Li Zufa

Lee Tsu-fa, JP, English name: Tsu-fa Lee, was an entrepreneur in the insurance industry in the Republic of China and Hong Kong, as well as a prominent social figure. He was one of the earliest Chinese figures to run a modern life insurance business.

Biography

Born in Shanghai, his ancestral home was Zhenhai County, Ningbo Prefecture, Zhejiang. He came from the prominent Xiaogang Lee family and belonged to the fourth "Tsu" generation. He was the son of Lee Yun-shu, a major capitalist of Shanghai and former chairman of the Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce. In 1961, Hu Shih noted in his diary in Taiwan that Tsu-fa Lee's elder brother was Lee Tsu-shen (also known as Lee Zushen), a mining magnate who invested in establishing the mining department of Nankai University. He also mentioned that Lee Tsu-lai, Lee Tsu-han, and other Republican-era celebrities belonged to the same generation of the family. Hu also referred to his former student at Peking University, explorer Lee Gu-fan (also known as Lee Ping), as another member of the “Tsu” generation.

He studied at St. John's University, Shanghai, then went to the United States for further study. In 1919 (some sources state 1918), he graduated from Yale University with a bachelor's degree. After returning to China, he served as chairman of the board of Wing Hang Life Insurance Company.

In 1931, he served as general agent in China for Occidental Life Insurance Company, the largest American life insurer at the time. (Its building in Raleigh, North Carolina, now listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, later became part of Transamerica Corporation.) His performance was outstanding. When the Pacific War broke out in 1941, American companies ceased operations in China due to the conflict. Lee preserved all policyholder data. After World War II, he spent years tracking down clients and honored pre-war insurance commitments, earning him a sterling reputation in the industry.

In 1947, Occidental Life Insurance Company established its Asia headquarters in Hong Kong, where Lee relocated and resumed his role as general manager. He formed a close friendship with shipping magnate Tung Hao-yun, who addressed Lee as his elder brother. In 1957, Lee became a British citizen in Hong Kong.

He was a Justice of the Peace in Hong Kong, and one of the founding figures of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. From 1971 to 1978, he served as chairman of the university's board of trustees.

Family

Lee married three times. His first wife was Tang Ying, a Shanghai socialite said to be a descendant of Tang Zhongyou, a renowned official of the Southern Song dynasty. Due to incompatibility, they divorced. Tang later married Yung Hin-lun, son of Standard Chartered comprador Yung Yik-ting; her nephew Yung Wing-to became a well-known accountant in Hong Kong. His second wife was Esther Chan, and his third wife was Hu Caiqi.

His only son was Ming Cho Lee, born to Tang Ying, a renowned American stage designer who received the National Medal of Arts in the United States. Ming Cho Lee married Elizabeth Rapport and had three sons: Ru-an, Ru-ying, and Ru-ming. Three generations of the Lee family graduated from Yale University.