Ping Tom
Encyclopedia
Ping Tom ' onMouseout='HidePop("26405")' href="/topics/Pinyin">pinyin
: Tān Jìpíng) was a Chinese American
businessman
and civic leader in Chicago
.
after her sister, Mary Goo, Tom Y. Chan
's first wife, died from influenza. Mary Goo had two children: Florence and Grace. Lillian had six children: Priscilla, Helene, Eunice, Mary, Tom (Chung) and Ping.
Ping Tom married Valerie Ching (born September 15, 1934) of Honolulu, Hawaii
on October 11, 1958. They met in Chicago
while Mr. Tom was attending law school at Northwestern and Valerie attended the Gregg
Court Reporting School, which was then associated with Northwestern. They had two children:
. He then won a high-school scholarship to Francis W. Parker School
in Chicago
. Mr. Tom won the Parker scholarship over his best friend, Robert Henry Lawrence, Jr.
, who went on to become the first African-American astronaut
. Mr. Tom graduated from Parker
in 1952. Both of his sons, Darryl (Class of 1988) and Curtis (Class of 1990), as well as Trace Lawrence (Class of 1977), Mr. Lawrence's son, also attended Francis W. Parker School
.
In an article Mr. Tom wrote for the Parker
Weekly in 1988, he stated that his experience at Parker
shaped and influenced his life in two ways. First, Parker's atmosphere of encouragement helped him build self-confidence. Second, Parker's diversity taught him to develop "mutual respect and caring for those of a different race, ethnicity and religion." In fact, he noted that he had not known a Jewish person until he attended Parker.
Mr. Tom then attended Northwestern University
where he entered a special six-year dual degree program to obtain a bachelor's degree concurrently with a Juris Doctor
from Northwestern University School of Law
, receiving his B.A. in Economics in 1956 and his J.D. in 1958.
-Vice president, 1966-72; President, 1972-1995
-Vice president, 1958-1966; President, 1972-1995
-President, 1980-1995
-President, 1980-1995
-President, 1980-1995
Chinese Trading Company and Chinese Noodle Company were founded by Tom Y. Chan
. The other companies were acquired by the Tom family later.
After his older brother, Chung, died of a heart attack
in 1980, Mr. Tom became president of all of the above companies. His sisters, Helene, Eunice, and Mary also worked for the family business, as did his nephews, Jan Wong (Eunice's son) and Chip Tom (Chung's son).
Mr. Tom was a leader not only in the Chinese community, but in the broader Asian American
community as well. His beaming smile and calm demeanor endeared him to people of all backgrounds. Friends say that he had a natural ability resolve differences among people. He was one of the thirteen original founders of the Asian American Coalition of Chicago, an organization that annually brings together diverse Asian communities, including Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Thai, Vietnamese, and Cambodian, among others.
Furthermore, some say that because he was a second generation native English speaker, he had an easier time working with mainstream (non-Asian) organizations and even politicians. Mr. Tom was an advisor to U.S. Senators (Paul Simon
, Carol Moseley-Braun), Illinois governors (James R. Thompson
, Jim Edgar
), and Chicago mayors (the late Harold Washington
and Richard M. Daley
).
Outside of family and the family businesses, Mr. Tom's greatest achievement was his work on Chinatown Square, a $100 million plus residential and commercial expansion of Chinatown
on 32 acres (129,499.5 m²) of land purchased from the Santa Fe Railroad. As president of the Chinese American Development Corporation, founded in 1984, he unfortunately did not have the chance to see the bustling development that it has become. It was his desire to expand Chinatown
so that there would be more room for his fellow Chinese to live and work. He was recently recognized as one of Chicago magazine's top 40 Chicago pioneers for his efforts.
Following his sudden death in 1995 due to pancreatic cancer
, Mr. Tom's wish that a park be built for Chinatown
residents came true on October 2, 1999, when the Chicago Park District
dedicated the 12 acres (48,562.3 m²) Ping Tom Memorial Park
next to the Chinatown Square in his name. In 2005, a bust of Mr. Tom was installed in the park to commemorate the 10th anniversary of his death.
The Asian American Coalition of Chicago has since named its highest award, the Pan Asian American award, after him in his honor.
while he was raising awareness and money for the causes he supported.
