Raghavan N. Iyer
| Raghavan Narasimhan Iyer | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 10, 1930 Madras, India |
| Died | June 20, 1995 (aged 65) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Academic, Philosopher |
| Spouse | Nandini Nanak Mehta |
| Children | Pico Iyer |
Raghavan Narasimhan Iyer was an Indian academic and philosopher. Born in Madras, India on March 10, 1930, Iyer was the son of Narasimhan Iyer and Lakshmi Iyer, and was educated at the University of Bombay, at Elphinstone College, where he met Nandini Nanak Mehta who would later become his wife.[1] He attended Oxford University as the only Rhodes Scholar from India in 1950. He graduated with a First in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. He attended Magdalen College (1950–1953) and Nuffield College (1953–54),[2] and went on to receive his doctorate from Oxford in 1962, while serving as a fellow of St Antony's College.
After stints teaching at the Universities of Oslo, Ghana and Chicago, he moved to California in 1964 to become a member of the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, a think-tank run by Robert Hutchins that assembled many of the great minds of the time. As a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, he received standing ovations for his improvised lectures and quickly became a figure of inspiration for students of many generations.[3] Together with his wife, he was the founder of the local branch of the United Lodge of Theosophists. He was also the founder and President of the Institute of World Culture. He was the father of writer Pico Iyer.[1]
His major books include The Glass Curtain, Parapolitics: Toward the City of Man, and The Moral and Political Thought of Mahatma Gandhi. He also put together two collections of Gandhi's own writings (The Moral and Political Writings of Mahatma Gandhi and The Essential Writings of Mahatma Gandhi).
Iyer died of complications resulting from pneumonia on June 20, 1995.
Contents |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] Further reading
- Tam Dalyell (10 July 1995). "OBITUARY:Raghavan Iyer". The Independent (London). http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituaryraghavan-iyer-1590756.html. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
- Raghavan Narasimhan Iyer, 65, An Expert on East-West Cultures, New York Times. By Wolfgang Saxon. June 24, 1995.
[edit] External links
- Founders tribute at The Institute of World Culture
- Biographical Sketch of Raghavan N. Iyer, at the Theosophy Trust Memorial Library
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- 1930 births
- 1995 deaths
- Tamil people
- University of Mumbai alumni
- Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford
- Alumni of Nuffield College, Oxford
- Presidents of the Oxford Union
- Indian Rhodes scholars
- Fellows of St Antony's College, Oxford
- University of Oslo faculty
- Academics of the University of Ghana
- University of Chicago faculty
- University of California, Santa Barbara faculty
- Indian Theosophists
- Hindu scholars
- Indian emigrants to the United Kingdom
- Deaths from pneumonia
- British philosopher stubs
