Lee Seng Tee

Lee Seng Tee
Born 16 April 1923(1923-04-16)
Singapore
Occupation Businessman
Nationality Singaporean
This is a Chinese name; the family name is Lee (李).

Dr Lee Seng Tee FBA (Chinese: 李成智; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Lí Sîng-tì) is a businessman and philanthropist from Singapore.

Born in Singapore in 1923, Lee is the second son[1] of Lee Kong Chian and grandson of Tan Kah Kee. He is a Director of the family's Lee Group of Companies, a Singapore-based conglomerate of firms in industries that include rubber, pineapple, banking and investments. Lee is among the 40 richest in Singapore[2] due primarily to his stake in the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC). In 2009, Forbes estimated his fortune, combined with that of his younger brother Lee Seng Wee, to be $800 million.[3]

Philanthropy

Deputy Chairman of Lee Foundation, Lee also supports education, particularly higher education, around the world through personal donations towards building libraries and reading rooms, as well as supporting the acquisition of published resources for some of the most famous libraries in the world, which include the Needham Research Institute at the University of Cambridge and the Bodleian Library[4] at the University of Oxford. He was named an honorary fellow of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals for his philanthropic support of libraries worldwide.[5]

In China, Lee's support for the Chinese Chess Association (中国国际象棋协会) has included the Lee Seng Tee Library[6] at the Chess Academy in Beijing, the ST Lee Beijing International Open, and the Lee Seng Tee Cup (李成智杯).[7] Other projects include the Lee Seng Tee Public Library (李成智公众图书馆)[8] in Nan'an City (南安市), Fujian Province, where his father was born.

Lee also funds projects and lecture series at universities, including Cambridge[9] and Oxford[10] in the United Kingdom, Stanford University[11] and Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, in the United States, the University of Sydney[12] in Australia, Victoria University of Wellington[13][14][15] in New Zealand, University of the Witwatersrand[16] in South Africa, and the National University of Singapore[17][18] The S.T. Lee Lectures provide a platform for scholars and policy-makers to address critical international issues.

Recognition

Lee is an Honorary Fellow of the British Academy (1998)[19] and Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2001),[20] as well as an Honorary Fellow of Wolfson College, Cambridge[21] and Oriel College, Oxford.[22] Lee is a Member of the Guild of Cambridge Benefactors.[23][24]

Lee graduated from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor's degree in economics in 1950.[25] Lee has also received honorary degrees from the Asian Institute of Technology (1998)[26] in Thailand, Victoria University (2006)[27] and Washington University in St. Louis (2008).[28]

In October 2009, he was conferred the NUS Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters by Singapore President and NUS Chancellor S R Nathan.[29]

Lee has a variety of bamboo, the Drepanostachyum falcatum var. sengteeanum, named after him.[30]

References

  1. ^ Lee Su Shyan "Two old S'pore families compete for Straits Trading", The Straits Times, Singapore, February 11, 2008. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  2. ^ "Singapore's 40 Richest: #32 Lee Seng Tee", Forbes.com, August 20, 2008. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  3. ^ "Singapore's 40 Richest: #9 Lee Seng Wee" Forbes.com, September 9, 2009. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  4. ^ "Radcliffe Camera" Bodleian Library, Oxford, March 13, 1999. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  5. ^ "Honorary Fellowship to Dr Lee Seng Tee for his philanthropic support of libraries in the UK and worldwide. News from CILIP, October 23, 2003. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  6. ^ "The Chinese Chess Association– Chess in China" Delivering Online Chess To The World © 2007. Retrieved on April 20, 2010.
  7. ^ "资料：李成智杯全国少年儿童国际象棋冠军赛" Yahoo Sports: Lee Seng Tee Cup, February 14, 2007. Retrieved on April 19, 2010.
  8. ^ "福建省李成智公众图书馆" 中国图书馆网, November 29, 2005. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  9. ^ "The Lee Seng Tee Distinguished Lecture Series" Wolfson College, Cambridge. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  10. ^ "The Lee Lecture in Political Science and Government" All Souls College, Oxford, January 28, 2010. Retrieved April 19, 2010
  11. ^ "S.T. Lee Lectureship - FSI Stanford" Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  12. ^ "The S.T. Lee Lecture" Sydney Law School, The University of Sydney, July 16, 2009. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  13. ^ "The S.T. Lee Lecture in Antarctic Studies" Antarctic Research Centre, Victoria University of Wellington. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  14. ^ "Official Opening of the S.T. Lee Library - 16 June 2005" Antarctic Research Centre, Victoria University of Wellington. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  15. ^ "S.T. Lee Young Researcher Travel Award" Antarctic Research Centre, Victoria University of Wellington. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  16. ^ "Foundation Annual Report 2007" The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  17. ^ "S.T. Lee Distinguished Annual Lecture: Universities for a Global Society" Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, October 27, 2009. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  18. ^ "S T Lee Project on Global Governance at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy" National University of Singapore, Academic Year 2007-2008. Retrieved on April 20, 2010.
  19. ^ "The S. T. Lee Library - British Academy" British Academy, Review July – December 1999. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  20. ^ "List of Active Members by Classes" American Academy, October 16, 2006. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  21. ^ "Wolfson College, Cambridge: Honorary Fellows" Wolfson College, Cambridge. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  22. ^ "Oriel College, Oxford: Honorary Fellows" Oriel College, Oxford. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  23. ^ "Professor Sir Alec Broers hosted a reception at the Old Schools for Dr and Mrs Seng Tee Lee following Dr Lee's admission as a Companion of the Guild of Cambridge Benefactors." Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  24. ^ "Cambridge University Alumni Office: Donor Recognition" Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  25. ^ "Seng Tee Lee, W'50" University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  26. ^ "AIT Honorary Degree To Be Conferred On Lee Seng Tee" Asian Institute of Technology. Retrieved on April 19, 2010.
  27. ^ "Philanthropist Lee Seng Tee received an honorary Doctor of Literature degree" Vice-Chancellor's Report, Victoria University. Last Updated: May 11, 2009. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  28. ^ "Washington University to award six honorary degrees at 147th Commencement" Washington University in St. Louis, May 1, 2008. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  29. ^ "Dr Lee Seng Tee receives NUS Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters" National University of Singapore, October 2, 2009. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  30. ^ Stapleton, C.M.A. (2006) "Drepanostachyum falcatum var. sengteeanum: Identity and origins (Poaceae: Bambusoideae). Sida 22 (2): 1081–1086." Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved April 19, 2010.