Ethiraj College for Women, Chennai

The philanthropy of a single individual Thiru.V.L.Ethiraj witnessed the birth of Ethiraj College for Women, in 1948. He was born on 18th July, 1890 in a very respectable and affluent family. His father Thiru.Lakshmana Swamy Mudaliar, was a well known philanthropist of Thottapalayam village in Vellore District. Thiru.V.L.Ethiraj graduated from Presidency College, Chennai. He was tutored by Dr.Sarvapalli.Radhakrishnan, the First President of Republic India. A magnanimous and a wealthy barrister, he took his legal degree from University of Dublin and on his return to India joined The Madras Bar. Within a short period he built up a lucrative practice by his efficiency and was the first Indian to be appointed as Crown Prosecutor  by the British Government.
He believed in the dictum that educating a man is educating an individual, educating a woman is educating the entire family. True to his belief he donated his life's earnings - a mammoth sum of Rs.10 lakhs, for providing quality education for women.