Kao Yu-shu

Henry Kao or Kao Yu-shu (; 3 September 1913 – 15 June 2005) was a Taiwanese politician. He served as Mayor of Taipei from 1954 to 1957 and again between 1964 and 1972, when he was named Minister of Transportation and Communications. Kao remained a public servant for the rest of his life, as minister without portfolio until 1989, then presidential adviser until his death.

Education Kao studied engineering at Waseda University in Japan. In 1999, he was the 55th person and first Taiwanese to receive an honorary doctorate from Waseda University.

Political career Kao won his first term as mayor of Taipei in 1954, with the support of the China Democratic Socialist Party. He ran again in 1957 and lost due to suspected voter fraud. Kao ended his 1960 bid for the Taipei mayoralty when the Kuomintang barred him from asking citizens to watch the polling areas in an attempt to combat electoral fraud. In 1963, the government agreed to hold fairer elections and allowed Kao to run. Because the Kuomintang also lost the mayoralties of Tainan and Keelung in 1963, Chiang Kai-shek made Taipei a special municipality in 1967. As a result, Taipei City Government officials were appointed by, and reported directly to, the Executive Yuan. Upon ending his independent candidacy for president in January 1996, Kao returned to an advisory role and served until his death in 2005.