Guruvayur Subramaniam Ramaswamy received CE (1948) from California Institute of Technology, USA. He was Founder and First Director, Structural Engineering Research Centre, CSIR; UN Chief Technical Advisor to Government of Trinidad and Tobago; UN Advisor to the Government of Iraq; UN Advisor to the Deputy Minister of Transportation, Saudi Arabia; also Visiting Professor, University of West Indies and University of Arizona, USA.

Academic and Research Achievements: Ramaswamy’s main contributions were in concrete shell roofs. His most outstanding contribution to concrete shells was the development of the funicular shell which needed no reinforcement. He authored the books Design and Construction of Concrete Shell Roofs (McGraw-Hill, 1968; 2nd Edn Krieger, 1984), hailed as classic reference work all over the world, and also Modern Prestressed Concrete Design (Pitman).

Other Contributions:Ramaswamy was largely responsible for setting up the Structural Engineering Research Centre of CSIR, Building Research Centre, Baghdad and Caribbean Industrial Research Institute, Trinidad from their conceptual stages. He was Member of the International Advisory Board, International Association for Shells and Spatial Structures, Madrid; and INSA Council (1975-77).

Awards and Honours: Professor Ramaswamy was recipient of the Indian Merchant’s Chamber Diamond Jubilee Award; Invention Promotion Board Award; Invention Promotion Shield; and Gammon Award by Institution of Engineers (India). He was elected Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore.