Bishop Robert Caldwell (7 May 1814 - 28 August 1891) was a missionary and linguist, who academically established the Dravidian family of languages. He served as Assistant Bishop of Tirunelveli from 1877. He was described in The Hindu as a "pioneering champion of the downtrodden" and an "avant-garde social reformer." The Government of Tamil Nadu has created a memorial in his honor and a postage stamp has been issued in his name. a statue of Caldwell was erected in 1967 near to Marina Beach, Chennai, as a gift of the Church of South India.