Hsue-Chu Tsien
Encyclopedia
Hsue-Chu Tsien, COL
(H.C. Tsien, 1914–1997; ), was an aeronautic
and mechanical
engineer
who played important roles in aircraft building
in both China and afterward the United States.
, the capital city of Zhejiang Province, China. Tsien was one of the 33rd-generational grandsons of Tsien Liu
, the King of Wuyue
. Tsien studied at Zhejiang Anding School (浙江安定學堂; currently Hangzhou No.7 High School) and Hangzhou High School
.
Tsien was admitted by the National Chekiang University (current Zhejiang University
) in Hangzhou. In 1931 August, Tsien chose the Jiaotong University
(later split into current Shanghai Jiao Tong University
in Shanghai, Xi'an Jiaotong University
in Xi'an
, and National Chiao Tung University
in Hsinchu
, Taiwan
) in Shanghai, and enrolled at the School of Mechanics. Tsien completed his internship at the National Central Aviation Academy (國立中央航空學校) in Jianqiao (筧桥, aka Chien Jiao), suburban of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.
Tsien graduated the top of 161 from the school of mechanics. Soon after graduation Tsien went to Beiping (current Beijing
) and became a teaching assistant
at Tsinghua University
where he taught undergraduate courses for one year.
In August 1935, Tsien won the Boxer Rebellion Indemnity Scholarship
. He went to study mechanics
and aeronautics
in the United States. In 1937, Tsien obtained his master's degree in aeronautical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
. In the same year, the Second Sino-Japanese War
broke out, Tsien continued staying in the United States and was in charge of importing plants for the Central Machinery Factory (中央機器厰) of the National Resources Commission
for the war-time China. Based on the Allies
' agreement, those plants were used to support the battlefront of the war.
In 1938, Tsien went to work in Switzerland
and returned in 1939. Tsien was pointed the deputy chief-engineer (the Chief Engineer
was Y. T. Li
) of the aircraft engine factory of the National Air Aviation Commission (國家航空委員會), which was the most important aircraft manufacturer of the Republic of China
during the World War II
. Because of the invasion of Japanese army
, the factory was relocated in Dading, Guizhou Province, the rear area and one of the logistic centers of China during the war.
In 1943, Tsien was sent to India
, and was responsible for organizing and importing necessary supplies into west China through India, to support the war. Because the east coastline and northeast China
were already occupied by Japanese army, and the Indochina
route was the only open way that Allies
can deliver supplies to China. Tsien also participated in the design and manufacture of vehicles and aircraft for battle and transport uses. Tsien was ranked Colonel
of the Republic of China Air Force
. Tsien made contributions for Allies to the victory
of the World War II East Asian battlefield.
After the end of the Second World War, Tsien and his family settled in the United States. Due to the queasy atmosphere of the following Cold War
and China's extreme turmoil, Tsien naturalized as an American citizen
after 1949. Tsien later served as the chief engineer of Boeing
.
In 1997, Tsien succumbed to cancer in California at age 83.
, also played important roles both in the United States and China (however, quite opposite to Hsue-Chu Tsien's first-ROC-then-USA, H.S. first served for the United States and subsequently after deportation
for PRC
). H.S. is a co-founding father of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
of NASA
(managed by Caltech). These two cousins had totally different destinies. After 1949, Hsue-Chu Tsien decided to stay and work in the United States; however H.S., a widely regarded victim of the McCarthyism
during 1950s, finally was deported and delivered from the United States to the communist China
in 1956. H.S. became the prominent leader of China's rocket and missile programs. In 1979, H.S. was awarded the prestigious Distinguished Alumni Award of Caltech, which he received in 2001. H.S., a senior academician of both the Chinese Academy of Sciences
and Chinese Academy of Engineering
, died in Beijing on October 31, 2009 at age 97.
Interestingly, Hsue-Chu Tsien and H.S. not only shared the same paternal grandfather, but also were school mates. They matriculated at the same university (Jiaotong University
) and studied the same major at the same school, with H.S. was one year senior.
