Dhun Jehangir Ruttonjee

The Hon.
Dhun Jehangir Ruttonjee
CBE, JP, Hon LL D
Born (1903-07-10)July 10, 1903
British Hong Kong
Died July 28, 1974(1974-07-28) (aged 71)
British Hong Kong
Nationality British
Alma mater University of Hong Kong
Title Senior Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong
Term 29 June 1962 - 26 June 1968
Predecessor Kwok Chan
Successor Kan Yuet-keung
Parent(s)
Dhun Jehangir Ruttonjee
Traditional Chinese 鄧律敦治

Dhun Jehangir Ruttonjee CBE JP (1903–1974) was a leader of the Indian community in Hong Kong.[1] He was chairman of the Hong Kong Anti-Tuberculosis and Thoracic Diseases Association [zh] and a Legislative Councillor.

Ruttonjee was the son of businessman and philanthropist Jehangir Ruttonjee.

Biography

Ruttonjee was born in Hong Kong in 1903 to prominent Parsee Jehangir Hormusjee Ruttonjee. He attended St Joseph's College and was an undergraduate at the University of Hong Kong, although, like many of his fellows at the university before the war, he left early to join the family business.[1]

One of Ruttonjee's sisters, Tehmi Ruttonjee-Desai, died of tuberculosis in 1943, spurring his father to found the Hong Kong Anti-Tuberculosis Association [zh] in 1948, of which Dhum Ruttonjee was chairman from 1964 until his death (succeeding Donovan Benson [zh], preceding Seaward Woo).[2][3][4]

In 1942, during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, Ruttonjee family properties Dina House and Ruttonjee Building on Duddell Street were beleaugered by Japanese guards for several weeks. In 1944, Ruttonjee and his father were arrested, tortured and sentenced to five years' imprisonment, of which they served nine months before the liberation of the city. They were accused of aiding those at the Stanley Internment Camp and general anti-Japanese activity.[5]

He was appointed Justice of the Peace after the war, in 1947.[6] He was made an Unofficial member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong in 1953.[1] In the Council, he sat on the Kaitak Progress Committee alongside Ngan Shing-kwan and Charles Terry.[7] Ruttonjee was made Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1957, and Commander in 1964, for public services. He served on the Legislative Council until 1968.[3] He was known to often wear an orchid, a fact mentioned when he received the degree of Doctor of Laws honoris causa from the University of Hong Kong the next year.[6] Ruttonjee died on 28 July 1974.[3]

Legislative Council of Hong Kong
Preceded by
Kwok Chan
Senior Unofficial Member
in Legislative Council

1962–1968
Succeeded by
Kan Yuet-keung
Non-profit organization positions
Preceded by
Donovan Benson [zh]
Chairman of the
Hong Kong Tuberculosis Association

1964–1974
Succeeded by
Seaward Woo

References

  1. 1 2 3 Growing with Hong Kong: the University and its graduates; the first 90 years; a convocation project (Reprinted ed.). Hong Kong University Press. 2002. ISBN 9622096131.
  2. The Royal Naval Hospital, Hong Kong, private website citing Harland, Kathleen, The Royal Navy in Hong Kong since 1841, Maritime Books, Liskeard, Cornwall, undated; and Melson, Commodore P.J., (ed.), ', Edinburgh Financial Publishing, Hong Kong, 1997
  3. 1 2 3 "Prominent philanthropist died", South China Morning Post, 29 July 1974.
  4. "60th Anniversary Commemorative Album" (PDF). Hong Kong Tuberculosis, Chest & Heart Diseases Association. 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  5. Holdsworth, May, and Christopher Munn (2012). Dictionary of Hong Kong Biography. Hong Kong University Press. Print. Excerpts via Hugh Farmer (22 May 2016). Jehangir Hormusjee Ruttonjee – founder of Hong Kong Brewers and Distillery Ltd (weblog post). The Industrial History of Hong Kong Group. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  6. 1 2 Young, Leonard Kenneth (1969). "The Hon Dhun Jehangir RUTTONJEE". 72nd Honorary Degrees Congregation (citation). University of Hong Kong. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  7. "Official Report of Proceedings." (PDF). Hong Kong Legislative Council. 26 March 1958. Retrieved 16 May 2017.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.