Alagappa Chettiar

2021-05-26T16:25:27Z

180.151.199.50:

{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}

{{Infobox person
| name = Alagappa Chettiar
| image = Alagappa Chettiar 2007 stamp of India.jpg
| caption = Chettiar on a 2007 stamp of India
| birth_date = {{birth date|1909|4|6|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Kottaiyur]], (Madurai District) [[Madras Presidency]], [[British India]]<br/>{{small|(in present-day [[Tamil Nadu]], India)}}
| birth_name = Alagappa Chettiar
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1957|4|5|1909|4|6}}
| death_place = [[Vepery]], [[Madras]], Tamil Nadu, India
| occupation = Businessman, philanthropist
| spouse = Mathushri Lakshmi<ref name="death"/>
}}

Sir '''Alagappa Chettiar''' (6 April 1909 – 5 April 1957) was an Indian businessman and philanthropist. He received the [[Padma Bhushan]] award (the third highest civilian award in India) in 1956.<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |access-date=21 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6U68ulwpb?url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 November 2014 }}</ref>

==Early life==

Chettiar was born in [[Kottaiyur]] in the [[Sivaganga]] District of [[Tamil Nadu]] to K.V.AL. Ramanathan Chettiar and Umayal Achi. He attended [[Presidency College, Chennai|Presidency College]] at [[Chennai]], where he became friendly with [[Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan]], a model teacher who later became [[President of India]]. In 1930 at the age of 21 he was the first M.A. (English Language and Literature) from the community of [[Nattukottai Nagarathar|Nattukottai Nagarathars]].

After his graduation he went to England to study law. He qualified for the Bar at Middle Temple in England in 1933<ref name="death"/> and became a 'Bar-at-Law' in [[Chettinad]]. During that time he also earned a pilot certificate at [[Croydon]], London, and became the first Indian trainee in the [[Standard Chartered Bank]], London.

==Business acumen==

Chettiar's activities as a business entrepreneur were acknowledged by the British Government when he was [[knight]]ed in the [[1946 New Year Honours]] at the age of 37;<ref>[http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/37407/pages/4 London Gazette, 1 January 1946]</ref> however, he renounced using the title of the knighthood when India attained independence. The President of India on 26 January 1956 conferred the distinction of Padma Bhushan on him. He proved himself a versatile business tycoon and an intrepid academician with a vision to transform Karaikudi into an educational Mecca. 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.

Chettiar launched his career by pioneering in textiles. In 1937 he started Cochin Textiles, later Alagappa Textiles at [[Alagappa Nagar]] near [[Thrissur]] in Kerala. The township for Cochin textile staff was named "Alagappa Nagar" in his memory. As a business savvy tycoon he practised diversification of portfolios with rubber [[plantation]]s in [[Federation of Malaya|Malaya]], [[tin]] mines in [[Burma]], [[textile mill]]s 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.

==Philanthropy==

Chettiar harboured a firm conviction that education is an absolute must for a human being to become productive, wholesome and humane.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=onlinevoice|title=A Chettinad Gem and Visionary: Dr. RM. Alagappa Chettiar {{!}} onlinevoice|url=http://onlinevoice.info/2015/10/20/a-chettinad-gem-and-visionary-dr-rm-alagappa-chettiar/|access-date=2020-11-02|language=en-US}}</ref> In 1943 he donated one lakh (100,000) rupees for the installation and development of the [[Tamil language|Tamil]] Department of [[Travancore University]].<ref name=":0" />

In 1947 at the [[Annie Besant]] centenary celebrations he answered the call for industrialists to help educate India by spontaneously offering to start an Arts College in [[Karaikudi]]. This college, [[Alagappa Arts College]] started at [[Gandhi Maleghai]], opened three days later. 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]].

He convinced Prime Minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] to house one of the Government's National Research Institutes in the heart of the Alagappa campus. At the inauguration of the [[Central Electro Chemical Research Institute]] (CECRI) on 14 January 1953, the then Vice-President of India [[Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan]] surmised {{cquote|The magnificent gift of 300 acres of land and fifteen lakhs of rupees by 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 and you have only to look around.}}

Alagappa Chettiar pioneered the centre of excellence "A.C.College of Technology" (named after him) at Guindy, Chennai, which offers specialised Engineering & Technology courses including Chemical Technology, Petroleum Refining & Petrochemicals, Textile Engineering, Leather Technology, Industrial Biotechnology, Ceramic Technology, Pharmaceutical Technology, Food Technology, etc. Presently it comes under the governance of [[Anna University]]. His gave away his own palatial residence in Kottaiyur to start a women's college.

=== Notable donations and institutions{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}} ===
[[File:Statue Of Alagappa Chettiar.jpg|thumb|Dr.Alagappa Chettiar]]
His other foundations and charitable donations included:

*Alagappa Chettiar College of Technology,(Now known as [[Alagappa College of Technology]] Campus- [[Anna University]] Chennai)
*Alagappa Chettiar Government College of Engineering & Technology (ACCET) at Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu. (Now an autonomous government institution)
*Alagappa Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
*Alagappa Arts College, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu
*Alagappa College of Polytechnic, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu
*Alagappa Physical Education College, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu
*Alagappa Primary School, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu
*Alagappa Montessori School, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu
*Alagappa Preparatory School, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu (this is a private school managed by his daughter founded after him)
*Alagappa Matriculation School, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu (this is a private school managed by his daughter founded after him)
*Alagappa Model Higher Secondary School at his birthplace, Karaikudi, 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, [[Guindy]], 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 Doak College at [[Madurai]]
*A donation for constructing "Alagappa Mandapam" at [[Thakkar Baba Vidyalaya]] in 1946 – the Foundation Stone was laid by [[Gandhi|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

==Death==
At the age of 48, in the midst of single-handedly revolutionising his native place and changing the course of history, Chettiar succumbed to his illness. He was treated for [[cancer]] in 1955. After a brief recovery, his health worsened and died on 5 April 1957 at his residence in [[Vepery]], [[Madras]] (now Chennai).<ref name="death">{{cite newspaper |title=Dr. Alagappa Chettiar Passes Away |newspaper=The Indian Express |date=6 April 1957 |page=1, 8}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Alagappa Chettiar}}
*http://www.alagappa.org/ Official Website,Alagappa Group of Educational Institutions
*http://www.alagappaalumni.com/ Official Website,Alagappa Global Alumni Association

{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1954–59}}
{{Chettinad Villages}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chettiar, Alagappa}}
[[Category:1909 births]]
[[Category:1957 deaths]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Indian philanthropists]]
[[Category:Knights Bachelor]]
[[Category:Indian knights]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in social work]]
[[Category:Indian businesspeople in textiles]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian businesspeople]]
[[Category:People from Sivaganga district]]
[[Category:20th-century philanthropists]]

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Alagappa Chettiar