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: Tān Jìpíng) was a Chinese American
Chinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
businessman
Businessperson
A businessperson is someone involved in a particular undertaking of activities for the purpose of generating revenue from a combination of human, financial, or physical capital. An entrepreneur is an example of a business person...
and civic leader in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
Early life
Mr. Tom was the youngest of eight children. His mother, Lillian Goo, married Tom Y. ChanTom Y. Chan
Tom Young Chan was a Chinese American businessman and civic leader in Chicago. He was a leading supporter of the Kuomintang in the United States, and helped raise money for both Sun Yat-sen and General Chiang Kai-shek...
after her sister, Mary Goo, Tom Y. Chan
Tom Y. Chan
Tom Young Chan was a Chinese American businessman and civic leader in Chicago. He was a leading supporter of the Kuomintang in the United States, and helped raise money for both Sun Yat-sen and General Chiang Kai-shek...
's first wife, died from influenza. Mary Goo had two children: Florence and Grace. Lillian had six children: Priscilla, Helene, Eunice, Mary, Tom (Chung) and Ping.
Marriage and children
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
on October 11, 1958. They met in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
while Mr. Tom was attending law school at Northwestern and Valerie attended the Gregg
John Robert Gregg
John Robert Gregg was an educator, publisher, humanitarian, and the inventor of the eponymous shorthand system Gregg Shorthand.-Childhood:...
Court Reporting School, which was then associated with Northwestern. They had two children:
- Darryl Tom (born March 13, 1970)
- Curtis Tom (born August 13, 1972)
Education
Mr. Tom attended Haines School in ChinatownChinatown, Chicago
The Chinatown neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois, is on the South Side , centered on Cermak and Wentworth Avenues, and is an example of an American Chinatown, or ethnic-Chinese neighborhood. By the [ftp://ftp2.census.gov/census_2000/datasets/demographic_profile/Illinois/2kh17.pdf 2000 Census], has...
. He then won a high-school scholarship to Francis W. Parker School
Francis W. Parker School (Chicago)
Francis W. Parker School is an independent day school serving students from junior kindergarten through grade twelve of high school. Located in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood, the school is based on the progressive educational philosophies of John Dewey and Colonel Francis Wayland Parker,...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. Mr. Tom won the Parker scholarship over his best friend, Robert Henry Lawrence, Jr.
Robert Henry Lawrence, Jr.
Robert Henry Lawrence, Jr. was a United States Air Force officer and the first African-American astronaut.-Early years:...
, who went on to become the first African-American astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
. Mr. Tom graduated from Parker
Francis W. Parker School (Chicago)
Francis W. Parker School is an independent day school serving students from junior kindergarten through grade twelve of high school. Located in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood, the school is based on the progressive educational philosophies of John Dewey and Colonel Francis Wayland Parker,...
in 1952. Both of his sons, Darryl (Class of 1988) and Curtis (Class of 1990), as well as Trace Lawrence (Class of 1977), Mr. Lawrence's son, also attended Francis W. Parker School
Francis W. Parker School (Chicago)
Francis W. Parker School is an independent day school serving students from junior kindergarten through grade twelve of high school. Located in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood, the school is based on the progressive educational philosophies of John Dewey and Colonel Francis Wayland Parker,...
.
In an article Mr. Tom wrote for the Parker
Francis W. Parker School (Chicago)
Francis W. Parker School is an independent day school serving students from junior kindergarten through grade twelve of high school. Located in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood, the school is based on the progressive educational philosophies of John Dewey and Colonel Francis Wayland Parker,...
Weekly in 1988, he stated that his experience at Parker
Francis W. Parker School (Chicago)
Francis W. Parker School is an independent day school serving students from junior kindergarten through grade twelve of high school. Located in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood, the school is based on the progressive educational philosophies of John Dewey and Colonel Francis Wayland Parker,...
shaped and influenced his life in two ways. First, Parker's atmosphere of encouragement helped him build self-confidence. Second, Parker's diversity taught him to develop "mutual respect and caring for those of a different race, ethnicity and religion." In fact, he noted that he had not known a Jewish person until he attended Parker.
Mr. Tom then attended Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
where he entered a special six-year dual degree program to obtain a bachelor's degree concurrently with a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from Northwestern University School of Law
Northwestern University School of Law
The Northwestern University School of Law is a private American law school in Chicago, Illinois. The law school was founded in 1859 as the Union College of Law of the Old University of Chicago. The first law school established in Chicago, it became jointly controlled by Northwestern University in...
, receiving his B.A. in Economics in 1956 and his J.D. in 1958.
