Nine Cousins, Two in-laws, Two nephews, Two niecesU Tin U & U Ba ThanU Ba Than & Family Ma Ruby & Kim Ma Ruby, Peter & Ye MyintMa Ruby, KimMa RubyMa Ruby, Ma Betty & Cho ChoRUBC Captains : Tin U, Myo Tint, Tin Htoon, Thaung Lwin (all brothers) & Sein Htoon (cousin, cox)U Tin Htoon & U Tin Htut U Tin Htoon & U Sein Htoon : RUBC Captains & ARAE ChampionsU Myo Min with his MomU Myo MinPeter Tun & FamilyPeter succumbed to Covid : First NIH doctor to pass away due to lax Health Protocol Win Mar & Khin Sandy TunEmmy & GraceTin Tin Hlaing & Tha HlaingHtay Aung, Tha Hlaing, Tin Tin Hlaing Dr. Myo Tint, Dr. Tun Oo, Dr. Tin Kyi Wn, RaymondU Mya Thein, Khin Win Than Htay Aung, Tin Tin Hlaing, Tha Hlaing, Daw Mya Mya Win / Allison Daw Myint Thwe, Tha Hlaing, Daw Mya Mya Win / Allison
The Metallurgy Department was established in 1954 with the assistance of contract staff from India. Mr. H.S. Shastri was the first head of department and Mr. A.C. Agrawal was an assistant lecturer.
I was awarded a government scholarship to study Metallurgy at Lehigh University in 1954, when I was a second year student of Civil Engineering in Rangoon. (Incidentally, it was at Lehigh that I first met Sayas U Aung Khin and U Pu.) I returned home in 1957 after completing my bachelor’s degree and joined the department as assistant lecturer. Saya U Saw Pru joined the department as an assistant lecturer in 1958.
I was awarded a Colombo Plan Fellowship in 1959 for further studies at the University or Queensland, Australia, and came back in 1961 after finishing my master’s degree. I was promoted to lectureship in 1962.
Saya U Than Tin joined the department in 1960 and left for U.S. after a few years. There were visiting lecturers from U.S.S.R., namely, Mr. Charlichev from 1961 to 1963 and Mr. Chalpanov from 1963 to 1965.
Sayas U Aung Hla Tun, U Pe Win and Dr. Khin Maung Win joined the department in 1965, 1966 and 1967 respectively. There were also part-time teaching staff from time to time from UBARI, such as U Khin Maung and U Nyunt.
I left the department in 1968 to go to Australia.
The continuing history of the Metallurgy Department after 1968 can best be written by Saya U Aung Hla Tun.
Editor’s Notes in 2019 :
Taught Materials and Processes in our 2nd BE class in 1964.
Head of the Metallurgy Department
Wrote memories of Saya Allen Htay in “RIT Alumni International Newsletter”
GBNF
In response to my request, several sayas (Dr. Aung Gyi, U Min Wun, U Aung Khin, U Thit and U Myo Myint Sein) wrote about the history of their departments. The articles appear in the CD supplement of the HMEE-2012 book
The first RIT Alumni Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwe was held in San Francisco, California in October 2000.
Ko Thaung Sein / Steeve Kay (EC70) and Ko Yu Beng / Benny Tan (M70) were Golden Sponsors. Steeve donated $3000. Benny not only donated $1000, but designed mementos — SPZP Tee Shirt, SPZP Mug, SPZP Calculator & Clock — and presented them to the sayas, sayamas, SPZP organizers and volunteers. The mementos were also sold at SPZP-2000.
Since only a few sayas from Rangoon could attend SPZP-2000, Steeve and Benny decided to host Acariya Pu Zaw Pwe at Narawat Hotel (managed by Victor Kyaw Phyo / Kyaw Phone Myint) in 2001. Some mementos from SPZP-2000 were given to the sayas and sayamas.
The following are some photos from the Acariya Pu Zaw Pwe & Reunion of 1st BE Intake of 64 and 65.
Saya Allen Htay (C58) is a founding member of RIT Alumni International and served as its President.
He wrote “Brother, can you spare US $500 and more?” for the First RIT Grand Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwe (aka SPZP-2000).
Saya retired thrice, but his former students coaxed him to un-retire twice.
With the help of U Maurice Chee (M75), Daw Mu Mu Kin donated Saya’s books to YTU Library. The dedication ceremony took place at YTU on February 26, 2016.