SIDNEY SHEA YING CHEN (陳石英)

(1890-1983) or Chen Shiying in Mandarin pinyin, was born in Shanghai in September, 1890. Graduating from Yen Tai Naval Academy in 1906, Chen prepared at the Waban School in Waban, Massachusetts before matriculating at MIT. While at MIT, he was a member of the Cosmopolitan Club and the Naval Architectural Society. In his sophomore year, he served as First Vice-President of the Cosmopolitan Club and in his junior year, he served as Vice President of the Naval Architectural Society. Chen was also a founding officer of the Chinese Students' Club, formed in April 1910. Chen graduated with the Class of 1913, earning a BS in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. Together with JP Constable, Chen wrote a thesis on the subject of "Test on Cowl Ventilators." Returning to China, he became a professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and then department chair. Taking on various leadership roles at the university, Chen eventually rose to the position of Vice President of Shanghai Jiao Tong. A renowned professor of thermal dynamics, Chen also chaired the Shanghai branch of the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society. With a successful career in academia, Chen took on political leadership roles after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. In 1954, he was a member of the first National Assembly of the People's Republic of China. A dedicated professor for decades at Shanghai Jiao Tong, Chen was remembered as a much-beloved teacher and colleague.