Coching Chu

Former residence of Coching Chu in Nanjing.

Coching Chu or Zhu Kezhen (simplified Chinese: 竺可桢; traditional Chinese: 竺可楨; pinyin: Zhú Kězhēn; Wade–Giles: Chu K'o-chen; 7 March 1890 – 7 February 1974) was a prominent Chinese meteorologist, geologist and educator.

Born in Shangyu, Zhejiang, Chu went to United States for further education in 1910. He graduated from College of Agriculture, University of Illinois in 1913. Five years later, he received a Ph.D. in meteorology from Harvard University. From 1920 to 1929, he was chairperson of Department of Meteorology, Nanjing University (from Nanking Higher Normal School to National Southeastern University to National Central University). From 1929 to 1936 he served as director of Chinese Institute of Meteorology, Academia Sinica (predecessor to Chinese Academy of Sciences of PRC on mainland China and Academia Sinica of ROC on Taiwan). From 1936 to 1949, he served as president of National Chekiang University (now Zhejiang University) and elevated it to one of the best universities in China. He was assigned vice president of Chinese Academy of Sciences on 16 October 1949. In 1955, he was elected academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Academic papers

• Some Chinese Contributions to Meteorology Geographical Review: Vol. 5, No. 2. (Feb., 1918), pp. 136–139.
• A New Classification of Typhoons of the Far East Monthly Weather Review: Vol. 52, No. 12. (Dec., 1924), pp. 570–579.
• The Place of Origin and Recurvature of Typhoons Monthly Weather Review: Vol. 53, No. 1 (Jan., 1925), pp. 1–5.
• The Complete Works of Coching Chu Shanghai Scientific & Technological Education Publishing House

Further reading

• Zuoyue, Wang (1970–80). "Zhu Kezhen". Dictionary of Scientific Biography. 25. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. pp. 402–405. ISBN 978-0-684-10114-9.