Both Tsiens won the Boxer Rebellion Indemnity Scholarship and went to study in the United States in 1930s, with H.S. went to USA in August 1934, and Hsue-Chu Tsien followed after one year (in August 1935). They became school mates again in the United States, both studied at MIT, but H.S. later would transfer to Caltech.
During World War II, H.C. was given the military rank
of Air Force Colonel
by the Republic of China
when he served as the Deputy Chief Engineer
at the Dading Airplane Factory (大定飛機製造廠) in Dading, Guizhou Province. Approximately at the same time, H.S. was also temporarily given the military rank as Air Force Colonel, but by the United States Army
. In 1956 during the Sino-Soviet negotiation
, H.S. was again temporarily granted military rank but as the Lieutenant General
of the People's Liberation Army
; it was nominated by Zhou Enlai
and approved by Chairman Mao Zedong
.
, and whose brothers were also MIT alumni and engineering
professors at MIT. Two of Yi-Ying Tsien's brothers S. Y. Lee
and Y. T. Li
are members of the National Academy of Engineering
. Y. T. Li's wife, T.D. Lin (林同端), is the sister of Tung-Yen Lin who was also a member of the National Academy of Engineering and received the National Medal of Science
in 1986 from President Ronald Reagan
. Tung-Yen Lin's cousin Tung Hua Lin
was also a member of the National Academy of Engineering and received the Theodore von Karman Medal
in 1988. Tung Hua Lin's son Robert Lin
is a member of National Academy of Sciences
.
Hsue-Chu Tsien had three sons, the oldest Richard W. Tsien
is a famous neurobiologist at Stanford
who's also member of both the United States National Academy of Sciences
and Institute of Medicine
; the youngest - Roger Y. Tsien
is a cell biologist
who is the 2008 Nobel Chemistry Prize
Laureate.
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
(H.C. Tsien, 1914–1997; ), was an aeronautic
Aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering is the primary branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction and science of aircraft and spacecraft. It is divided into two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering...
and mechanical
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
who played important roles in aircraft building
Aircraft industry
The aircraft industry is the industry supporting aviation by building aircraft and manufacturing aircraft parts for their maintenance. This includes aircraft and parts used for civil aviation and military aviation. Most production is done pursuant to type certificates and Defense Standards issued...
in both China and afterward the United States.
Biography
Tsien was born in 1914 in HangzhouHangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
, the capital city of Zhejiang Province, China. Tsien was one of the 33rd-generational grandsons of Tsien Liu
Qian Liu
Qian Liu , courtesy name Jumei , nickname Poliu , formally King Wusu of Wuyue with the temple name of Taizu , was founder and first king of the Kingdom of Wuyue during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, ruling over roughly modern Zhejiang on the east coast of China.- Background :Qian...
, the King of Wuyue
Wuyue
Kingdom of Wuyue , 907-978, was a small independent coastal kingdom founded during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms of Chinese history. It was ruled by the Qian family, which remains widespread in the kingdom's former territory.-Founding:...
. Tsien studied at Zhejiang Anding School (浙江安定學堂; currently Hangzhou No.7 High School) and Hangzhou High School
Hangzhou High School
Hangzhou High School , or Hangzhou Senior High School, established in 1899, is a high school in China. There are 46 academicians who graduated from the institution.-Hanggao Observatory:...
.
Tsien was admitted by the National Chekiang University (current Zhejiang University
Zhejiang University
Zhejiang University , sometimes referred to as Zheda, is a national university in China. Founded in 1897, Zhejiang University is one of China's oldest institutions of higher education...
) in Hangzhou. In 1931 August, Tsien chose the Jiaotong University
Jiaotong University
Jiaotong University, Jiao Tong University or Chiao Tung University , located at Shanghai, Tangshan and Peking during the early period of twentieth century, was the predecessor of the following universities:...
