Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

Sarvepalli Radharishnan (1888-1975) was an Indian academic, philosopher, and politician. Upon graduating from Madras Christian College in 1911, he embarked on a career as a leading professor of comparative religion and philosophy at such intitutions as the University of Mysore, the University of Calcutta, the University of Chicago, and the University of Oxford, where he was the first Indian to hold an academic chair. He specialized in the Adaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy and is credited with increasing understanding of Hinduism in the West. Late in life, he entered into politics and, despite having minimal experience in the Indian independence movement, became the first Vice President (1952-1962) and second President of India (1962-1967). He received numerous awards throughout his life, including the Bharat Ratna--India's highest award for civilians--in 1954, and membership in the British Royal Order of Merit in 1963. His birthday, September 5th, is still celebrated as Teacher's Day in India.