The Alagappa Campus
in Karaikudi, today, a humming beehive of educational activity,
was prior to1947, a scrub jungle. A single
individual, Dr. RM. Alagappa Chettiar, of revered memory,
accomplished the transformation of that wilderness
into a center of learning. He started the first college in the District of Ramanathapuram (now Sivagangai District) in
Tamil Nadu in the year 1947. In the short span of a decade he established ten institutions in Karaikudi in an almost annual succession.
Sl. No Name of the Institution Year of Operation 1 Alagappa College of Arts & Science 1947 2 Dr. Alagappa Chettiar Training College 1950 3 Dr. Alagappa Chettiar Training College Model High School 1951 4 Alagappa Chettiar College of Engineering & Technology 1952 5 Alagappa Montessori School 1953 6 Alagappa Primary School 1954 7 Alagappa Polytechnic 1955 8 Alagappa Preparatory School 1955 9 Alagappa School of Music 1956 10 Alagappa College of Physical Education 1956 |
Dr.RM.Alagappa
Chettiar |
His personal contribution to set up these educational institutions exceeded well over ten million rupees. In 1948 Dr. Alagappa Chettiar was instrumental to persuade the Central Government to locate a key National Laboratory namely the Central Electro Chemical Research Institute in the center of the campus. He offered as a gift to the Government of India 300 acres of land and 1.5 million rupees.