Pioneering Paulines

Wu Ting Fang studied at St. Paul’s College from 1855 to 1861. In 1874, Wu furthered his studies at Lincoln’s Inn and became Hong Kong’s first Chinese barrister (1877), Chinese JP (1878), and Chinese Legislative Council member (1880). Later in his career, Wu rose to prominence as a leading jurist, diplomat, and statesman.

In 1882, Wu was invited by Li Hongzhang to join his reform efforts, thus beginning his career in China. Initially, Wu was a diplomatic negotiator, then moved on to manage various railway companies springing up across China, including its very first, the Kaiping Coal Delivery and Railway Company. From the late 1890s, Wu served as the Qing ambassador to the Americas (1897–1902 and 1907–09), during which he strove to protect the Chinese diaspora and pushed against anti-Chinese measures. Wu also modernised China’s laws, including drafting China’s first commercial code and revising its criminal code, recommending trial by jury, and eliminating barbaric practices such as lingchi (death by a thousand cuts) and posthumous execution. By 1911, Wu was a second-rank official in imperial China’s nine-rank system (the first rank being the highest).

Following the Wuchang Uprising in 1911, Wu was the chief representative for the revolutionaries in negotiations with the Qing court. Wu later served in key positions in the fledgling republic, including as justice minister and foreign minister, briefly serving as acting premier and acting president. His epitaph was penned by none other than Sun Yat-sen, who praised Wu’s intellect, sense of justice, and service to the nation.

Wu had never forgotten his alma mater over all these years. He donated generously to St. Paul’s College in 1911 and 1919 to help with expansion projects, and the Wu Ting Fang Hall (in Glenealy, built in 1911) was named in his honour. The current College library was renamed the Wu Ting Fang Library in 1974 in his memory. In 2016, for our 165th anniversary, the College installed a bronze bust of Wu’s likeness as a commemoration of our past and inspiration for our future.

伍廷芳在一八五六至六一年就讀於聖保羅書院，於一八七四年自費留學英國倫敦林肯法律學院，回港後成爲首位華人大律師，並獲委任爲首位華人太平紳士與定例局（今立法會）首位華人議員，後爲淸末民初傑出外交家、法學家及政治家。

一八八二年，時値中國多事之秋，伍氏遂應淸廷北洋大臣李鴻章邀請，入其幕府，推動新政，倡辦鐵路，擔任中國首家鐵路公司——開平鐵路公司總辦。於外交貢獻尤爲卓著，協商國際條約，兩度奉職中國駐美大臣，力保華僑權益，抗議排華法案，爲世稱頌。伍氏又參與改革中國法律，制定中國最早之商業法，提出廢除凌遲等酷刑，並建議採取陪審團制度，開中國刑法新紀元，官至正二品。

一九一一年辛亥革命後，伍氏支持共和，任南方軍政府代表，參與南北議和，促成淸帝遜位。歷任中華民國臨時政府、北洋政府及廣州護法軍政府要職，如司法總長、外交總長、財政總長、廣東省省長、代總理及代行非常大總統等職務。逝後孫中山親撰《伍廷芳墓表》，譽伍氏爲人知識淵博、正直不阿及盡心國事。

伍氏感念母校敎育之恩，多次捐助鉅款予聖保羅書院校舍擴建基金。書院爲表彰其貢獻，於一九一一年建成「伍廷芳堂」（今中環己連拿利聖保羅堂副堂），般咸道校舍圖書館亦於一九七四​年以公諱命名。在二〇一六年時，書院適逢一百六十五周年，故於館內立伍氏銅像，以表深仰，激勵後​學踵武前賢。