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GUNUNGNNaaaa HONG KONG UNIVERSITY whakabatay
On the 12th February, 1980 Sir Cecil Clementi left Hong Kong to take up the Governorship of Malaya and on the 9th May, 1980 Sir William Peel arrived. Certain Chinese friends had subscribed to have Sir Cecil's portrait painted and it was his wish that the picture should hang in the Great Hall of the University. On the same day as that on which he opened the biological laboratory, Sir William Peel unveiled the portrait which now hangs in the Great Hall. Other portraits hang in the Great Hall, for every subscriber of $50,000 is entitled to have a portrait or bust of himself set up there, but they are all coloured photographs.
In 1926 the University's senior lecturer in Chinese (a Hanlin) and the Vice-Chancellor visited Malaya. Thanks to the generosity of Mr. Chan Wing and Mr. Lai Weng Chee of Kuala Lumpur and of the Executors of the Estate of Mr. Tye Kee Yoon of Penang a sum of H.K. $40,000 was collected. Further contributions were received from Mr. Ng Wah and Mr. Kwok Chung Yeung of this Colony. It was decided to do something at once to improve the teaching of Chinese. These collections were therefore not invested, but spent on buying Chinese books and on providing for the teaching in the Arts Faculty of Chinese Language and Literature up to the degree stage.
During 1928 a sum of $170.000 was collected mainly through the efforts of the Hou. Sir Shou-son Chow and the Hon. Mr. R. H. Kotewall for a Chinese School. This sum was subsequently increased to $200,000. During the same year, Mr. Tang Chi Ngong contributed $60,000 towards a building for the Chinese School. On the 28th September, 1931, His Excellency the Governor opened the Tang Chi Ngong School of Chinese.
Early in 1929 the University received a donation of $120,000 from Mr. Fung Ping Shan for a Chinese Library. The original gift was $100,000 for the building and $20,000 for the Library's endowment, but Mr. Fung subsequently increased the endowment to $50,000. At the same time he made himself responsible for the equipment and furnishing of the library. Mr. Fung died on the 31st August, 1931, but his widow accepted the full obligation. The library which was opened by His Excellency the Governor on the 14th December, 1982, is to be open to the public. The University has already transferred to this huild- ing its Chinese library of some 31,000 volumes.
When the University started, the Church Missionary Society placed St. John's Hall at its disposal. Lugard Hall was opened in 1913, Eliot Hall in 1914, and May Hall in 1915 these three hostels are maintained by the University and controlled by resident wardens who are members of the University staff. In 1913 the London Missionary Society opened Morrison Hall. On the 16th December, 1929, Ricci Hall was opened by the Governor. This hostel was provided by, and is under the management of, the Jesuit Fathers of the English Assistancy. When in September 1921 the University first opened ita classes to women, some accommodation for these students was provided at St. Stephen's Girls' College and at the Italian Convent. A small hostel in rented premises for women students was subsequently provided and is still main- tained by the Church Missionary Society.
Sir William Peel became Governor of Hong Kong and the University's Chancellor at a time when the University was passing through a grave financial
SIR WILLIAM PEEL, K.C.M.G., K.B.E. Chancellor.
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