Mr George Ho, the Hong Kong media mogul, passed away at the age of 95 on June 4, 2014. A pioneer and guru in broadcasting and telecommunications, Mr Ho founded Commercial Radio Hong Kong in 1959. He was also one of the founders of Commercial Television, which was established in 1975, and SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings in 1992.
Modest and unassuming, Mr Ho always found ways to give back to society and he had been a staunch supporter of The University. Over the years, Mr Ho generously donated $25 million, through the Jessie & George Ho Charitable Foundation, to the University to set up the M W Lo Memorial Scholarships, the M W Lo Memorial Scholarships for Outstanding Mainland Students and the Jessie Ho Memorial Postgraduate Fellowship. The Jessie Ho Professorship in Neuroscience and Jessie Ho Professorship in Spine Surgery were also established in loving memory of his wife.
Miss Wong Cho-Ying (BSocSc (GL) & LLB 2013, PCLL graduand) was a scholarship recipient of the M W Lo Memorial Scholarships when she was an undergraduate of the Politics and Law 5-year joint degree programme. Apart from easing her financial burdens, this scholarship also brought an additional surprise.
Mr Ho showed his care and kind-heartedness with an extraordinary decision. “In my previous thank-you letter to Mr Ho, I mentioned my family situation and hectic schedule tutoring secondary students to earn a living. What was really surprising was that, after reading the letter, Mr Ho spared the time to send a staff member to call me and understand my needs. What’s more, he offered an additional grant to me in my PCLL year. All this came so unexpectedly and I am forever grateful for his kindness.”
“I hope I can become a kind person like Mr Ho in the future and give a helping hand to those in need,” said Wong Cho-Ying.
Throughout his life, Mr George Ho dedicated himself to serving the Hong Kong community and his generous contributions to education have benefited generations of students. He and his good deeds will live long in our memory.
July 2014
