekaram wrote a number of books after retirement. [4] Among them are: Surveying Stories, [10] and Arjuna's A-Z Street Guide. [11]
He died on 11 March 2010. [1] [7]
Thamotharam Somasekaram | |
---|---|
![]() | |
37th Surveyor General of Sri Lanka | |
In office 1991–1992 | |
Preceded by | E. M. Perera |
Succeeded by | S. Berugoda |
Personal details | |
Born | 22 September 1934 |
Died | 11 March 2010 | (aged 75)
Alma mater |
Jaffna Hindu College University of Ceylon Fitzwilliam College Ohio State University |
Profession | Surveyor |
Ethnicity | Sri Lankan Tamil |
Sri Lanka Sikhamani Thamotharam Somasekaram (22 September 1934 – 11 March 2010) was a leading Sri Lankan Tamil geographer and Surveyor General.
Somasekaram was born on 22 September 1934. [1] He was educated at the Jaffna Hindu College. [2] [3] After school he joined the University of Ceylon, Colombo from where he graduated in 1956 with a BSc degree. [1] [4] [5]
Somasekaram married Sathanithi. They had three children (Damayanthi, Jayanthi and Arjun). [6] [7]
After university Somasekaram joined the Government Survey Department as an Assistant Superintendent of Surveys. [1] [4] A year later he joined Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge in 1958 to study the Part II course in geography, which he completed in 1959. [1] On returning to Ceylon he rejoined the Survey Department. [1] [4] He became Superintendent of Surveys in 1967, Assistant Surveyor General in 1971 and Deputy Surveyor General in 1973. [1] [4] The latter position made in head of the Institute of Surveying and Mapping. [4]
Somasekaram joined the Ohio State University in 1976 on a United Nations Fellowship, graduating with an MSc in Geodesy and Cartography. [1] [4] [5]
Somasekaram became Surveyor General in 1991. [1] [8] He came up with the idea of the Sri Lankan Atlas and chaired the committee charged with creating it. [1] [4] He was awarded the Sri Lanka Sikhamani title, a Sri Lankan national honour, in 1990 for this work. [1]
Somasekaram was president of the Surveyors' Institute of Sri Lanka (1985–87) and the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science. [1] [4] [9] In 1998 he was admitted as a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and received an honorary doctorate from the University of Jaffna. [1] [4] He was vice-president of the Organisation of Professional Associations of Sri Lanka between 1985 and 1991 and a member of the Canadian Institute of Geomatics. [4]
Somasekaram wrote a number of books after retirement. [4] Among them are: Surveying Stories, [10] and Arjuna's A-Z Street Guide. [11]
He died on 11 March 2010. [1] [7]