Professor Tsen-cha Tsao, known to his friends as T.C.,died in New York City on May 23, less than five months before his 100th birthday. Mr. Tsao was born in Shanghai on October 16, 1901. He graduated from Chiao-tung Un8versity in shanghai in 1924, was trained in England in 1925 on a Chinese government scholarship, studied in Germany on telecommunications, and received a master's degree from Harvard University in 1929.
He taught at Zhejiang University from 1929 to 1932, served as director of the Zhejiang Provincial Telephone Administration (1932-43 and currently as Commissioner for Telecommunication for southeastern China (1938-1942) and Commissioner for Public Utilities for Greater shanghai (1945-1049 and Secretary General of the National Communications Rehabilitation Commission (1949). Mr. Tsao came to the United States to study the Tennessee Valley Authority and remained in the country.
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In the United States, he worked for Consolidated Edison in new York, a consultant to the McGraw-Hill Book company, and a senior research engineer, Columbia University Riverside Research Institute involved in defense-related work. He retired from Columbia University in 1971.
He maintain ed a close tie with Chiao-tung University for over 70 years. He promoted the reestablishment of Chiao-tung University in Taiwan in 1957 and was considered as its founding father. For two decades, during the 1960s and 1970s, Professor Tsao visited Taiwan annually to conduct seminars on modern engineering and technology.
Professor Tsao received many honors, including the Order of Golden Leaf, first class medal from President Chiang Kai-shek for his contributions during the war against Japan, an honorary doctorate from Chiao-tung University, and a reading room named after him at Chiao-tung University.
Professor was very active in Chinese circles.. He revived the Chinese Institute of Engineers in the 1950s, played a significant role of the Phi Tau Phi Scholastic Honor Society, a Chinese counterpart of Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Lambda, and a strong support of the Temple of Enlightenment in the Bronx, New York, and a founding member of the Buddhist Association in the United States. The Temple of Enlightenment and the Chuan Yen Monastery are both operated by the Association. Professor Tsao's first wife, Winifred Chang died in 1963. He is survived by his wife, Christina Ching, and many children, grand children, and great-grandsons.