Birth: 6th April 1909 in Kottaiyur, Sivaganga District, Tamil Nadu.

Education: M.A. Literature Presidency College, Madras Barrister at Law, Temple, England.

Business Acumen: M.A. Literature Presidency College, Madras Barrister at Law, Temple, England.

He 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".

Padma Bhushan Dr. RM. Alagappa Chettiar M.A., D.Litt. LL.D., Barrister-at-Law

Founder

Dr. R.Vairavan, the son of Mrs. Umayal Ramanathan, was born in April 1948 in Chennai. He had his early education at Lawrence School, Lovedale and studied Chemical Engineering at Alagappa College of Technology in Madras. He went to the United States of America to pursue his post graduate studies, obtaining his Master's degree in Biomedical Engineering at Washington University and later a Master's Degree in Business Administration, specializing in Pharmaceutical Marketing.

Dr. Ramanathan Vairavan

Grandson of Dr. RM. Alagappa Chettiar

Dr. Umayal Ramanathan, the daughter of Dr. Alagappa Chettiar became the Secretary of the Dr. Alagappa Chettiar Educational Trust following the demise of her father in 1957. This was a challenging task that she performed admirably as she had to manage and administer all the colleges with diverse faculty and students. During this period she celebrated the Silver Jubilee of the colleges in the presence of Prime Minister of India Smt. Indira Gandhi who made her maiden visit to the region. By donating 450 acres of land with functioning schools and colleges to the Tamil Nadu Government, during the regime of Chief Minister MG. Ramachandran, she was instrumental to found Alagappa University in 1985 fulfilling the dream of her father.

Dr. Mrs. Umayal Ramanathan

Daughter of Dr. RM. Alagappa Chettiar.