V.T. Srinivasan

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Narasipur Suryanarayana <nvsuryan@yahoo.com>	8/17/11
to me

Hello Sri Srinivasan:

I read your short note on your father, the late V.T. Srinivasan. I am one of the students fortunate to have him as my teacher in both Bangalore High School (1944-1946) and Vijaya College (1946-1948).

Your father was probably the best teacher that I had. I remember his teaching Treasure Island - a rather difficult book for an Indian student to follow. But he made it so interesting and easy, almost acting the part of Long John Silver. He also taught Julius Cease in Vijaya College and thanks to him, I am still able to recite quite a few parts from that play.

We lived very close to his house in Sannidhi Road from 1944 - 1950. I remember he was close to the Late T.P. Kailasam, who (if my memory serves me right) died in his house.

If you have the time and inclination to reply to this message, I shall look forward to it. Maybe we can meet sometime later when I plan to visit Bangalore for a few days in December, 2011 and a few days in May, 2012.

With best wishes,
Suryanarayana
N.V. Suryanarayana, B.E. (Mysore University). M.S. (Columbia University), Ph.D. (The University of Michigan)

Professor Emeritus, Michigan Technological University

Phone: 315 446 7424

KRS Murthy	4:42 AM (10 hours ago)
to me

Dear Mr. VT Venkataraman avare:

Thanks for sharing.

Every word of his letter applies to all students of the legendary Prof. VTS. 

As you know, Prof. VTS held two department head positions: Mathematics and English, in addition to the Principal and BOD of Vijaya College.

Prof. VTS was even more famous as a professor of English, as he really acted all the roles and dialogues. Especially when drama is taught, acting is the best to impart the full essence and soul of the drama. Prof. VTS was also famous in Shankariah Hall Lectures.

While other professors of colleges were good, Prof. VTS also put his heart soul in his teaching. I have seen the same skills in Prof. VTB also. I am the only one who knew her greatness.

I am probably the only one graced by Prof. VT Bhuvaneshwari when she used to act the My Fair Lady drama by George Bernard Shaw, when she was in her in-laws house and also when she lived for some years separately in Jayanagar. She has many times opened her heart to me with her wish to be the My Fair Lady herself. I was the only admiring spectator, which distinction I could never pay back all my life. Sometimes, she wanted me to play the other roles. She was full life. I daily wish if Prof. VTB were alive even today and in Silicon Valley, California. 

You may read about me in the links below:

Dr. KRS Murthy

http://i3World.US

http://UdayaShree.Com

http://murthyexpertise.blogspot.com/

http://famouskeynote.blogspot.com/

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(408)-464-3333

ICubed.Murthy@Gmail.Com

BigDataExpert@Gmail.Com
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Skype: drkrsmurthy

Aswath Kumar

10:32pm Aug 25

,2014

GREAT MAN HE WAS AS A PRINCIPAL, VERY STUBBORN, HE NEVER BOWED TO THE PRESSURE OF GANGS

H.S.Subbaramaiah It is really sad such a papular person of his time has not been considered by his own founded institution. I studied in Vijaya Collage between the years 1960 to 1963. I even to today remember his spirit in while giving Lectures on Trigonometry and Pure Geometry. The way he described pure Geometry is even to today is in memory. He introduced pure Geometry that the students should be very attentive to understand pure geometry as it is like finding a dark object in a dark room which is not there! While explaining about a point he said it is like understanding God himself and quoted the sloka Anurenu Annurashya Mahadenu mahadashya from upanishad. He used to become one with the students while teaching mathematics in the class room. He used to take interest in the welfare of each student.

DR. H. NARASIMHAIAH

Dr. H. Narasimhaiah (Hosur Narasimhaiah, 6 June 1921 — 31 January 2005) was a physicist , educator , freedom fighter and rationalist from Karnataka , India . He was popularly known as HN. He was conferred "Padma Bhushan" by Government of India in 1985.

EARLY LIFE

He was born in Hossur , a village near Gauribidanur in Karnataka , India. His parents were poor, illiterate and belonged to a disadvantaged caste. Upon completion of elementary education, he left for Bangalore where he joined the National High School, Basavanagudi , in 1935.

He received his B. Sc. (Honors) and Master's degree in Physics with first class from Central College of Bangalore (1946). The same year Narasimhaiah started his academic career as a lecturer in National College, Bangalore .

He taught from 1946 until 1957 when he proceeded to Columbus, Ohio to get his PhD degree in Nuclear physics from Ohio State University (1960). During 1961-72 he led National College, Basavanagudi, Bangalore, as its principal. During 1967-68, as a Fulbright Scholar , Dr. Narasimhaiah taught as a Visiting Professor at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Illinois. In 1962, he founded the Bangalore Science Forum , which conducts a weekly series of public lectures on science topics.

As the Vice-Chancellor of the Bangalore University from 1973–77, he introduced psychology, social work, drama, music and dance as subjects. He went on to serve the State Legislative Assembly; and in 1984, received the Padma Bhushan from the Indian Government. At the time of his death on January 31, 2005, Dr. Narasimhaiah was the President of the National Education Society.

CONTRIBUTIONS

Narasimhaiah had interactions with Mahatma Gandhi and translated Mahatma Gandhi's Hindi speech into Kannada, when the latter visited the National High School.

He published a collection of essays entitled "Tereda Mana" (Open Mind) and an auto-biography named "Horaatada Haadi", (The Path of Struggle) which were awarded sahitya academy book prizes.

“Do not accept anything without questioning” was his motto in life. Keeping with this, his office was adorned with a quotation of Albert Einstein on the wall “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds” and a question mark-signifying a spirit of inquiry. He was an atheist. Prof.V.T.Srinivasan, the then Principal of Vijaya college, Bangalore was a staunch believer in God and both used to advocate their faith through letters in the Deccan Herald daily.In spite of this they were close friends.

After he returned to National College with his doctorate degree from the US, with the help of friends from NAL, IISc., and elsewhere he started The Bangalore Science Forum. This non-profit organisation has already conducted more than 1,800 popular science lectures by eminent scientists and over 525 popular science films so far.

During his tenure as Vice-Chancellor , he constituted and chaired The Committee to Investigate Miracles and Other Verifiable Superstitions , to scientifically investigate claims of miracles and paranormal phenomena. The committee challenged the claims of Sathya Sai Baba , one of the most prominent godmen of India, who said that he could materialize holy ash and gold chain from nothing. A public controversy ensued, causing some of the godman's followers to desert him. The committee was also involved in a controversy with Sai Krishna of Pandavapura (a tiny village near Mysore ), a mini-avatar and an alleged protégé of Sathya Sai Baba. See allegations against Sathya Sai Baba . In 1983, he was elected the President of Indian Rationalist Association. A Hindu by birth, Narasimhaiah often refused to follow religious beliefs blindly. He refused to tonsure his head when his father died and more famously, ate food during a solar eclipse to show it does not cause indigestion, a reason for which some Hindus go on fasting .

AWARDS

Dr. H.Narasimhaiah was conferred the Padma Bhushan , one of the top civilian awards instituted by Government of India for his services in the field of education in 1985. He received the Tamrapatra award for his participation in the Indian Freedom Struggle. For his contribution to the popularisation of science he won the Sir M. Vishweshwaraiah Award. He was also the only Indian Fellow of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP International), set up by Paul Kurtz in the USA.

http://www.nationalcollegebagepalli.org/our-inspirer.php