Dr. John Matthai Centre is a pioneering institute in the fields of Information Technology, Economics, Management, Theatre Arts and Music. Dr. John Matthai Centre is a mini campus of the University of Calicut, situated nearly 5 km away from Thrissur town, within the limits of the Thrissur Corporation. The Centre was started in 1973 in Thrissur, as a Regional Centre of the University, in the name of Dr. John Matthai, a celebrated Economist and the First Union Finance Minister of Republic India. The centre initially offered the Post Graduate Course of MA (Development. Economics). But with the advent of IT revolution, the institution became a centre of excellence in the field of Information Technology. Thus having introduced the courses of MCA, MBA & MSc Comp. Science.

Dr. John Matthai

(1886-1959)

Dr. John Matthai was born on the 10th January 1886 at Calicut. He studied at Calicut itself till he passed F.A. Then he shifted from there for further studies. He took his PhD in Economics from the Oxford University. He was nominated as a member of Tariff Board in 1925 and then he became the Chairman of the Board. He was appointed as the Director General of the Commercial Intelligence and Statistics in 1925. He was also appointed as a member of the Finance Committee when Jawaharlal Nehru formed the Indian Government in 1946.

Later after independence when Shanmugan Shetty resigned as the first Finance Minister of India, Dr. John Matthai was substituted and he performed the duty of the Finance Minister till 1951 and hence being the First Finance Minister of Republic India. He was noted for his eloquent budget presentation in the Parliament.
 

He returned to his native state, Kerala, in 1950 and settled at Aranattukara, in an 18-acre land. He planted several rare species in this fertile land & constructed a beautiful bungalow in this place. Here when he was spending his rest of years, Professor Mundasseri, the then Education Minister of Kerala requested him to accept the Vice Chancellorship of The Kerala University. Dr. John Matthai accepted the offer on two conditions. One was the Government should not interfere in the official duties of the Vice Chancellor and the second was that he would function his office from the office in his house in Aranattukara and that he would be at Trivandrum only when the syndicate meetings were held. Professor Mundasseri accepted both the conditions and Dr. John Matthai was appointed as the Vice Chancellor of Kerala University and he officed in the building in which the present Economics department of Calicut University is housed.
 

Smt. Acchamma Matthai almost donated this beautiful land of 18 acres and architecturally beautiful building to the University of Calicut to start the Dept. of Economics in memory of her husband. She only demanded Rs.50,000 as token amount for purchasing a flat in Bombay while the cost of this campus and the building would have been more than 20 lakh at that time. Dr. John Matthai Centre was named after Dr. John Matthai in 1976 .The room in which Dr. John Matthai officiated, as the Vice Chancellor of Kerala University is still kept undisturbed and his name engraved at the entrance of the room. Birth anniversary of Dr. John Matthai falls on 10th January every year.