Lim Boon Keng (1869-1957), a Chinese doctor, promoted social and educational reforms in Singapore and China. He campaigned against opium smoking, which had become a widespread problem throughout the region. At a time when many in East Asia considered it unnecessary for girls to go to school, he actively promoted education for young women. In 1899, he helped to found the Singapore Chinese Girls School.
Lim Boon Keng was born in Singapore. In 1887, he became the first Chinese person to win a Queen’s scholarship, which he used to study medicine at Edinburgh University in Scotland. He completed his degree in 1892 and returned to Singapore the following year.
Lim served as a member of the Singapore Legislative Council from 1895 to 1902. In 1900, he helped found the Straits Chinese British Association, a group which promoted the interests of the Chinese in the Straits Settlements. From 1921 to 1936, Lim Boon Keng served as vice chancellor of Amoy University (now Xiamen University) in China. He returned to Singapore in 1937.
