The College is named after the great freedom fighter and social reformer Sri. T.K. Madhavan. He was born and brought up in a prominent Ezhava family in Karthikappally Taluk. From the days of his childhood, he became conscious of the outrageous insults and ill treatment suffered by his fellow beings under the rigors of the caste system. In his youth he became an ardent and faithful follower of Sree Narayana Guru. Inspired by the grand spiritual vision of the Guru, he dedicated his life to the cause of the oppressed masses. He was an admirer of Gandhian philosophy also. The 'Vaikom Satyagraha' organised by him with the blessings of Sree Narayana Guru and Mahatma Gandhi in 1924 was a momentous event in the freedom struggle of India and a turning point in the long struggle for the eradication of untouchability. In deference to the rousing call of the Guru 'to be strong through organisation', as the organising secretary of SNDP Yogam, he gave the organisation its present structure and created a mass base. His selfless and relentless striving for the uplift of the downtrodden wrecked him physically and financially. His untimely death at the age of 45 was an irreparable loss to Kerala's reformist movement. We, the people of Kerala, owe him much.
As a tribute to his selfless service to humanity this temple of learning was established in 1964 through the combined efforts of Karthikappally, Karunagappally and Mavelikkara SNDP Unions. Sri. R. Shankar, former Chief Minister of Kerala and the Founder Manager of Sree Narayana Colleges, formally inaugurated the college on July 4, 1964. Like Sri. T.K. Madhavan he was also inspired by the edict of the Guru 'to be enlightened through education'. His mature vision and pragmatic approach resulted in the establishment of 14 Sree Naryana Colleges through the length and breadth of Kerala that are living monuments of the great Guru. During the last 4 decades T.K. Madhava Memorial College has carved a niche for itself among this illustrious cluster of institutions.