(later split into current Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shanghai Jiao Tong University or SJTU), sometimes referred to as Shanghai Jiaotong University , is a top public research university located in Shanghai, China. Shanghai Jiao Tong University is known as one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in China...
in Shanghai, Xi'an Jiaotong University
Xi'an Jiaotong University
Xi'an Jiaotong University , also known as Xi'an Chiao Tung University, is a top Chinese university located in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, People's Republic of China. Xi'an Jiaotong University is located in Xi'an, the ancient capital of China...
in Xi'an
Xi'an
Xi'an is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty...
, and National Chiao Tung University
National Chiao Tung University
National Chiao Tung University is a public university located in Hsinchu, Taiwan. It is recognized as one of the most prestigious and selective universities in Taiwan and is renowned for its research and teaching excellence in electrical engineering, computer science, engineering, management, and...
in Hsinchu
Hsinchu
Hsinchu City is a city in northern Taiwan. Hsinchu is popularly nicknamed "The Windy City" for its windy climate.Hsinchu City is administered as a special municipality within Taiwan . The city is bordered by Hsinchu County to the north and east, Miaoli County to the south, and the Taiwan Strait...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
) in Shanghai, and enrolled at the School of Mechanics. Tsien completed his internship at the National Central Aviation Academy (國立中央航空學校) in Jianqiao (筧桥, aka Chien Jiao), suburban of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.
Tsien graduated the top of 161 from the school of mechanics. Soon after graduation Tsien went to Beiping (current Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
) and became a teaching assistant
Teaching assistant
A teaching assistant is an individual who assists a professor or teacher with instructional responsibilities. TAs include graduate teaching assistants , who are graduate students; undergraduate teaching assistants , who are undergraduate students; secondary school TAs, who are either high school...
at Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University , colloquially known in Chinese as Qinghua, is a university in Beijing, China. The school is one of the nine universities of the C9 League. It was established in 1911 under the name "Tsinghua Xuetang" or "Tsinghua College" and was renamed the "Tsinghua School" one year later...
where he taught undergraduate courses for one year.
In August 1935, Tsien won the Boxer Rebellion Indemnity Scholarship
Boxer Rebellion Indemnity Scholarship Program
The Boxer Indemnity Scholarship Program was a scholarship program funded by Boxer Rebellion indemnity money paid to the United States that provided for Chinese students to study in the U.S...
. He went to study mechanics
Mechanics
Mechanics is the branch of physics concerned with the behavior of physical bodies when subjected to forces or displacements, and the subsequent effects of the bodies on their environment....
and aeronautics
Aeronautics
Aeronautics is the science involved with the study, design, and manufacturing of airflight-capable machines, or the techniques of operating aircraft and rocketry within the atmosphere...
in the United States. In 1937, Tsien obtained his master's degree in aeronautical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
. In the same year, the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
broke out, Tsien continued staying in the United States and was in charge of importing plants for the Central Machinery Factory (中央機器厰) of the National Resources Commission
National Resources Commission
The National Resources Commission was a powerful organ of the Executive Yuan of the Republic of China that existed from 1932 to 1952 and was responsible for industrial development and the management of public enterprises. It was staffed entirely by technocrats who reported directly to the...
for the war-time China. Based on the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
' agreement, those plants were used to support the battlefront of the war.
In 1938, Tsien went to work in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and returned in 1939. Tsien was pointed the deputy chief-engineer (the Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer
In marine transportation, the chief engineer is a licensed mariner in charge of the engineering department on a merchant vessel. "Chief engineer" is the official title of someone qualified to oversee the entire engine department; the qualification is colloquially called a "chief's...
was Y. T. Li
Y. T. Li
Y. T. Li was an American engineer, physicist , inventor, educator, entrepreneur, and the Professor Emeritus in Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.-Biography:In 1934 Li graduated from the School of Engineering at Beiping...
) of the aircraft engine factory of the National Air Aviation Commission (國家航空委員會), which was the most important aircraft manufacturer of the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
during the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Because of the invasion of Japanese army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
, the factory was relocated in Dading, Guizhou Province, the rear area and one of the logistic centers of China during the war.
