Bulletin Autumn 1988

congregation until his death twenty years later, in 1983 ， Dr. Richard Charles Lee was the Vice-Chairman o f the University Council and he, besides bountiful dona tions to the University, gave also generously o f his time and wise counsel. Giving him the emotional and moral support that he needed to discharge his many public and private duties was the woman the Univer sity is honouring today, Dr. Lee's widow, Mrs. Esther Yewpick Lee. Mrs. Lee comes from one o f Hong Kong's old families, being the daughter o f Joseph Wong Mou- 1am, who for many years had been the comprador o f Watson's, the chemist. A t the age o f seventeen, Esther Wong met and fell in love w ith the young Richard Lee, Oxford graduate and son o f Mr. Lee Hysan, at a society picnic. The wedding in 1928 ， sixty years ago, between the eldest son o f the Lee family and the fifth daughter o f the Wong family was the social event o f the year. After the marriage, it was the intention o f the newly-weds to pursue further studies in the United Kingdom, but while on their honeymoon in Switzerland, Mr. Lee received word that his father had died and that as the eldest son o f the family he was to return and take charge o f the business empire his father left behind. Mr. Lee, w ith Mrs. Lee by his side, made giant strides in his career. He became a member o f the Legislative Council in 1959 and a member o f the Executive Council in 1961. In the 1960's, the Lee family home was frequented by the rich, the power ful and the famous. A t social dinners o f which there were many, Lee Garden was the scene where 'cars drive by like flowing water and horse drawn carriages m ill around like dragons'. Mrs. Lee played the role o f the perfect hostess in public and the devoted mother at home. The University was often graced w ith her presence on ceremonial occasions like congregations and formal dinners when she would be a model o f propriety, grace, warmth and charm. Mr. Chancellor, when I was a student o f English Literature many years ago, I was told by my tutors to read the three greatest works ever written about women. They are, respectively, Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, Flaubert's Madam Bovary and Ibsen's Hedda Gabler, These are, however, stories o f ill-fated women whose life ended in tragedy and disappoint ment. Millions o f women lead perfectly normal and happy lives as wife and mother, content to play an active supporting role in the background when their husbands devote themselves to their careers and public duties. A shining example o f this perhaps more tradi tional role for a woman is Mrs. Esther Lee. Since the untimely death o f her husband in 1983 ， Mrs. Lee has taken on a higher profile in public. She is today the Chairman o f Garden Hotel (Holdings) lim ite d , a member o f the National Committee o f the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Honorary President o f the Hong Kong Society for the Protection o f Children. Like her late husband, Dr. Richard Lee, who left a bequest o f $20 m illion to the University for research, academic and campus development, Mrs. Lee is a generous philanthropist in her own right and has helped countless people in countless number o f ways. Mr. Chancellor, in 1963 the University started out w ith 1600 students in three faculties; today it has 7300 students in five faculties. The growth in student numbers has been rapid, orderly and well conceived. The quality o f our graduates has also improved stead ily through the years. Central to a good university is the enthusiasm o f its Council, Senate, academic staff and students. We are very fortunate indeed in having had, in the Council, the enthusiastic support o f such wise men as Sir Quo-wei Lee, Dr. P.C. Woo, Sir Kenneth Fung Ping-fan ， Dr. J.S. Lee and Professor Y.C. Wong who were w ith us at the University's in ception and who are still w ith us today. One member o f the Council who served the University as well as any had been the late Dr. Richard Charles Lee. We take great pleasure, therefore, in honouring Dr. Lee's widow, Mrs. Esther Yewpick Lee, on this our 25th Anniversary. Dr. Lee and Mrs. Lee w ill, incidently, be the only husband and wife who have both been hon oured by the University, Dr. Lee having received his Doctor o f Laws degree in 1964 at our first degree- awarding congregation when the degree o f Doctor of Laws was also conferred on Dr. Clark Kerr who is here today. With these words, Mr. Chancellor, I present Mrs. Esther Yewpick Lee, philanthropist, protector o f children, friend and supporter o f the University, for the award o f the degree o f Doctor o f Social Science, honoris causa. 11