Sri Lanka Sikhamani Thamotharam Somasekaram (22 September 1934 – 11 March 2010) was a leading Sri Lankan Tamil geographer and Surveyor General.
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 |
Early life and family
editSomasekaram 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]
Career
editAfter 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]
Later life
editSomasekaram wrote a number of books after retirement.[4] Among them are: Surveying Stories,[10] and Arjuna's A-Z Street Guide.[11]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Fitzwilliam Journal 2012" (PDF). Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 May 2014.
- ^ Somasekaram, T. (23 March 2004). "Memorial for IPKF". The Island (Sri Lanka).
- ^ Somasekaram, T. (6 April 2002). "Reconditioning the public service". Daily News (Sri Lanka). Archived from the original on 22 December 2004.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Mahaarachchi, R. (16 May 2010). "Mapping the life of a fine man and outstanding Surveyor General". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka).
- ^ a b "258th Commencement" (PDF). Ohio State University. Autumn 1976. p. 11.
- ^ "Dr.T.Somasekaram former Surveyor General of Sri Lanka and Jaffna Hindu College Oldboy passed away". Tamil Sydney. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016.
- ^ a b "Obituaries". Daily News (Sri Lanka). 12 March 2010. Archived from the original on 15 March 2010.
- ^ "History". Department of Survey (Sri Lanka). Archived from the original on 16 April 2014.
- ^ "About SISL". The Surveyors' Institute of Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 5 August 2013.
- ^ Somasekaram, T (January 2001). Surveying Stories. Dehiwela, Sri Lanka: Arjuna Consulting Co. Ltd (published 2001). ISBN 955-9276-05-0.
- ^ Somasekaram, T (2000). Arjuna's A-Z Street Guide (2nd ed.). Dehiwela, Sri Lanka: Arjuna Consulting Co. Ltd. ISBN 955-9276-00-X.