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 in many literature.
From May to Nov. 1948, Weng served as the President of the Executive Yuan of the Republic of China. The position is most commonly referred to as prime minister or premier.
Life
Early years
He was born in 1889 in Cixi , Ningbo , Zhejiang Province in late Qing Dynasty, and his courtesy name was Yongni . His father was a locally-famous businessman.
In 1902, he was only a 13-year old boy but won the title of "skillful writer" in the Imperial Examination. Later, he went to Shanghai and then entered a -speaking Catholic school there.
He obtained his doctor's degree on geology from the Catholic University of Leuven, Flanders, Belgium, in 1912. He was the first Chinese who held the western doctor's degree in geology.
ROC period
1912, after obtaining his doctor's degree in geology, he went back to China. He served as the Minister of Mine Industry and the Minister of Agriculture and Commerce, Beiyang Government. At the same time, he was also a lecturer and the chief professor of the National Research Institute of Geography.
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 Jul. 1931, he start serving as the president of Tsinghua University.
In 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 Military Government of the Republic of China, he served in the central government as the General Secretary of the Executive Yuan ; the Minister of Industry , Minister of Education , and the Minister of Economy .
Invited by Chiang Kai-shek, He served as the first President of the Executive Yuan of Nationalist Government .
Mar. 1948, he was selected to be a member of the Academia Sinica. After the establishment of the PRC, he also became a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences). The Academia Sinica is based in Taipei, with most members living in Taiwan and the United States.
After 1949 & Late years
After Chinese Civil War, he remained in Chinese Mainland and served in People's Political Consultative Conference.
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 two sons, the elder one named Weng Xinyuan , was a famous petroleum engineer who was killed in Cultural Revolution, the younger one was a pilot who was killed in the Second Sino-Japanese War.
The founder of Chinese modern geophysics - Weng Wenbo , an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is his cousin.
Weng Xinzhi , academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, is his nephew.
Major works
Studies of Earthquakes in Gansu Procince
A Brief Record of Minerals in China
Literary Collection of Zhuizhi
Mourn for Mr. DING Zai-Jun
Earthquake
Quadrumana Fossils in China
The First Record on Chinese Mine Industry
Paleozoic Plant Fossils in the Middle Part of Shanxi Province
An Elementary Introduction to Earthquake
Lectures on Geology
Books on him
Chronicle of Weng Wenhao, , Oct. 2005
Weng Wenhao's Outstanding Contributions to Chinese Oil Industry,
Selected Works of Weng Wenhao
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