Alfred Edward Tamber

Alfred Edward Tamber (26 October 1904 – 18 February 1971), commonly known as A. E. Tamber, was a Sri Lankan educator and nationalist activist associated with the early Tamil political movement in northern Ceylon. He served as principal of Jaffna Central College from 1962 to 1964 and has been identified in historical studies as a founding member of the Jaffna Youth Congress.

The Jaffna Youth Congress was an influential political and social organisation formed in the 1920s by Tamil intellectuals and educators advocating constitutional reform, secularism, non-sectarian Ceylonese nationalism and independence from Britain. The movement reached its high point when it organised a boycott of the 1931 elections under the Donoughmore Constitution, arguing that the constitutional reforms did not grant full independence for Ceylon.

He obtained a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.)(London) degree and entered the teaching profession during the colonial period.

He was listed as a member of the teaching staff in the University of Ceylon Calendar for 1950.

Career Tamber spent much of his career at Jaffna Central College, one of the leading secondary schools in northern Sri Lanka. He served in several roles including teacher and senior staff member before becoming vice-principal and then principal.

He served as vice-principal from 1958 to 1962 and as principal from 1962 to 1964.