Weng Wenhao

Weng Wenhao (26 July 1889 – 27 January 1971) was a Chinese geologist and politician. He was one of the earliest modern Chinese geologists, and is regarded as the founder of modern Chinese geology and the father of modern Chinese oil industry. From May to November 1948, Weng served as President of the Executive Yuan (Premier) of the Republic of China.

Early years
He was born in 1889 in Cixi, Zhejiang in late Qing dynasty, and his courtesy name was Yongni (咏霓). His father was a local businessman.

In 1902, he earned the xiucai degree in the Imperial Examination at the age of only 13 He later studied at a French Catholic school in Shanghai.

He obtained his Doctor's degree on geology from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, in 1912. He was the first Chinese person to hold a western Doctor's degree in geology.

ROC period
After returning to China in 1912, Weng served as Minister of Mine Industry and Minister of Agriculture and Commerce, in the Beiyang Government. He was a professor (and director from 1914) of the National Research Institute of Geography. Together with Ding Wenjiang, he founded the new National Geological Survey.

He was also a professor of geology in both Beijing University and Tsinghua University. He once was the head of the Department of Geography, Tsinghua University. In July 1931, he was appointed acting president of Tsinghua University.

In 1928, he assisted Canadian paleoanthropologist Davidson Black in the establishment of the Cenozoic Research Laboratory for the research and appraisal of Peking Man fossils unearthed at Zhoukoudian.

During the period of Central (Provisional) Military Government of the Republic of China, he served in the central government as the General Secretary of the Executive Yuan (13 December 1935 – 9 September 1937); the Minister of Industry (until 1 January 1938), Minister of Education (28 October 1932 – 21 April 1933), and the Minister of Economy (1 January 1938 – 1947).

Invited by Chiang Kai-shek, he served as the first president of the Executive Yuan of Nationalist Government (capital Nanjing) (25 May 1948 – 26 November 1948).

In March 1948, he was elected a founding member of Academia Sinica.

People's Republic of China
After the Chinese Civil War, he moved to Beijing and served in the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) with his longtime associate Qian Changzhao.

During the Cultural Revolution, he was specially protected by Zhou Enlai. In 1971, he died in Beijing.

Academic achievements & activities

 * One of the founders of modern Chinese geography;
 * Set up modern Chinese oil industry;
 * Studies of the Peking Man;
 * Studies of earthquake in China.

Family
He had four sons, the eldest one named Weng Xinyuan (翁心源), was a famous petroleum engineer who was killed in the Cultural Revolution, the second oldest one named Weng Xinhan (翁心翰) was a Chinese Air Force pilot, and veteran of the Battle of Sichuan, who was killed later in the Second Sino-Japanese War/WWII.

The founder of Chinese modern geophysics - Weng Wenbo (翁文波), an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is his cousin.

Wen Xinzhi (engineer) (翁心植), academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, is his nephew.

Major works

 * Studies of Earthquakes in Gansu Procince (《甘肃地震考》)
 * A Brief Record of Minerals in China (《中国矿产志略》)
 * Literary Collection of Zhuizhi (《椎指集》)
 * Mourn for Mr. Ding Zai-Jun (《追悼丁在君先生》)
 * Earthquake (《地震》)
 * Quadrumana Fossils in China (《中国灵长类动物化石》)
 * The First Record on Chinese Mine Industry (《第一次中国矿业纪要》)
 * Paleozoic Plant Fossils in the Middle Part of Shanxi Province (《山西中部古生代植物化石》)
 * An Elementary Introduction to Earthquake (《地震浅说》)
 * Lectures on Geology (《地质学讲义》)