Kwan Cho-yiu

Sir Cho-yiu Kwan (; 10 July 1907 – 7 December 1971) was a prominent Hong Kong politician and public figure in the 1960s. He was the Senior Chinese Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council and Executive Council of Hong Kong and the founding chairman of the Council of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. For his contributions to Hong Kong, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1969.

Early life, education and legal career Kwan was born on 10 July 1907 with the family root in Kaiping, Guangdong. He was educated at the Diocesan Boys' School and graduated in 1924. He later went abroad and studied law at the University of London in England. In May 1931, he was called to the bar in Lincoln's Inn and received his professional qualifications. He was a friend of General Ho Sai-lai, the son of Sir Robert Ho Tung during his time in England. He set up his own law firm, CY Kwan & Co, with the help of Sir Ho Tung in 1931 soon after he returned from England. He had also been president of the Law Society of Hong Kong from 1950 to 51.

Political career Kwan was increasingly involved in the public affairs. In 1948, he was appointed to the Committee on Chinese Law and Custom in Hong Kong. He was the director of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service in 1950. Other public positions included membership in the Public Service Commission, the Chinese Temples Committee, the General Chinese Charities Fund and many others. In 1967, 1968 and 1969, he led the Hong Kong delegation to the UN Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East. He was also chairman of The Festival of Hong Kong Steering Committee to organise programmes for the Hong Kong Festival and member of the Advisory Committee on Corruption.

He was also director of the Hang Seng Bank and some other companies.

He married Chow Wai-fun and had two sons and two daughters. His eldest son, King-chiu worked in the pharmaceutical company Merck Group in the United States; youngest son, King-hong, earned a B.S. in chemistry at Marquette University and a PhD in pharmaceutical chemistry at the University of Michigan.

Honours Kwan was made Justice of the Peace in December 1946. For his numerous contributions to Hong Kong, he was awarded the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1959 and the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1965. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at the Buckingham Palace in March 1969. For his effort in the establishment of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, he was awarded an honorary doctoral degree of law by the university in 1964.

Cho Yiu Chuen, a housing estate built by the Hong Kong Housing Society in Kwai Chung, is named after Sir Kwan.