Bulletin Spring‧Summer 1998

CITATION Dr. Deanna Lee Rudgard BA, MA, BM, BCh D eanna Lee Rudgard is b o th medical d o c t or a nd e n t r e p r e n e u r. These occupations seem to be i n conflict, even contradictory in nature. H o w d i d she manage to be both? As a small girl she had an ambition to become a medical doctor, pestering her late father. Dr. the Honourable Richard Charles Lee, to allow her to pursue this fervent wish, r a t h er t h an b e c o m i ng a y o u n g w o m a n d e s t i n ed o n ly f or a t r a d i t i o n al Chinese marriage. Her spirit and mettle even as a child must have been considerable, because her father at length succumbed, though on one v e ry d i f f i c u l t, unreasonable c o n d i t i o n— t h o u gh an obvious one to h i m, being an Oxford man—that she w o u l d be allowed to pursue a medical education, but only if she could get to Oxford to do it. After early education in Ho ng Kong, she left home at the age of 12 to board at Upper Chine School i n the Isle of Wight, where, a l t h o u gh t h ey h a d an e x c e l l ent a nd distinguished English department, there was no science taught in the sixth form. I n the face of t h is p r e p o s t e r o us s i t u a t i o n, she yet managed to arrange to take science subjects at the boys' grammar school, Sandown, and, a r med w i t h f o ur levels, passed the entrance examination to St. Hilda's College, O x f o rd to read med i c i ne. She practised afterwards in the National Health Service and there encountered the ills a nd the social problems of post-war Britain. Du r i ng these years, ma r r i ed already, she also set about r a i s i ng a f a m i l y of three c h i l d r en w h o , between them, have also produced another medical doctor and continued the Ox f o rd connexion. I suspect that Dr. Rudgard is as mu ch their 'pride and joy' as they are hers. These experiences, the difficulties as well as the largely happy years as a student, have g i v en her a p r o f o u nd u n d e r s t a n d i ng of h uman needs, above all the need to nurture, encourage, and support the young. In late 1982 she went to Switzerland, scene of her y ou t h f ul holidays, in order to do voluntary w o r k for the World Health Organization. The sudden death of her father in 1983 necessitated her r e t u r n to H o n g K o n g, involvement w i t h the family businesses, and the ' r e t o o l i n g' process of b e c om i ng an entrepreneur. Currently a director of Hysan Development Company Limited, Lee Hysan Estate C omp a ny L i m i t e d, Ga r den Ho t e l, Guangzhou, and of N . M. Rothschild and Sons (Hong Kong) Limited, she has been faced w i t h difficult decisions, where business considerations must be satisfied. She has never lost sight, however, of her determination to help people, especially the young. This explains her involvement in managing the Lee Hysan Foundation and i n a number of endeavours such as the Asian Youth Orchestra, the Rhodes Scholarship Selection Committee, and the Asian Cultural Council. She is delighted to find g r ow i ng numbers of young people she has encouraged and helped i n practical ways n ow vigorously pursuing their artistic careers. Chinese University Bulletin Spring . Summer 1998 6