T. Somasekaram

Sri Lanka Sikhamani Thamotharam Somasekaram (22 September 1934 – 11 March 2010) was a leading Sri Lankan Tamil geographer and Surveyor General.

Sri Lanka Sikhamani

Thamotharam Somasekaram

FRGS
37th Surveyor General of Sri Lanka
In office
1991–1992
Preceded byE. M. Perera
Succeeded byS. Berugoda
Personal details
Born(1934-09-22)22 September 1934
Died11 March 2010(2010-03-11) (aged 75)
Alma materJaffna Hindu College
University of Ceylon
Fitzwilliam College
Ohio State University
ProfessionSurveyor
EthnicitySri Lankan Tamil

Early life and family

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]

Career

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]

Later life

Somasekaram wrote a number of books after retirement.[4] He died on 11 March 2010.[1][7]

gollark: I'm not sure if that includes actually having the display be on, though.
gollark: They say 5 days or so with good software.
gollark: It's not much costlier than a normal watch, and is cooler.
gollark: Plus, inevitably, shipping and whatnot. I'm in the UK, so getting hold of much of this sort of thing seems quite hard.
gollark: Apparently.

References
  1. "Fitzwilliam Journal 2012" (PDF). Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-05-12.
  2. Somasekaram, T. (23 March 2004). "Memorial for IPKF". The Island (Sri Lanka).
  3. Somasekaram, T. (6 April 2002). "Reconditioning the public service". Daily News (Sri Lanka). Archived from the original on 22 December 2004.
  4. Mahaarachchi, R. (16 May 2010). "Mapping the life of a fine man and outstanding Surveyor General". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka).
  5. "258th Commencement" (PDF). Ohio State University. Autumn 1976. p. 11.
  6. "Dr.T.Somasekaram former Surveyor General of Sri Lanka and Jaffna Hindu College Oldboy passed away". Tamil Sydney. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05.
  7. "Obituaries". Daily News (Sri Lanka). 12 March 2010. Archived from the original on 15 March 2010.
  8. "History". Department of Survey (Sri Lanka). Archived from the original on 2014-04-16.
  9. "About SISL". The Surveyors' Institute of Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 2013-08-05.
Government offices
Preceded by
E. M. Perera		 Surveyor General of Sri Lanka
1991–1992		 Succeeded by
S. Berugoda
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