DR. Rm. Alagappa Chettiar

EARLY LIFE & EDUCATION
Dr. RM. Alagappa Chettiar was born on 6th April 1909 in Kottaiyur, Sivaganga district. He had his primary education at the SMS Vidyasala in Karaikudi and went on to obtain his M.A. in Literature from the Presidency College in Madras where he had the fortune of befriending Dr..S. Radhakrishnan, a model teacher who later on became the President of India. At the age of 21, he became the first Indian trainee at the Chartered bank in London. Thereafter he qualified for the Bar at Middle Temple in England and became a ' Bar-at-Law ' to be cherished by the people of Chettinad. Adventurous by nature he was awarded a pilot certificate at Croydon, London. With honorary doctorate degrees conferred upon him by both Madras and Annamalai Universities his passion for eloquence knew no bounds.

BUSINESS ACUMEN
His stellar record as a business entrepreneur was acknowledged by the British Government and he was Knighted in 1945 at the age of 37. He renounced the prestigious knighthood when India attained independence. The distinction of Padma Bushan was conferred by the President of India on January 26, 1956. Within a span of 2 decades he demonstrated his versatility as a successful business tycoon, an intrepid academician with a vision to change the mere scrub jungle of Karaikudi to an educational Mecca. When he passed away prematurely at the age of 48, Dr. Alagappa Chettiar had redefined philanthropy and contributed more to the betterment of education in Tamil Nadu than any other person of eminence had done until then.

He launched his career by pioneering in textiles. As a business savvy and a model employer he practiced then, what the Harvard Business School preaches today - diversification of portfolios with rubber plantations in Malaya, Tin mines in Burma, Textile Mills in Kerala, Insurance companies in Calcutta, Hotels in Bombay, Theatres in Madras, a flourishing stock exchange company and a private airline and has been referred to as the unsung business maharaja of South India in the thirties and forties. His business interests were however short lived as he changed his focus to education.

SERVICE TO EDUCATION
He harboured a firm conviction that education is an absolute must for a human being to become productive, wholesome and humane. In 1947 at the Dr. Annie Besant centenary celebrations he answered the call for industrialists to help educate India by spontaneously offering to start an Arts College in Karaikudi. His generous donations led to the establishment of a string of educational institutions, which formed the basis for the foundation of the Alagappa University in 1985 by the Government of Tamil Nadu.

To bring prominence to the educational institutions he had the vision to convince Prime Minister Nehru to house one of the Government's National Research Institutes in the heart of the Alagappa campus. As Dr. Radhakrishnan, the Vice President of India surmised at the opening of the Central Electro Chemical Research Institute (CECRI) on 14 Jan 1953. " The magnificent gift of 300 acres of land and fifteen lakhs of rupees by Dr. Alagappa Chettiar helped the Government of India to select Karaikudi as the seat of Electro Chemical Research Institute. Being a businessman himself, Dr. Alagappa Chettiar is aware of the industrial possibilities of our country and the need for scientific, technical and technological education in his lifetime he has built a monument for himself you have only to look around. "

At the tender age of 48, in the midst of single handedly revolutionizing his native place and changing the course of history he succumbed to his illness. Perhaps his crowning piece of philanthropy was giving away his own palatial residence in Kottaiyur to found the Women's college. Rajaji has remarked, "Dr. Alagappa Chettiar had given away freely. Students should develop that quality namely giving money earned for charity. Here is a book of life and students can learn from him how one can give to good cause, cultivate courage and emulate the spirit of Dr. Alagappa Chettiar".