Chakkingal Puthanveetil V Menon was born on 30 June 1900 in the former Cochin State. After initial studies there he qualified MB BS from Madras Medical College in 1926. He was among the first recipients of the degree of Master of Surgery from Madras University in 1928. In 1935 he travelled abroad for further studies and obtained the Fellowship of the College in 1936. Returning to India he worked for a short while in the Madras Medical Service and was then appointed honorary surgeon to the Government General Hospital, Madras, and Professor of Surgery, Madras Medical College, which position he held until 1957. He was the founder secretary and later, President of the Association of Surgeons of India and was the first President of the Asian chapter of the International College of Surgeons. He was the author of many scientific papers and co-author of a textbook of surgery. He was the editor, and later the editorial chairman of the *Indian journal of surgery*. He was a prominent Rotarian and a senior and respected Freemason. He died, following a heart attack, on 17 December 1980 leaving three daughters and three sons, one of whom is medically qualified.