Ma Yuehan

Bronze on Gulangyu Island

Ma Yuehan (Chinese: 马约翰, 1883–1966) was a pioneer in physical education and modern Chinese sports. During his lifetime he was the professor of Physical Education at the Tsinghua University for 52 years.^[1]

Early life

Ma was born in 1882 on Gulangyu Island, Xiamen. He went on to study medicine at St. John's University and graduated in 1911. In addition, he went to the United States to further his education.^[2] In 1919, MA traveled to the United States to earn his BA from Springfield College.^[3] After graduating in 1920, he returned to China and was promoted to director of physical education, a position he held for the next nine years. He coached the Tsinghua University soccer team to victory in the North China Championship.

Career

In 1914, Ma worked at Tsinghua University as a physical education teacher. In 1926, he went on furlough and returned to Springfield College to earn his master's degree. From 1931 to 1932, he was the physical education director at Soochow University, and in 1934 he returned to his old position at Tsinghua College. In 1936, he coached the Chinese sports delegation to the 11th Olympic Games. In 1945, Ma became president of Tsinghua University.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he was elected the chairman of the All China Athletic Federation. This enabled him to play a significant contribution to Chinese sports by creating a system of sports school which recruited talented athletes and provide world class training facilities.^[4]

References