Family Businesses
- Chinese Trading Company (est. 1911): food import company
-Vice president, 1966-72; President, 1972-1995
- Chinese Noodle Company (est. 1911): maker of egg noodles and won ton and egg roll skins
-Vice president, 1958-1966; President, 1972-1995
- Lekel Chop Suey Pail Company: maker of take out food pails
-President, 1980-1995
- Mah Chena Corporation: frozen food and appetizers
-President, 1980-1995
- Griesbaum Meat Company: tripe processing company
-President, 1980-1995
Chinese Trading Company and Chinese Noodle Company were founded by Tom Y. Chan
Tom Y. Chan
Tom Young Chan was a Chinese American businessman and civic leader in Chicago. He was a leading supporter of the Kuomintang in the United States, and helped raise money for both Sun Yat-sen and General Chiang Kai-shek...
. The other companies were acquired by the Tom family later.
After his older brother, Chung, died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in 1980, Mr. Tom became president of all of the above companies. His sisters, Helene, Eunice, and Mary also worked for the family business, as did his nephews, Jan Wong (Eunice's son) and Chip Tom (Chung's son).
Civic Activities
- Trustee, WTTW-TV Channel 11WTTWWTTW channel 11 is one of three Public Broadcasting Service member public television stations serving the Chicago, Illinois market; the others are WYCC and WYIN. WTTW began broadcasting on September 6, 1955 and it is owned and operated by Window to the World Communications, Inc., a not-for-profit...
- Trustee, Adler PlanetariumAdler PlanetariumThe Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum in Chicago, Illinois was the first planetarium built in the Western Hemisphere and is the oldest in existence today. Adler was founded and built in 1930 by the philanthropist Max Adler, with the assistance of the first director of the planetarium, Philip Fox...
- Trustee, Lincoln Academy of Illinois
- Trustee, Jane Addams' Hull HouseHull HouseHull House is a settlement house in the United States that was co-founded in 1889 by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr. Located in the Near West Side of , Hull House opened its doors to the recently arrived European immigrants. By 1911, Hull House had grown to 13 buildings. In 1912 the Hull...
- Director, Madison Bank
- Member, Chicago Board of Roosevelt UniversityRoosevelt UniversityRoosevelt University is a coeducational, private university with campuses in Chicago, Illinois and Schaumburg, Illinois. Founded in 1945, the university is named in honor of both former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The university's curriculum is based on...
- Member, Board of Advisors, Mercy Hospital and Medical CenterMercy Hospital and Medical CenterMercy Hospital and Medical Center is a Catholic teaching hospital in Chicago. Established in 1852, The hospital was the first chartered hospital in Chicago. In 1859, Mercy Hospital became the first Catholic hospital to affiliate with a medical school — Lind Medical School — and the...
- Member, Illinois Development Finance Authority
- Member, South Side Planning Board
- Member, Economic Club of Chicago
- Member, design committee for Harold Washington LibraryHarold Washington LibraryThe Harold Washington Library Center is the central library for the Chicago Public Library System. It is named for former Mayor Harold Washington. It is located just south of the Loop 'L', at 400 S. State Street in Chicago. It is a full service library and ADA compliant. As with all libraries in...
- Member, Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority
- Member, U.S. Federal Judicial Nominations Committee
- Director, Asian American Institute
- Founding president (1983), Chinatown Chamber of Commerce
- Chairman, Chinatown Parking Corporation
- Past president and director, Chinese American Civic Council
- Member, Advisory Board of the Chinese American Service League
Mr. Tom was a leader not only in the Chinese community, but in the broader Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
community as well. His beaming smile and calm demeanor endeared him to people of all backgrounds. Friends say that he had a natural ability resolve differences among people. He was one of the thirteen original founders of the Asian American Coalition of Chicago, an organization that annually brings together diverse Asian communities, including Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Thai, Vietnamese, and Cambodian, among others.
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
, Carol Moseley-Braun), Illinois governors (James R. Thompson
James R. Thompson
James Robert Thompson, Jr. , also known as Big Jim Thompson, was the 37th and longest serving Governor of the US state of Illinois...
, Jim Edgar
Jim Edgar
James Edgar is an American politician who was the 38th Governor of Illinois from 1991 to 1999 and Illinois Secretary of State from 1981 to 1991. As a moderate Republican in a largely blue-leaning state, Edgar was a popular and successful governor, leaving office with high approval ratings...
