Kwok Chan (, 1904 – 17 June 1967) was a Hong Kong businessman and member of the

Executive Council of Hong Kong The Executive Council of Hong Kong (ExCo) is the cabinet of the Government of Hong Kong, acting as a formal body of advisers to the Chief Executive of Hong Kong that serves as a core policy-making organ assisting the Chief Executive. It is ...

Early life

Kwok was the second son of the Hong Kong businessman Kwok Shiu-lau. He was born in Hong Kong and was educated at the

Diocesan Boys' School The Diocesan Boys' School (DBS) is a day and boarding Anglican boys' school in Hong Kong, located at 131 Argyle Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon near Mong Kok East station. The school's mission is "to provide a liberal education based on Christian pr ...

. He studied business at the

University of Hong Kong The University of Hong Kong (HKU) (Chinese: 香港大學) is a public research university in Hong Kong. Founded in 1887 as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese, it is the oldest tertiary institution in Hong Kong. HKU was also the f ...

and joined

Banque de l'Indochine The Banque de l'Indochine (), originally Banque de l'Indo-Chine ("Bank of Indochina"), was a bank created in 1875 in Paris to finance French colonial development in Asia. As a bank of issue in Indochina until 1952 (and in French Paci ...

法國東方匯理銀行 (currently

Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank (Crédit Agricole CIB, formerly Crédit Agricole Indosuez then Calyon) is Crédit Agricole's corporate and investment banking entity. With a staff of 8,940 employeesActivity report 2021 (excludin ...

) as comprador, equivalent of Chinese manager, after his graduation.

Home

Kwok Chan inherited 101 Robinson Road in Mid-Levels in 1936, part of his father's Kwok Compound IL 719 that consisted of 97, 99 & 101 Robinson Road, and raised his family there.

Pre-war career

In 1925 during the large-scale

Canton–Hong Kong strike The Canton–Hong Kong strike was a strike and boycott that took place in British Hong Kong and Guangzhou (Canton), Republic of China, from June 1925 to October 1926.Jens Bangsbo, Thomas Reilly, Mike Hughes. 995(1995). Science and Football III: ...

, he joined the Special Police Reserve to help maintain order. He joined the established Police Reserve afterward. In 1930 and 1933, he became the director of the

Tung Wah Hospital Tung Wah Hospital is a Charitable hospital in Hong Kong under the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals. Located above Possession Point, at 12 Po Yan Street in Sheung Wan, it is the first hospital established in Colonial Hong Kong for the general publi ...

and the

Po Leung Kuk The Po Leung Kuk, founded as the Society for the Protection of Women and Children, is a charitable organisation in Hong Kong that provides support for orphaned children, education and other services. History In the late 19th century, abd ...

, then the two largest charities for the Chinese community in Hong Kong. He held many positions in various sectors, such as vice-chairman of the Chin Woo Athletic Association, chief secretary of the football club Chinese Athletic Association, chairman of the Chinese Swimming Association, member of the financial committee of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, treasurer of the Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children, founder of the Boys' and Girls' Clubs Association of Hong Kong, member of the council of the Kowloon Tong School and vice-chairman of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce. He was made Justice of the Peace in 1941. During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, he was appointed member of the Chinese Cooperative Council, a puppet advisory council set up by the Japanese.

Post-war career

After the Pacific War, he became the chairman of the South China Athletic Association, president of the Hong Kong Football Association and the Asian Football Confederation. He was also member of the council of the University of Hong Kong, Diocesan Boys' School, and St. Stephen's College, Hong Kong, St. Stephen's College. He became the head of the St. John Ambulance Brigade and Rotary and vice-chairman of the Red Cross Hong Kong. For the Chinese community, he was vice-chairman of the Chinese Temples Committee. He was appointed by the government member of the Licensing Board, Business Advisory Board, Fishing Advisory Board. From 1950 to 1957, he was the unofficial member of the Urban Council of Hong Kong. He had also acted as unofficial member of the Executive Council of Hong Kong, Executive Council. He was also representative for Hong Kong in the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East in 1949, 1953, 1954 and 1958. He was rewarded Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1953 and Légion d'honneur in 1955. He was promoted to Commander of the St John International, Order of St John in 1957 and Knight of the Order of St John in 1961. In 1962, he was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire. In 1960, he became vice-chairman of the board of the Hang Seng Bank. He was also director of many companies such as Hong Kong Electric Company, Hong Kong and Yaumati Ferry Company, A.S. Watson Group, A. S. Watson & Company, Kowloon Motor Bus, Rediffusion Television, Dah Chong Hong Limited, Hong Kong Settlers Housing Corporation, Oriental Express Limited and Borneo, Greenland & Company. Kwok died at Queen Mary Hospital (Hong Kong), Queen Mary Hospital on 17 June 1967 at the age of 67.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kwok, Chan 1904 births 1967 deaths Alumni of the University of Hong Kong Alumni of St. John's Hall, University of Hong Kong Hong Kong bankers Hong Kong collaborators with Imperial Japan Hong Kong philanthropists Members of the Executive Council of Hong Kong Members of the Urban Council of Hong Kong Presidents of the Asian Football Confederation Association football executives Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Commanders of the Order of St John Recipients of the Legion of Honour 20th-century philanthropists