R. M. Alagappa Chettiar

Padmabushan Alagappa Chettiar (born 6 April 1909 in Kottaiyur, Sivagangai District, Tamil Nadu) was an Indian industrialist and philanthropist.

Early life and education

He was the second son of K. V. AL. Ramanathan Chettiar and Umayal Achi. He attended the SMS Vidyasala in Karaikudi and went on to obtain an M.A. in English literature from the Presidency College, Madras (now Chennai) at the age of 21. He had the fortune of befriending Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, a model teacher who later became the President of India.

Career

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.

He launched his career by pioneering in textiles. In 1937 he started Cochin Textiles, later Alagappa Textiles at Pudhukaddu near Thirucheur in Kerala. The township for Cochin textile staff was named "Alagappa Nagar".

He very quickly diversified, 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 stockbroking company and a private airline.

His business interests were shortlived, however, as he changed his focus to education.

Educational foundations

In 1943 he donated one lakh (100,000) rupees for the installation and development of the Tamil Department of Travancore University.

In 1947 at the Dr. Annie Besant centenary celebrations the Vice-Chancellor of Madras University called industrialists to start colleges to educate India. Chettiar answered the call and within three days Alagappa Arts College started functioning at Gandhi Maleghai in Karaikudi. His further donations led to the establishment of a string of educational institutions.

He convinced Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to house one of the Government's National Research Institutes in the heart of the Alagappa campus at Karaikudi, donating convert|300|acre|km2|1 of land and 1.5 million rupees. This gesture earned for him the epithet "Socialistic Capitalist" from Nehru. Dr. Radhakrishnan, the Vice President of India stated at the opening of the Central Electro Chemical Research Institute (CECRI) on 14 January 1953:

The magnificent gift of convert|300|acre|km2|1 of land 1.5 million 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.

Perhaps his crowning piece of philanthropy was giving away his own palatial residence in Kottaiyur to found a women's college.

His other foundations and charitable donations included:

*A higher secondary school at his birth place, Kottaiyur, Tamil Nadu
*A ladies' hostel at Vepery, Chennai
*A gift for the development of the township infrastructure of Kottaiyur
*A gift for the Meenakshi club at Kandanur, Tamil Nadu
*A donation for the H.M.I.S Fund
*Foundation of an engineering college at Annamalai University, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu
*Foundation of a college of technology at Madras University, subsequently named Alagappa Chettiar College of Technology, Gundy, Chennai
*A donation to establish higher education in Malaysia
*A donation to establish the South Indian Educational Society at New Delhi in 1948
*A donation to the Lady Deck College at Madurai
*A donation for constructing "Alagappa Mandapam" at Thakkar Baba Vidyalaya in 1946 - the Foundation Stone was laid by M.K.Gandhi
*A donation for publishing "Tamil Kalangiyam"
*A donation to the Cochin Cyclone Relief fund
*A donation for geological research by the Travancore government
*A donation for establishing a maternity hospital and childcare centre in Cochin
*A donation for indigenous medicine research by Ernakulam Maharaja College
*A donation to fund students from Cochin to study abroad
*Funding the morning food scheme for Cochin children
*Establishing the South Indian chamber of commerce in Cochin

Honours

He was conferred a doctoral degree (D.Litt) by Annamalai University in 1943 and an LL.D. by Madras University in 1944.

He was knighted by the British Government in 1945 when he was 37. He renounced the knighthood when India attained independence. He was conferred the distinction of Padma Bhushan by the President of India on 26 January 1957.

Legacy

When he died 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.

The institutions that he founded were the basis for the establishment of the Alagappa University in 1985 by the Government of Tamil Nadu.