Tan Chin Tuan

(Dr) Tan Chin Tuan (simplified Chinese: 陈振传; traditional Chinese: 陳振傳; pinyin: Chén Zhèn Chuán; 21 November 1908 – 13 November 2005) was a Peranakan banker and philanthropist who is often credited with helping to build up Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC).

In this Chinese name, the family name is Tan (Chen).
Tan Chin Tuan
陈振传
A bust of Tan Chin Tuan in front of the lecture theatre named after him at Nanyang Technological University
Chairman of the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation
In office
1966–1983
Personal details
Born(1908-11-21)21 November 1908
Died13 November 2005(2005-11-13) (aged 96)
Singapore
Spouse(s)Puan Sri Helene Tan
RelationsTony Tan (nephew)
ChildrenTan Keng Siong (son)
Tan Kheng Lian (daughter)
Tan Kheng Choo (daughter)
Alma materAnglo-Chinese School

Biography

Early life

Born in 1908, he was the son of prominent Hokkien businessman, Tan Cheng Siong, a General Manager of Oversea-Chinese Bank Ltd. Tan Chin Tuan grew up under the harsh conditions of the Great Depression (1930), having lost his father during his schooling years. Educated at Anglo-Chinese School, he was compelled to leave school at the age of seventeen to begin work at the Chinese Commercial Bank (which merged with Ho Hong Bank that same year to form OCBC).[1]

Career

Tan served as the managing director of OCBC from 1942 to 1972 and as chairman from 1966 to 1983. Upon his retirement, he was made honorary life president of the bank, the only person ever thus honoured.

Tan established his reputation as a sharp corporate banker with a keen eye for spotting opportunities to create value for the bank and its shareholders. His ideas and thinking were instrumental in the building of OCBC bank.

Between the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s, he was chairman of ten blue-chip companies. Upon his retirement of these companies, Tan was made their Honorary Life President.[2]

Philanthropist

Tan Chin Tuan was a strong advocate of lifelong learning. In 1984, he donated £350,000 to the Needham Research Institute (NRI) in Cambridge, United Kingdom and the library block at NRI is named after him. NRI is currently one of the top three centres for learning Chinese science and technology in the world.[3] In 1997, he committed S$2.5 million towards the Nanyang Technological University's exchange programme in engineering. Named the Tan Chin Tuan Exchange Fellowship, it funds research collaborations between NTU and overseas institutes.

Tan established the Tan Chin Tuan Foundation (TCTF) on 10 April 1976 to share with society the rewards of his highly illustrious career. He rendered assistance to the deserving and provided services that helped uplift the less fortunate. Today, the contributions of TCTF reflect the founder’s philosophy of how money should be channelled for social good. The foundation strives to support causes and projects that are viable, sustainable and well-managed with definable social outcomes.[4]

Today, TCTF continues his commitment towards advancing educational causes through professorships, scholarships and bursaries, and establishing strategic programmes in institutions of higher learning.

Awards
  • Tan was awarded the prestigious Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his contributions during his service in the Legislative Council in 1951
  • His title of Tan Sri was conferred to him by Malaysia's Yang Di Pertuan Agong Sultan Tuanku Ismail Nasiruddin Shah (Supreme Head of State) of Malaysia on 31 August 1969.
  • Tan was conferred an honorary Doctor of Laws by the late Singapore President Wee Kim Wee, who was the Chancellor of the National University of Singapore at its Convocation on 3 September 1991.
  • In 1992, Curtin University of Technology, Australia honoured Tan with an honorary doctorate in appreciation of his long personal and professional ties with Australia.

Honour

Foreign honour

References
  1. "Tan Chin Tuan". Singapore Infopedia. National Library Board Singapore. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  2. "Tan Chin Tuan's Biography". Gini. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  3. "Needham Legacy and China's Genius". Lam Pin Foo: My Reflections on Life. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  4. "About the Tan Chin Tuan Foundation". Tan Chin Tuan. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  5. "Semakan Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat".

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