Stephen P. Shao
Stephen Pinyee Shao, Sr. was a Chinese-American professor of business management, an international author and speaker, and humanitarian. He was born in the Zhakou township of Yixing, Jiangsu, on January 24, 1924.
Early life
Shao's early education was interrupted by the Second Sino-Japanese War, moving him from Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Anhui, Fujing, Guangdon, and Guangxi as he fought for an education. In 1946 he graduated from the National Business Administration College in Hunan with the rank of number one in his class. He then worked two years in the National Resources Commission of China.In August 1948, Shao traveled to the United States; for graduate studies. In 1949 he received a Master of Arts degree from Baylor University. In 1956 he obtained a PhD degree from the University of Texas. He was the first Chinese student in America to earn a doctorate in business administration.
Career
Shao taught at Bluefield College, College of William and Mary, and Old Dominion University earning the rank of Full Professor in 1958. In 1977, he was a visiting professor at Chengchi University and Taiwan University in Taiwan. In 1978, he achieved the rank of Eminent Professor at Old Dominion University.In 1980, Shao was invited to China by the State Department and the Department of Commerce to lecture. He delivered lectures of Management Science to approximately forty universities in Beijing, Harpin, Shanghai, and Nanjing. In 1992, he again returned to China to lecture. He was awarded the Honorary Professorship by Chenan Economics College.
Shao had memberships with American Statistical, Economic, Accounting, and Management Associations. He also was a member and a founder of American Institute for Decision Sciences and a founder of The Old Dominion Credit Union. He authored more than 50 college textbooks, editions, and manuals. Some examples of his books are, "Mathematics of Finance and Management", "Statistics for Business and Economics", "Mathematics and Quantitative Methods for Business and Economics", and "Essentials of Business Statistics". Many of his books have been translated into foreign languages and are used by numerous universities throughout the world. His autobiography, "Memories in Two Nations: China and the U.S.A." was published in April 2003 and there is an updated version titled, '"My Extraordinary Life"' which is expected to be available in 2016.
In 1986, Shao was the first Chinese candidate for a seat in the United States House of Representatives. The campaign for this 2nd Congressional District seat Virginia's 2nd congressional district was the most expensive campaign waged in Hampton Roads to that date. His two opponents spent more than $1.2 million, while Shao spent only $5,000 and earned 9% of the votes. The election results for the 1986 Virginia Congressional Districts with 100% of precincts reporting were: Owen B. Pickett 54,368 ; A. J. Canada 46,298 ; and Stephen P. Shao 9,551 He ran again, also as an independent, in 1988.