On the sunny morning of April 4th, a special ceremony is held here in the front gate of Yifu Library in a solemn atmosphere at 10 o’clock. The bronze statue Mr. Meng Shaonong, the first president of HUAT is moved to the new address here from the first teaching building where it’s been located for years.
Mr. Meng Shaonong (1915-1988), came from Taoyuan County, Hunan Province. He was a member of Academy of Sciences of China, a famous automobile expert and also one of the pioneers and founders of automobile industries of China. After graduating from University of Southwest Union in 1940. He went to Massachusetts Institute of Technology and got his master’s degree there in 1943. In 1946 he came back to China and acted as a professor in Tsinghua University for years. In 1947 he joined the Communist Party of China and since 1948 he was appointed important positions in many government departments and organizations such as Southern People’s Government of China, the Heavy Industry Ministry of China, the first and second automobile plants. In 1978 he was appointed as part-time president of the workers’ institute of the second automobile plant and in 1983, president of HUAT. He was twice honored as a working model by the People’s Government of Hubei Province and once the winner of National “May First” medal.