), and Chicago mayors (the late Harold Washington
Harold Washington
Harold Lee Washington was an American lawyer and politician who became the first African-American Mayor of Chicago, serving from 1983 until his death in 1987.- Early years and military service :...
and Richard M. Daley
Richard M. Daley
Richard Michael Daley is a United States politician, member of the national and local Democratic Party, and former Mayor of Chicago, Illinois. He was elected mayor in 1989 and reelected in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007. He was the longest serving Chicago mayor, surpassing the tenure of his...
).
Outside of family and the family businesses, Mr. Tom's greatest achievement was his work on Chinatown Square, a $100 million plus residential and commercial expansion of Chinatown
Chinatown, Chicago
The Chinatown neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois, is on the South Side , centered on Cermak and Wentworth Avenues, and is an example of an American Chinatown, or ethnic-Chinese neighborhood. By the [ftp://ftp2.census.gov/census_2000/datasets/demographic_profile/Illinois/2kh17.pdf 2000 Census], has...
on 32 acres (129,499.5 m²) of land purchased from the Santa Fe Railroad. As president of the Chinese American Development Corporation, founded in 1984, he unfortunately did not have the chance to see the bustling development that it has become. It was his desire to expand Chinatown
Chinatown, Chicago
The Chinatown neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois, is on the South Side , centered on Cermak and Wentworth Avenues, and is an example of an American Chinatown, or ethnic-Chinese neighborhood. By the [ftp://ftp2.census.gov/census_2000/datasets/demographic_profile/Illinois/2kh17.pdf 2000 Census], has...
so that there would be more room for his fellow Chinese to live and work. He was recently recognized as one of Chicago magazine's top 40 Chicago pioneers for his efforts.
Death and afterward
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
, Mr. Tom's wish that a park be built for Chinatown
Chinatown, Chicago
The Chinatown neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois, is on the South Side , centered on Cermak and Wentworth Avenues, and is an example of an American Chinatown, or ethnic-Chinese neighborhood. By the [ftp://ftp2.census.gov/census_2000/datasets/demographic_profile/Illinois/2kh17.pdf 2000 Census], has...
residents came true on October 2, 1999, when the Chicago Park District
Chicago Park District
The Chicago Park District is the oldest and largest park district in the U.S.A, with a $385 million annual budget. It has the distinction of spending the most per capita on its parks, even more than Boston in terms of park expenses per capita...
dedicated the 12 acres (48,562.3 m²) Ping Tom Memorial Park
Ping Tom Memorial Park
Ping Tom Memorial Park is a public urban park in Chicago's Chinatown owned and operated by the Chicago Park District . Located on the south bank of the Chicago River, the park is divided into three sections by a Santa Fe rail track and 18th Street. Currently, only development in the area south of...
next to the Chinatown Square in his name. In 2005, a bust of Mr. Tom was installed in the park to commemorate the 10th anniversary of his death.
The Asian American Coalition of Chicago has since named its highest award, the Pan Asian American award, after him in his honor.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Irene Cualoping for compiling the list of civic activities. Chronological information about Tom Chan comes from notes prepared by his oldest daughter, Florence, who traveled with him across the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
while he was raising awareness and money for the causes he supported.
See also
- biographyBiographyA biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
- Tom Y. ChanTom Y. ChanTom Young Chan was a Chinese American businessman and civic leader in Chicago. He was a leading supporter of the Kuomintang in the United States, and helped raise money for both Sun Yat-sen and General Chiang Kai-shek...
- Ping Tom Memorial ParkPing Tom Memorial ParkPing Tom Memorial Park is a public urban park in Chicago's Chinatown owned and operated by the Chicago Park District . Located on the south bank of the Chicago River, the park is divided into three sections by a Santa Fe rail track and 18th Street. Currently, only development in the area south of...
- Chinatown, ChicagoChinatown, ChicagoThe Chinatown neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois, is on the South Side , centered on Cermak and Wentworth Avenues, and is an example of an American Chinatown, or ethnic-Chinese neighborhood. By the [ftp://ftp2.census.gov/census_2000/datasets/demographic_profile/Illinois/2kh17.pdf 2000 Census], has...
- Lauren TomLauren TomLauren Tom is an American actress and voice actress perhaps best known for her roles as Lena St Clair in The Joy Luck Club, Julie in the TV series Friends, and for providing the voices for both mother and daughter characters on two animated TV comedy series: on Futurama she voices Amy Wong and her...
, Ping Tom's niece