Gunamudian David Boaz
Gunamudian David Boaz was the first Indian psychologist. He received his PhD from The University of Oxford in 1935, and graduated from Scott Christian College. The department of Psychology was instituted at the University of Madras in 1943 by him under the influence of Nobel laureate, Sir C. V. Raman and G.N. Ramachandran. The "Journal of The Madras University" states that Boaz joined the department on 27 September 1943 and on 27 October 1943, he became the Senior Lecturer in Psychology. In 1948, a full-fledged Psychology department was organized under the headship of Boaz. The department concentrated exclusively on children and their education first. He was credited for making India a major contributor in the field on Psychology.
Later on in 1976, the department turned its attention to Criminology, Applied Psychology, Organizational Psychology and Counseling, etc. The Indian Government has instituted an award in remembrance of his Work, and more over the Tamil Nadu Government Psychiatric rehabilitation is named after him, The Dr. G.D. Boaz Memorial Hospital His paternal cousin is Dr. A.S. Johnson. The family with over two hundred years of recorded history has been one of the oldest leading noble families of South Travancore
and Kanniyakumari District.
Publications
New Statesman and Nation, a speech written 19 September 1942Know Your Mind, a collection of articles published in The Hindu from 1948 to 1965Reactions of Socially Backward Groups to Various Ameliorative Measures Elements of Psychology General Psychology The Step-child — Step-mother Relationship — A Clinical Study from Journal of Psychological Researches Educational Psychology Some Fundamentals of Psychology Papers on Industrial Psychology: A Symposium ]Indian Journal of Applied Psychology The Concept of Mind By G. D. Boaz, C. Burt, Hans J. Eysenck, Hebb, G. D. Boring- ''Principles of Psychology''