In 1943, Tsien was sent to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and was responsible for organizing and importing necessary supplies into west China through India, to support the war. Because the east coastline and northeast China
Manchukuo
Manchukuo or Manshū-koku was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China...
were already occupied by Japanese army, and the Indochina
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
route was the only open way that Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
can deliver supplies to China. Tsien also participated in the design and manufacture of vehicles and aircraft for battle and transport uses. Tsien was ranked Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
of the Republic of China Air Force
Republic of China Air Force
The Republic of China Air Force is the aviation branch of the Republic of China Armed Forces. The ROCAF's primary mission is the defense of the airspace over and around Taiwan...
. Tsien made contributions for Allies to the victory
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
of the World War II East Asian battlefield.
After the end of the Second World War, Tsien and his family settled in the United States. Due to the queasy atmosphere of the following Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
and China's extreme turmoil, Tsien naturalized as an American citizen
United States nationality law
Article I, section 8, clause 4 of the United States Constitution expressly gives the United States Congress the power to establish a uniform rule of naturalization. The Immigration and Naturalization Act sets forth the legal requirements for the acquisition of, and divestiture from, citizenship of...
after 1949. Tsien later served as the chief engineer of Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
.
In 1997, Tsien succumbed to cancer in California at age 83.
H.C. and H.S. Tsien
Tsien's cousin, the famous aerospace scientist and engineer Tsien Hsue-shen (H.S.)Tsien Hsue-shen
Qian Xuesen was a scientist who made important contributions to the missile and space programs of both the United States and People's Republic of China. Historical documents in the U. S. commonly refer to him with the earlier family-name last spelling, Hsue-Shen Tsien or H.S...
, also played important roles both in the United States and China (however, quite opposite to Hsue-Chu Tsien's first-ROC-then-USA, H.S. first served for the United States and subsequently after deportation
Deportation
Deportation means the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. Today it often refers to the expulsion of foreign nationals whereas the expulsion of nationals is called banishment, exile, or penal transportation...
for PRC
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
). H.S. is a co-founding father of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field center located in the San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The facility is headquartered in the city of Pasadena on the border of La Cañada Flintridge and Pasadena...
of NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
(managed by Caltech). These two cousins had totally different destinies. After 1949, Hsue-Chu Tsien decided to stay and work in the United States; however H.S., a widely regarded victim of the McCarthyism
McCarthyism
McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. The term has its origins in the period in the United States known as the Second Red Scare, lasting roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s and characterized by...
during 1950s, finally was deported and delivered from the United States to the communist China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
in 1956. H.S. became the prominent leader of China's rocket and missile programs. In 1979, H.S. was awarded the prestigious Distinguished Alumni Award of Caltech, which he received in 2001. H.S., a senior academician of both the Chinese Academy of Sciences
Chinese Academy of Sciences
The Chinese Academy of Sciences , formerly known as Academia Sinica, is the national academy for the natural sciences of the People's Republic of China. It is an institution of the State Council of China. It is headquartered in Beijing, with institutes all over the People's Republic of China...
and Chinese Academy of Engineering
Chinese Academy of Engineering
The Chinese Academy of Engineering is the national academy of the People's Republic of China for engineering. It was established in 1994 and is an institution of the State Council of China...
, died in Beijing on October 31, 2009 at age 97.
Interestingly, Hsue-Chu Tsien and H.S. not only shared the same paternal grandfather, but also were school mates. They matriculated at the same university (Jiaotong University
Jiaotong University
Jiaotong University, Jiao Tong University or Chiao Tung University , located at Shanghai, Tangshan and Peking during the early period of twentieth century, was the predecessor of the following universities:...
) and studied the same major at the same school, with H.S. was one year senior.
Both Tsiens won the Boxer Rebellion Indemnity Scholarship and went to study in the United States in 1930s, with H.S. went to USA in August 1934, and Hsue-Chu Tsien followed after one year (in August 1935). They became school mates again in the United States, both studied at MIT, but H.S. later would transfer to Caltech.
