Lee Kong Chian

Tan Sri Dato' Dr. Lee Kong Chian
Lee Kong Chian
Born	(1893-10-18)18 October 1893 Nan'an, Fujian, China
Died	2 June 1967(1967-06-02) (aged 73) Singapore
Other names	Lee Geok Kun
Occupation	Businessman
Known for	Philanthropic work, founder of Lee Foundation
Spouse	Tan Ai Leh
Children	Sons: Lee Seng Gee Lee Seng Tee Lee Seng Wee Daughters: Lee Seok Kheng Lee Seok Tin Lee Seok Chee
Parent	Lee Kuo Chuan (father)
Relatives	Tan Kah Kee (father-in-law)

Template:Chinese name Tan Sri Dato' Dr. Lee Kong Chian (Chinese: 李光前; pinyin: Lǐ Guāngqián; Jyutping: Lei⁵ Gwong¹-cin⁴; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Lí Kong-tsiân; 18 October 1893 - 2 June 1967), alias Lee Geok Kun (Chinese: 李玉昆; pinyin: Lǐ Yùkūn; Jyutping: Lei⁵ Juk⁶-gwan¹), was a prominent Chinese businessman and philanthropist active in Malaya and Singapore from the 1930s to the 1960s. He was the founder of the Lee Foundation, and was one of the richest men in Southeast Asia in the 1950s and 1960s. He was also the son-in-law of Tan Kah Kee.

Early life

Lee was born in Furong Village, Nan'an, Fujian, China, towards the end of the Qing Dynasty. His father was Lee Kuo Chuan (simplified Chinese: 李国专; traditional Chinese: 李國專; pinyin: Lǐ Guózhuān). He received his early education in privately-run schools in his hometown. In 1903, he came to Singapore (then a British colony) to join his father at the age of 10. Lee studied at two defunct schools, namely the Anglo-Indian School and Chongcheng School.

Lee returned to China in 1909 to complete his education under a scholarship, but it had to end in 1911 as the Xinhai Revolution broke out. In China, Lee studied at Chi Nan College in Nanjing and later the Railway and Mining College in Tangshan, which was then one of the top colleges in China.

Upon returning to Singapore, Lee worked as a teacher at Tao Nan School and as a translator at a Chinese-language newspaper. In 1915, he joined the China Guohua Company, owned by Tan Kah Kee, and became Tan's protégé. He was promoted to manager of the Tan Kah Kee Rubber Company in 1917, and three years later, he married Tan's daughter, Tan Ai Leh.

Career

Seven years later, Lee set up his own rubber smoking house in Muar, Johor, Malaya, which became the Nam Aik Rubber Company in 1928. His enterprises of rubber planting and manufacture, pineapple planting and canning soon expanded to other parts of Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Malaya, North Borneo, Indonesia and Thailand. He was known as "Southeast Asia's Rubber and Pineapple King". He became one of the richest men in the region, with the Lee Rubber Company becoming a multi-million dollar business which he started in 1931.

Lee also went into banking. He became general manager and vice-chairman of Huayi Bank. He was appointed vice-chairman of the corporation when the three Chinese banks merged to form the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC) in 1933.

In 1934, Lee became the chairperson of The Chinese High School, a post he held until 1957. In 1939, Lee founded a school in his homeland known as Guozhuan Primary School in his hometown of Furong and in 1943, he set up the Guoguang Primary School. Lee also donated his rubber factory to become a Chinese school in Kuala Lumpur which was later renamed SJK(C) Lee Rubber in Jalan Gombak. He gave lectures in Columbia University during World War II while he was stranded in the United States. Lee became Vice-Chancellor of the University of Singapore (now the National University of Singapore) and donated S$1 million for the development of a medical college on the college's grounds. Other institutions received financial support from the Lee Foundation, including the National University of Singapore, Anglo-Chinese School, St. Margaret's Secondary School, Methodist Girls' School, Singapore Chinese Girls' School, Tao Nan School, Anglican High School and The Chinese High School. The Lee Kong Chian School of Business of the Singapore Management University was named in his honour.

Like Tan Kah Kee, Lee poured his wealth into education and other philanthropic work. He set up the Lee Foundation in Singapore in 1952 and in Malaya in 1960. In 1965, the Lee Foundation Limited was established in Hong Kong. Lee spearheaded free public library services for the nation when he donated S$375,000 through the Lee Foundation to allow the Singapore government to build the Old National Library building at Stamford Road.

When charity depended on the rise and fall of fortunes, the Lee Foundation was set up in Singapore in 1952 and in Malaya in 1960. In 1965 the Lee Foundation Ltd. was established in Hong Kong. Between 1952 and 1993 the Foundation donated sums amounting to S$300 million to various causes with no conditions attached.

Later life

Statue of Lee Kong Chian at Hwa Chong Institution

Lee's work and generous contributions to education and society were recognised. He was conferred an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws by the University of Malaya in 1958. In 1964, Malaysia's Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Head of State), Putra of Perlis, awarded Lee the title of Panglima Mangku Negara (PMN), hence Lee was known by the honorific Tan Sri. Prior to that, Lee had been made Dato' by the Sultans of Johor and Kelantan in 1957 and 1959 respectively. He became the chairman of OCBC Bank in 1965 and remained in that position until his death in 1967. In 1965, Lee was conferred the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters by the University of Singapore in recognition of his services to the university and his contributions to arts and education.

Lee's legacy of philanthropy continues to live in his family; he is survived by three sons Lee Seng Gee (Chairman of the Lee Foundation), Lee Seng Tee, Lee Seng Wee (director of OCBC) and three daughters Seok Keng (deceased, December 2011), Seok Tin and Seok Chee.

Places named after Lee Kong Chian

• Lee Kong Chian Reference Library, National Library, Singapore
• Lee Kong Chian Lecture Theatre, Nanyang Technological University
• Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University
• Lee Kong Chian Wing, University Hall, National University of Singapore
• Kong Chian Administration Centre, Hwa Chong Institution
• Kong Chian Library, Hwa Chong Institution (High School Section)

References

• "Feature Article: Dr Lee Kong Chian". Singapore Management University. Retrieved 8 December 2008.
• Nor-Afidah Abd Rahman. "Lee Kong Chian". Singapore Infopedia. Singapore National Library Board. Retrieved 2009-07-30.