Duncan Sloss

Duncan John Sloss, CBE (19 June 1881 – 29 July 1964) was a British scholar. He was the vice-chancellor of the University of Hong Kong from 1937 to 1949.

Sloss in 1945 at the liberation of Hong Kong

Sloss spent his earlier years in British colony India, working in the Indian Education Service from 1920. He became the principal of the University College, Rangoon. For his contributions he was awarded Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1925 Birthday Honours. He went on become vice-chancellor of the University of Hong Kong.[1]

He was held in the Stanley Internment Camp during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong. After the surrender of Japan in August 1945, he was appointed publicity officer by Franklin Charles Gimson to hold daily press conferences to explain British policies to the population.[2] To clear the alleged favouritism being shown by the authorities to the ex-internees, he informed the readers that the administration was "working ceaselessly to ensure the well-being of the people of all races".[3]

He took a leading role in the decision to rebuild the University of Hong Kong after the war.[1] The Duncan Sloss School of Engineering and Architecture opened in 1950 was named after Sloss.

Sloss died in Oxford on 29 July 1964.[4]

See also

• List of Vice-Chancellors of the University of Hong Kong

References

1. Whitehead, Clive (2003). Colonial Educators: The British Indian and Colonial Education Service 1858-1983. I.B.Tauris. p. 15.
2. Chan, Sui-jeung (2009). East River Column: Hong Kong Guerrillas in the Second World War and After. Hong Kong University Press. p. 94.
3. Snow, Philip (2004). The Fall of Hong Kong: Britain, China and the Japanese Occupation. Yale University Press. p. 290.
4. "前港大副校長史樂詩逝世" [HKU Ex-vice-chancellor Duncan Sloss died]. Wah Kiu Yat Po (in Chinese). 31 July 1964.