Benjamin Henry Sheares

Infobox President
name = Benjamin Henry Sheares


imagesize = 122
caption =
order = 2nd
office = President of Singapore
term_start = 2 January 1971
term_end = 12 May 1981
primeminister = Lee Kuan Yew (1959–1990)
predecessor = Yusof bin Ishak
successor = Devan Nair
birth_date = 12 August 1907
birth_place = Singapore
death_date = Death date and age|1981|5|12|1907|8|12|df=yes
death_place = Singapore
nationality = Singaporean
alma_mater =
spouse = S.G. Sheares
children = Daughter:
Constance Sheares (art historian)
occupation = Physician
religion = Christian
website = [http://www.istana.gov.sg/FormerPresidents/BenjaminSheares www.istana.gov.sg] |

Benjamin Henry Sheares (12 August 1907 – 12 May 1981) was the second President of Singapore.

Early life

Benjamin was born the second child of six children in Singapore to an Eurasian family with an English lineage. His father Edwin H Sheares, a technical supervisor of the Public Works Department, was born in England and raised in India. Edwin later migrated to Penang and married Singapore-born Lilian Gomez, of Chinese Singaporean and Spanish descent, and had six children - the first died in infancy. Life was hard for the Sheares family with the meagre pay that Edwin received from his post, but they were still happy.citation|last=Sheares|first=J. (Joseph) H.H.|title=Benjamin Henry Sheares, "MD", "MS", "FRCOG": President, Republic of Singapore 1971–1981; Obstetrician and Gynaecologist 1931–1981 : A Biography, 12th August 1907 – 12th May 1981|url=http://annals.edu.sg/pdf/34VolNo6200506/V34N6p25C.pdf|journal=Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore|date=July 2005|volume=34|issue=6|pages=25C–41C|issn=0304-4602]

The young "Ben" or "Bennie" as he was affectionately known, was a quiet boy who kept much to himself and loved to play at Pierce Reservoir, where his father worked.citation |first=R. |last=Kaur|title=The life of Benjamin Henry Sheares 1907-1981|location=Singapore|publisher=Department of History, National University of Singapore|year=1987/88] He had a close relationship with his sister Alice and often loved to play doctor with her. There was once when he made Alice swallow a one-cent coin as a medical “pill” in their game. Benjamin was six years old then and received a good hiding from his mother Lilian. Throughout his growing years, Benjamin showed ambition to become a doctor - a dream deemed almost impossible for someone who was Asian and came from a poor family in the early colonial days of Singapore. However, Alice continued to spirit him on with that dream, against his mother's wishes for her son to take up a job as a clerk and start helping out with the family bills as soon as he completed his Senior Cambridge Examinations (O-Level equivalent).

Sheares attended the Methodist Girls' School and then in 1918 went to Saint Andrew's School, Singapore. In in 1922, he transferred himself to study at the Raffles Institution, as the Institution was the only school equipped with scientific laboratories- making it an ideal place to further his ambition to become a doctor. In 1923, he enrolled into the King Edward VII College of Medicine Singapore to begin his medical training. But he knew too well that his family could not see him through the hefty school fees afforded by the College, and he won a generous scholarship offered by the Council of the Medical College with his exemplary academic performance. With this quantum, he was able to give $50 monthly to his mother for the support of his family.

He continued to excel in his studies and was awarded four medals by his College. Later, he passed his Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G) final examinations with distinctions. Upon graduation and working as an obstetrician in the Kandang Kerbau Hospital and a professor at the University of Malaya he continued to support his family, and assumed full responsibility for his family when his father died in 1940.Dr. Sheares was also the first Chancellor of the National University of Singapore.

Presidency

Benjamin Sheares became Singapore's second president on 2 January 1971. His mother was 91 years of age, when she learnt that he had become President of the Republic of Singapore. Just two weeks before she died, she had said "God has blessed Bennie especially after the way he looked after us and me."He continued to serve faithfully and was well-loved by the people in Singapore, and held the office until his death in 1981. He was succeeded as President by C. V. Devan Nair, and buried in the Kranji State Cemetery.

The Benjamin Sheares Bridge is named after him, as is a student's residence hall, Sheares Hall, in the National University of Singapore.One of Sheares' main contributions to medicine was a technique to create an artificial vagina for those born without one. A modification of it is still used for sex change operations today. [cite news|last=Gwee|first=Elizabeth|title=A long overdue book on KKH|publisher="The Straits Times"|date=2002-11-20]

Notes

References

*cite web|last=Cornelius-Takahama|first=Vernon|title=Benjamin Sheares Bridge|url=http://infopedia.nlb.gov.sg/articles/SIP_32_2004-12-20.html|publisher=Singapore Infopedia, National Library Board|date=1997-11-10|accessdate=2007-09-23
*cite web|last=Arunasalam|first=Sitragandi|title=Benjamin Sheares|url=http://infopedia.nlb.gov.sg/articles/SIP_650_2005-01-24.html|publisher=Singapore Infopedia, National Library Board|date=2002-10-25|accessdate=2007-09-23– A biography of Dr. Benjamin Sheares written by his son, Dr. Joseph Sheares, noting the contributions of Dr. Sheares as an obstetrician, gynaecologist and President of Singapore, and offering an intimate insight into Dr. Sheares' life before and after taking public office.
*cite web|title=Benjamin Sheares|url=http://www.istana.gov.sg/FormerPresidents/BenjaminSheares|publisher=ISTANA Singapore : Office of the President of the Republic of Singapore, Government of Singapore|date=2006-06-15|accessdate=2007-09-24

succession box
before=Yusof bin Ishak
title=President of Singapore
years=1970 – 1981
after=C.V. Devan Nair