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College Archives Newsletter #7
July 2019
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Oral History
A fruitful journey through time
Our 25-day North America Tour ended on 11 July. In total we conducted 20 oral history interviews and connected with 31 alumni from the ‘60s. It was a fruitful journey back in time, being able to meet all these generous alumni and to listen to their stories. Fifty years on, they still cherish their time in St. John’s and, even more so, the friendships they've built here. We thank them for participating in this important effort to document the history of St. John’s.
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(1) Professor Peter Yu (SJC 6F 1963-66, Tutor 1966-67);
(2) Dr Gloria Tsou (SJC 8F 1964-67).
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(1) Reunion lunch with San Francisco alumni;
(2) Dr Chen Nai Sze (SJC 4F 1962-65, Sports Captain 1963-64);
(3) Mr Franklin Yan^ (SJC 4F 1963-66, Hon. Librarian 1964-65);
(4) Dr Lawrence Ng (SJC 5F 1961-64);
(5) Dr Chan Shu Wing (SJC 6F 1963-66, Sports Captain 1965-66).
^ We were most fortunate to have met Franklin, who lives in Australia but was in San Francisco for vacation.
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(1) Professor David Yu (SJC 6F 1961-64, Chairman 1963-64);
(2) Professor Christina Wang (SJC 7F 1963-66);
(3) Dr Peter Poon (SJC 5F 1962-65, Hon. Secretary 1963-64).
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Retracing St. John's
A chronicle of the founding of the SJCSA
Very little is known about the early history of the College’s undergraduate students’ association—established in 1956, one year after the College opened in 1955—until the recent uncovering of a file in the College records entitled ‘Student Affairs’ (Acc. No. 2019-02-016). Containing some 300 pages of correspondences and documents spanning 1955 to 1973, this file provides interesting insights into the interaction between the College management and the student body in the foundational years of the College. Of this, some 50 pages concern the establishment of the students’ association.
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The Master, Fellows and residents of St. John's College, 1955-56. The founding Fellows were (in black gown, second row, from left to right): the Revd Canon A. P. Rose, Dr D. Chun, Prof. J. E. Driver, Mrs A. Chung, Prof. R. W. Parsons, Prof. E. C. Blunden. The Master (in white robe, second row, centre) was the Revd Erik Kvan. Collection of the College Archives.
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The matter of forming a students' association was raised at an early stage. A notice issued by the Master, the Revd Erik Kvan, called for a meeting on 23 September 1955 to adopt a constitution and to elect a student committee. But this move did not quite meet with the approval of the students: Messrs Leung Ding Bong and Ng Shu Ki, respectively the acting Chairman and the Honorary Secretary of the St. John’s Hall Students’ Association (NB: St. John's Hall was succeeded by St. John's College in 1955), wrote to the Master, demanding the ‘full recognition’ of their committee and that the meeting be called off.
The Master had a word with the two residents. It is not clear whether the meeting did eventually take place and, if so, what ensued from it. But it seems that the matter came to a standstill. It was until one year later, in September 1956, that a working party of students, convened by Mr Frederick Ong, produced a draft constitution of the students’ association and submitted it to the Master and Fellows for comment. Meanwhile, the students elected a pro tem committee for the students’ association, consisting of Mr Frederick Ong as chairman and a representative from each floor.
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Dr Leung Ding Bong (MBBS 1959), former chairman of the Urban Council (1991-99). Online photo.
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The late Dr Frederick Ong (MBBS 1957) (left), who was a forensic pathologist of the Hong Kong Police Force, pictured here at the opening ceremony of St. John's College. Collection of the College Archives.
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Various issues were raised in subsequent correspondences regarding the draft constitution, one of which concerned the name of the association. The Master and Fellows, seemingly influenced by the Oxbridge terminology, suggested that the name be changed to ‘St. John’s College Junior Common Room’. One of the Fellows, the Revd Canon A. P. Rose, wrote, ‘This is the first College [of HKU]. Colleges are accustomed to have a J.C.R. and a S.C.R. It is bound to be new.’ The students, however, did not welcome the suggestion. Another Fellow, Prof. J. E. Driver, also wrote, ‘These descriptions vary from place to place, and the term “Junior Common Room” may well be misleading in Hong Kong.’ In the end, the suggestion was not insisted upon, and the name reverted to ‘St. John’s College Students’ Association’.
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Excerpt from a letter from Mr Frederick Ong to the Master dated 26 October 1956, outlining the students' objection to the name 'Junior Common Room'.
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Another issue concerned the role of the Master as President of the students’ association. It appears that the Warden of St. John’s Hall used to be an ex officio member of the committee of the Students’ Association, and this was what the Master and Fellows proposed to maintain. But the students thought that the Master should rather play the role of an adviser instead of a committee member, leaving the students to handle their own affairs. Prof. R. W. Parsons also wrote, ‘I do not think it desirable for the Master to be present at Committee meetings, and I think relations between the Master and the Association might suffer if he was. By analogy, the Vice Chancellor is not on the Student’s Union Committee, but the President of the Union has, of course, access to the Vice Chancellor.’ In the end, the students’ wish prevailed.
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Excerpt from the same letter, addressing the Master's role in the students' association from the students' perspective.
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One other issue worth mentioning concerned the freshmen’s right to vote for committee members. While the Master and Fellows suggested that all members should be entitled to vote—‘No representation, no taxation’ per Canon Rose—the students thought that only those who have resided for at least a term should be allowed to vote. The reason proffered was that freshmen would not know other members well enough to vote in the Annual General Meeting, which was proposed to take place two weeks after the beginning of the first term. While Canon Rose disagreed—he wrote, ‘New students can discover the friendly seniors in a remarkably short time’—the students’ wish prevailed again. Readers can be assured that this rule had long since been rescinded!
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The 1963 election of the students' association committee, held in the dining hall (now the students' common room). Personal collection of Dr Lawrence Ng.
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With the constitution approved by the Master and Fellows and adopted by the students, the first committee of the students’ association, headed by Mr Wong Kee Fung, was elected on 15 November 1956.
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Letter from the Honorary Secretary of the students' association to the Master, informing the latter of the names of the elected committee members.
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Oral History
St. John's Stories
We had the honour of interviewing Professor Siu Yum Tong (SJC 5F 1960-63), the William Elwood Byerly Professor of Mathematics at Harvard University, during his visit to Hong Kong.
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Corrigenda
In North America Tour (June 2019), 'Mrs May Kaan' of Vancouver is in fact Dr May Chan (SJC 8F 1962-65), while 'Mr Peter Tsoi' of Toronto is in fact Mr Tony Tsoi. We sincerely apologise to Dr Chan and Mr Tsoi for the above mistakes.
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