LET US ALL REMEMBER THEM ............

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Dear Prof.V.S.,

I appreciate your vast memory of our campus

I appreciate for bringing out so many important names of our campus.

I very much appreciate for bringing the history of our college through this article.

It reminds me that so many who served / worked / studied in this campus loved the college so much dearly and passionately in its long run. 

Long live the college.(though it has lost its glamour now, that's what i personally feel.)

.with lovely memories of my life in the campus.........Dharumi

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Many buildings in American College have names named after persons associated with the College. Washburn Hall, Wallace Hall, Zumbro Hall are named after first three Principals of the College. Binghamton Hall named after the parish that contributed money to build that building in memory of Principal Zumbro . James Hall named after the donor Ellen M James. Only building named after a lady as on date. Dudley Hall, Stoffer Hall, Daniel Poor Memorial Library, Jubilee Chapel, Flint House. Oberlin Shansi building are other buildings that carry their respective name each with a special reason.

Recently the Principal of the College has given the name Paul Love Hall to the new building behind Oberlin Shansi building and Richard P Riesz Hall for the hostel of Jeevana Jyothi program. This obscure building not easily visible to many visitors of the College is located behind James Hall..

Why not use this occasion to name the other nameless buildings in the College?.

Professor James M Hess a missionary of the mission that founded the college was a Professor of English for many years, a great teacher. It seems he and his wife used to appear in costumes and enact the different scenes of Shakespeare's plays as he was teaching the plays. He retired in 1952. His name will be very appropriate for the building now known as centenary hall that houses the P G English Department at present.

Professor Lockwood a Professor of Mathematics had served the College died in Madurai. One of his sons was an Oberlin rep for a few years and another  son was associated with the College as a member of the Governing Council for many years. The building that now houses Mathematics department could be given his name. His portrait used to exist in that department for several years.

Rev Telfer Mook was associated with the parent mission was responsible for the transfer of some funds off the College from USA to India using which the shops and offices in front of the College were built. His name could be appropriate for that building that is a constant source of income for the College. The Indian Bank building could be named after another missionary Rev Paul R Dettman, a Bursar of the College for many years.

Miss A J Moses was the only lady lecturer/professor in the College for several years. In the early days of her service that was a requirement of the University that there should be at least one lady staff when there were lady students. She was also the warden of the women's' hostel of the College for many years. That building could be appropriately named A J Moses Hall

The College auditorium has an interesting history. It was a building built with a government grant with the agreement that part of the labor for construction to be from voluntary labor of Staff and Students of the College. The building was achieved amidst some discomfort. When the building was completed the them famous actor Sivaji Ganesan was invited to open that building. He did it and promised a lump some grant towards the construction. That however did not happen. The Auditorium that was to be named after him remained auditorium only. Our Professor Vasanthan well known dramatist had staged many plays in the Auditorium. He is a great teacher of Shakespeare as well. Will not Vasanthan's name be appropriate for Auditorium?

There is abuilding known as NRSC (Non resident Student Center) that houses Tamil department. Prof. Karmega Konar was a legendary professor of Tamil of the College for many years. Will not his name appropriate for that building?

The Humanities Hall has a history. It was built immediately after the second World War. Cement and Steel were scarce commodities. Yet the building was successfully built with Professor Ranjitham's contacts in Madras Government of those days and some donations raised locally and acknowledged with tablets in each room. There were a few attempts made to name the Hall after Ranjitham. But it was not acceptable due to some politics of those days. Ranjitham was a great nationalist. He supported the students of American College joning the freedom movement in the pre independence days. Can we not honor that building by naming it Ranjithaam Hall as a tribute to the great leader (congress man) of those days?

The indoor games building also could have a name. I would suggest the name of the first Physical Director of the College who retired as Professor of Physical Education -  . John Santiago Edward.

I will be happiest man is the PG Physica Annex is named after Dr. R P Riesz. 

Thanks a lot for your patience. 

Srinivasan 

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Is it enough?

- I think it isn’t. Please read the following document and respond.

The administration of The American College, Madurai has recently given a name to a building that has been in existence for a few years. That building will from now on be known as Richard P Riesz Hall. It was built in the space between the James Hall and the southern compound wall of the college as hostel for the residents of a program called Jeevan Jyothi . The building will not be easily visible to anyone who walks through the campus unless one enters the central corridor of James Hall. The JJ program was created by Dr. Riesz through his efforts and financial aid from an external Church related agency to give persons with disabilities computer education and training to make them employable. No doubt it is an honor to Prof. R P Riesz the building is given his name. Probably this is the first time in the history of the College a building has been named after a living person. There rise a question. Does this honor Dr R P Riesz’s work in the College adequately? A related question does this program exist at present? Is the building used at present? I was there on 30^th April this year and there was no visible indication that it was in use.

Dr. Riesz had served the College as the Professor and Head of the Post Graduate Physics Department for nearly three decades. He was responsible for creating the department and for all the improvements made in Physics Education in the College, in the Madurai Kamaraj University and the impact made in other parts of the country as well. If the intention of the College is to honor Dr. Riesz t it should be more for his work for betterment of Physics Education and the College should have given his name to the P G Physics annex of James Hall. One should also remember the pioneering work he had done as Dean of Academic Affairs of the College during the early years of College Autonomy.

Let us look back into the history of P G Physics Annex. For a long time post graduate education in Sciences was confined to larger cities like Chennai. During the second five year plan period the Government of India had decided to extend post graduate education to smaller cities like Madurai and offered liberal grants. The College took advantage of this and got the PG Chemistry and PG Zoology program and the building now known as Stoffer Hall was built.

 When the College was ready to start PG Physics the second five year plan period was over and the country had entered the third five year plan period. During this period the grant for buildings was reduced and the College had to economize on the building. So instead of an independent PG Physics building it was decided to build an annex for the James sharing the stair way of James Hall and connecting the two buildings in the first floor through what is known as the Japanese bridge, a new idea at that time so that the college could start PG Physics with the reduced grants. Cutting out the usual verandah spaces found in all the other buildings in the college also helped. Dr. Riesz came as a missionary supported by the parent mission in USA that had founded the College. The annex was expanded to include workshops and research spaces with a different government grant..

I think the PG Physics annex with all the additions made to that building should be called Richard P Riesz Hall. Where to write the new name could be raised by some persons. On the Japanese bridge of course will be my answer. The name of Applied Science is written there at present. Removing that name and writing the new name in that place will not be objected by any one. The DAS also has ceased to exist.

If you feel I am correct please forward this letter to the Principal of the college with a strong recommendation that Dr. Riesz’s name should be associated with PG Physics annex also. Also please send the mail to all P G Physics students and friends of the college you may know and request them also to do the same. Thanks.

V. Srinivasan, Student of the college 1951-55, Lecturer in Physics 1959-74, Head of UG Physics Department 1974-88, Head PG Physics Department 1988-94, remaining as a friend of the college after retirement now settled in Thane, Maharashtra

14/52 Vijay Vilas, G B Road, Thane West 400615,

  srinivasan1936@dataone.in  Mobile 9819595097. 

Mail address of American College americancollege@eth.net 

 Phone 0452 2530070.

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