During World War II, H.C. was given the military rank
Military rank
Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms...
of Air Force Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
by the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
when he served as the Deputy Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer
In marine transportation, the chief engineer is a licensed mariner in charge of the engineering department on a merchant vessel. "Chief engineer" is the official title of someone qualified to oversee the entire engine department; the qualification is colloquially called a "chief's...
at the Dading Airplane Factory (大定飛機製造廠) in Dading, Guizhou Province. Approximately at the same time, H.S. was also temporarily given the military rank as Air Force Colonel, but by the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. In 1956 during the Sino-Soviet negotiation
Sino-Soviet relations
Sino-Soviet relations refers to the diplomatic relationship between China and the various forms of Soviet Power which emerged from the Russian Revolution of 1917 to 1991, when the Soviet Union ceased to exist.-Russian Civil War and Mongolia:...
, H.S. was again temporarily granted military rank but as the Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
of the People's Liberation Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
; it was nominated by Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai was the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, serving from October 1949 until his death in January 1976...
and approved by Chairman Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
.
The science and engineering dynasty
Hsue-Chu Tsien married Yi-Ying Tsien (Née: Li; 李懿颖), also an MIT alumnusAlumnus
An alumnus , according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is "a graduate of a school, college, or university." An alumnus can also be a former member, employee, contributor or inmate as well as a former student. In addition, an alumna is "a female graduate or former student of a school, college,...
, and whose brothers were also MIT alumni and engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
professors at MIT. Two of Yi-Ying Tsien's brothers S. Y. Lee
S. Y. Lee
S. Y. Lee , is an American inventor, engineer, physicist notable for his research and innovation in hydrodynamics-related technologies. Lee is also an entrepreneur, and Professor Emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.-Biography:Lee was born in 1922 and grew up in Beiping , China...
and Y. T. Li
Y. T. Li
Y. T. Li was an American engineer, physicist , inventor, educator, entrepreneur, and the Professor Emeritus in Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.-Biography:In 1934 Li graduated from the School of Engineering at Beiping...
are members of the National Academy of Engineering
National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
. Y. T. Li's wife, T.D. Lin (林同端), is the sister of Tung-Yen Lin who was also a member of the National Academy of Engineering and received the National Medal of Science
National Medal of Science
The National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral and social sciences, biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and...
in 1986 from President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
. Tung-Yen Lin's cousin Tung Hua Lin
Tung Hua Lin
Tung Hua Lin was a Chinese-American aerospace and structural engineer best known for designing China's first twin engine aircraft during World War II.-Early life and career:...
was also a member of the National Academy of Engineering and received the Theodore von Karman Medal
Theodore von Karman Medal
The Theodore von Karman Medal in Engineering Mechanics is awarded annually to an individual in recognition of his distinguished achievement in engineering mechanics, applicable to any branch of civil engineering...
in 1988. Tung Hua Lin's son Robert Lin
Robert Lin
Robert Lin is a professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley. His research focuses on experimental space physics and high energy astrophysics. He has made major contributions to topics involving solar flares, and plasma phenomenon in the Earth's magnetosphere...
is a member of National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
.
Hsue-Chu Tsien had three sons, the oldest Richard W. Tsien
Richard W. Tsien
Richard Winyu Tsien , is a renowned American neurobiologist. Tsien is the George D. Smith Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology at Stanford University. On January 2012, Dr...
is a famous neurobiologist at Stanford
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
who's also member of both the United States National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
and Institute of Medicine
Institute of Medicine
The Institute of Medicine is a not-for-profit, non-governmental American organization founded in 1970, under the congressional charter of the National Academy of Sciences...
; the youngest - Roger Y. Tsien
Roger Y. Tsien
Roger Yonchien Tsien is a Chinese American biochemist and a professor at the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego...
is a cell biologist
Cell biology
Cell biology is a scientific discipline that studies cells – their physiological properties, their structure, the organelles they contain, interactions with their environment, their life cycle, division and death. This is done both on a microscopic and molecular level...
who is the 2008 Nobel Chemistry Prize
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to scientists in the various fields of chemistry. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895, awarded for outstanding contributions in chemistry, physics, literature,...
Laureate.