Fittingly for a cosmopolitan city, the stalwarts who built the first colleges came from varied backgrounds.
Scottish missionaries, British administrators and home-grown philanthropists were among those who rolled up their sleeves and did their bit towards making the city one of the citadels of learning in the country.
And what a rich harvest of talent their efforts have yielded.
The luminaries who have emerged out of the portals of Madras’ colleges range from the world-famous mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan to Pepsico’s globally admired CEO Indra Nooyi.
Not to forget two of India’s six Nobel laureates, India’s most famous modern-day philosopher, a former Chief of Army Staff, the most famous Chief Election Commissioner of our times, the current Union Finance Minister and two former Presidents of India.
Special: Madras Day | Magical Fort St George
On the eve of Madras Day, we at Sify.com take the opportunity to salute the alma maters of these giants, the city’s oldest and most famous temples of learning.
