John Yehall Chin (1908-94)
John Yehall Chin Elementary School (350 Broadway Street, San Francisco)
John Yehall Chin was born in Toisan, China, and came to the United States from Hong Kong in 1924. He first learned English at St. Mary's Chinese Catholic Mission. He later founded St. Mary's Chinese Girls Drum and Bell Corps in the 1940s. Then in 1972 and 1976, John became the first Chinese American elected as president of the governing board of the San Francisco Community College District. Later in life, he contributed to the establishment of the Bank of the Orient where he was vice president, and he was also president of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association for five terms. John received many honors and awards for supporting parochial education.
(Portrait by Roland Norona, SFSU 2014)