Early Life
Challiyal John Matthai, better known in India and abroad as Dr John Matthai was born on the 10th January 1886 - the 5th son of Challiyal Thomas Matthai. John Matthai had three sisters. His mother, Anna, belonged to the Thayyil family of Kottayam, a well known and respected family of Syrian Christians in central Travancore.
John Matthai married Achamma John in 1921 in the Jacobite Church in Trivandrum. Their three children, Valsa, Duleep and Ravi were born respectively in1922, 1924 and 1927.
Education
John Matthai was a distinguished student who won a number of medals during his academic career. He studied at the Basel Evangelic Mission High School, Calicut, from where he matriculated and joined the Zamorin’s College for the F.A. Intermediate examination of Madras University.
He was a brilliant student who matriculated second in the whole Presidency. He secured a first class in the F.A. examination also with a high ranking. From there he joined the Madras Christian Collage where he graduated with a B.A.
Degree on 30th March 1906.
In 1908 he joined the Madras Law College and obtained a B.L. Degree in 1910 He was apprenticed to T.Richmond, a leading English lawyer. He did his Doctoral research at the London School of Economics and Political Science, on Village Government in British India, and was the first Indian to Obtain a D.Sc in Economics from the London School. After completing his Studies in London, John Matthai went to Balliol College, Oxford where he obtained a B.Litt.
After completing his studies at Oxford, Matthai made a study of the Cooperative movement and spent about a year in Ireland under Horace Plunkett, the famous exponent of the Cooperative Movement. John Matthai had gone to England for higher studies but returned with a Great deal more than just the 2 degrees he earned.
The experiences in England and Ireland were to stand him in good stead in later years. His Independence of thought and action and the determination to push on regardless of, and despite seemingly overwhelming odds, were forged on the lawns of Oxford, in his corridors of the India Office and the craggy recesses of Ireland.
He was a brilliant student who matriculated second in the whole Presidency. He secured a first class in the F.A. examination also with a high ranking. From there he joined the Madras Christian Collage where he graduated with a B.A.
Degree on 30th March 1906.
In 1908 he joined the Madras Law College and obtained a B.L. Degree in 1910 He was apprenticed to T.Richmond, a leading English lawyer. He did his Doctoral research at the London School of Economics and Political Science, on Village Government in British India, and was the first Indian to Obtain a D.Sc in Economics from the London School. After completing his Studies in London, John Matthai went to Balliol College, Oxford where he obtained a B.Litt.
After completing his studies at Oxford, Matthai made a study of the Cooperative movement and spent about a year in Ireland under Horace Plunkett, the famous exponent of the Cooperative Movement. John Matthai had gone to England for higher studies but returned with a Great deal more than just the 2 degrees he earned.
The experiences in England and Ireland were to stand him in good stead in later years. His Independence of thought and action and the determination to push on regardless of, and despite seemingly overwhelming odds, were forged on the lawns of Oxford, in his corridors of the India Office and the craggy recesses of Ireland.
correspondence - London School of Economics
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(Courtesy - London School of Economics, UK)
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(Courtesy - London School of Economics, UK)
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