Li Siguang (; 26 October 1889 – 29 April 1971), also known as J. S. Lee, was a Chinese geologist and politician. He was the founder of China's geomechanics. He was an ethnic Mongol. He made outstanding contributions, which changed the situation of "oil deficiency" in the country, enabling the large-scale development of oil fields to raise the country to the ranks of the world's major oil producers.

Biography

Li was born as Li Zhongkui () in Huanggang, Hubei Province. His paternal grandfather was a Mongolian beggar who migrated to

Hubei Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The p ...

in search of a better livelihood, and his family originally had the Mongol surname "Kuli" () or "Ku" (). He was often known in English as J. S. Lee (J for Zhongkui/Jung-kuei, S for Siguang). Li studied in Osaka Technical College in Japan and the

University of Birmingham , mottoeng = Through efforts to heights , established = 1825 – Birmingham School of Medicine and Surgery1836 – Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery1843 – Queen's College1875 – Mason Science College1898 – Mason Univers ...

in UK in his early years. He became a geological professor at

Peking University Peking University (PKU; ) is a public research university in Beijing, China. The university is funded by the Ministry of Education. Peking University was established as the Imperial University of Peking in 1898 when it received its royal charte ...

upon his return from abroad in 1920. Li Siguang was

Wuhan University Wuhan University (WHU; ) is a public research university in Wuhan, Hubei. The university is sponsored by the Ministry of Education. Wuhan university was founded as one of the four elite universities in the early republican period of China and ...

building preparatory chairman from July 1928 to April 1938. He was the president of

National Central University National Central University (NCU, ; Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ''Kwet-li̍p Chung-yong Thài-ho̍k'', Wade–Giles: ''Kuo2 Li4 Chung Yang Ta4 Hsüeh2'' or ''中大'', ''Chung-ta'') is a public research university with long-standing traditions based in Taiw ...

(

Nanjing University Nanjing University (NJU; ) is a national public research university in Nanjing, Jiangsu. It is a member of C9 League and a Class A Double First Class University designated by the Chinese central government. NJU has two main campuses: the Xian ...

) in 1932. After the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

was established, Li held the positions of vice president of the

Chinese Academy of Sciences The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); ), known by Academia Sinica in English until the 1980s, is the national academy of the People's Republic of China for natural sciences. It has historical origins in the Academia Sinica during the Republi ...

(CAS) and minister of

geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other Astronomical object, astronomical objects, the features or rock (geology), rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology ...

. After the end of the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goa ...

(1966–1976), Xu Chi published Li's biography entitled ''The Light of Geology'' (), which was widely read and made Li a household name in China.

Family

Li Siguang's daughter Li Lin was a physicist and academician of the CAS. She married

Chen-Lu Tsou Zou Chenglu (; 17 May 1923 – 23 November 2006), better known as Chen-Lu Tsou, was a Chinese biochemist. He was a professor of the Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and later a professor and Deputy Director of the Institute of Biophysics, ...

(Zou Chenglu), a distinguished biochemist and academician, while they were both attending the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

in England. Li's family is thus the only one in China that has produced three academicians. Li Lin's daughter, Zou Zongping () followed her grandfather's footsteps and became a geologist.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Li, Siguang 1889 births 1971 deaths Osaka University alumni Alumni of the University of Birmingham Chinese expatriates in the United Kingdom 20th-century Chinese geologists Chinese people of Mongolian descent China University of Geosciences faculty Foreign Members of the USSR Academy of Sciences Members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Members of Academia Sinica National Central University faculty Educators from Hubei Peking University faculty People's Republic of China politicians from Hubei National Wuhan University alumni Presidents of Wuhan University Politicians from Huanggang Scientists from Hubei Vice Chairpersons of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Burials at Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery