Li Jitong | |
---|---|
李继侗 | |
![]() | |
Born | (1897-08-24)24 August 1897 |
Died | 12 December 1961(1961-12-12) (aged 64) |
Nationality | Chinese |
Academic background | |
Education |
|
Li Jitong (also romanized asTsi-tung Li,simplified Chinese:李继侗;traditional Chinese:李繼侗; 24 August 1897 – 12 December 1961) was a Chinese botanist and member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Li was born on August 24, 1897, inXinghua, Jiangsu,Qing China. He spent his childhood in his hometown, and in 1912, he was admitted to the Shanghai YMCA High School before transferring toSt. John's University High School two years later.[1] He graduated from high school in 1916 and enrolled in St. John's University. Because of the high tuition fees at St. John's University, he transferred toUniversity of Nanking to study forestry and graduated in 1921.[1][2]: 530
After graduating from the University of Nanking, he received government funding to move to the United States and enrolled in theYale Forest School.[1] In 1923, he graduated with a master's degree.[2]: 530 [3] In 1925, he received a PhD with the doctoral thesis on "Soil Temperature as Influenced by Forest Cover".[1][4]: 18 [5]
After graduation, he returned to teach at the University of Nanking,[1][3]: 33 and in 1926, he moved toNankai University to teach in the Department of Biology.[5] He was reportedly the first Chinese In 1929, he moved toTsinghua University, where he became a professor. That same year, Li published a paper on the transient effects ofphotosynthesis in the 43rd volume ofAnnals of Botany. After the outbreak of theSecond Sino-Japanese War, he moved to Yunnan with Tsinghua University. While in Yunnan, he was a professor at theNational Southwestern Associated University, and in 1946 he moved back to Beijing with Tsinghua University. In 1952, thenational faculty reorganization led to the merger of the Biology Department of Tsinghua University and the Biology Department ofPeking University, which brought him to teach at Peking University. He was elected as a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in the 1950s. In 1957, he became vice president ofInner Mongolia University.[1][2]: 530
He died on December 12, 1961 inHohhot due to illness.[1][2]: 530 Li has been recognized as a pioneer for the study ofplant physiology in China.[6]