William Lauw-Zecha

Aristide William Lauw-Zecha (1899-1983), usually known as William Lauw-Zecha, was a Chinese-Indonesian plantation owner, businessman; and – as an alumnus of the class of 1923 of Iowa University – he was the first Indonesian to graduate from an American university.[1][2][3][4] He belonged to the Lauw-Sim-Zecha family, part of the 'Cabang Atas' gentry of the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), and is the father of the hotelier Adrian Lauw-Zecha, founder of Aman Resorts.[5][6][7][8]

Aristide William Lauw-Zecha
Born	1899 Sukabumi, Dutch East Indies
Died	1983 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Nationality	Indonesian
Occupation	Plantation owner, businessman
Known for	The first Indonesian to graduate from an American university
Spouse(s)	Lim Kim See
Children	Andrew Lauw-Zecha Allan Lauw-Zecha Adrian Lauw-Zecha Alwin Lauw-Zecha Austin Lauw-Zecha
Parent(s)	Louis Tjeng Bie Lauw-Zecha (father)
Relatives	Lauw Tek Lok, Luitenant der Chinezen (paternal grandfather) Louisa Zecha (paternal grandmother) Sim Keng Koen, Kapitein der Chinezen (step-grandfather) Lauw Ho (paternal great-grandfather) Michelle Saram (granddaughter-in-law)

Biography

Born in 1899 in Sukabumi, a hill station in the Preanger highlands of West Java, Lauw-Zecha was the son of Louis Tjeng Bie Lauw-Zecha, and a grandson of the landlord and bureaucrat Lauw Tek Lok, Luitenant der Chinezen of Bekasi by his Indo-Bohemian wife, Louisa Zecha.[6][8][4] Lauw-Zecha's step-grandfather was Sim Keng Koen, the first Kapitein der Chinezen of Sukabumi.[9] The posts of Kapitein and Luitenant der Chinezen were high-ranking civil government positions in the Dutch colonial bureaucracy.[9]

The Lauw-Sim-Zecha family held landed estates (particuliere landen) and plantations around Batavia and Sukabumi, and lived in a grand manner as Sukabumi's premier Chinese gentry family.[9] Lauw-Zecha's own father, Louis, was the sole owner of the Soekaboemische Snelpersdrukkery, an office equipment and printing establishment, and had interests in tea and rice plantations, as well as export and import, including automobiles.[10] From 1911 onwards, Louis Lauw-Zecha also became the official distributor of Parker Pens, an American pen manufacturer, in the Dutch East Indies.[4] In 1920, Lauw-Zecha's father appointed an American professional, Edwin F. Lee, to act as associate manager of all his commercial interests in the Indies.[10]

This American connection continued when, in the late 1910s, William Lauw-Zecha attended Iowa University and, graduating in 1923, became the first Indonesian to acquire an American university degree.[1][2][11] During his time there, he was active in the Chinese Students' Alliance of Eastern States, U. S. A., and was elected as its executive councillor.[12] Upon returning to the Indies, Lauw-Zecha helped manage the family's landholdings, businesses and continued to act as the distributor of Parker Pens.[3][4]

Lauw-Zecha was married to Lim Kim See, a Malayan Chinese; together, the couple had five sons: Andrew, Allan, Adrian, Alwin and Austin Lauw-Zecha.[11] As parents, the couple prioritised their sons' education, all of whom ended up pursuing their education, like their father, in the United States.[11] Their fourth son Alwin, a Tufts alumnus of 1956, recalled his parents' comments: 'the only promise we are going to give you is that we will do our best to support you through the best formal education program that you each individually wish to pursue. Once you said you've had enough of studies, you are on your own.'[11]

The family's large landholdings and businesses survived the Japanese occupation during World War II and the Indonesian revolution of 1945–1950. In 1956, however, Sukarno, the first President of newly independent Indonesia, nationalised many of the country's private assets, forcing William Lauw-Zecha and many of his relatives to move overseas.[5] Lauw-Zecha settled down in Malaysia, where his wife originated, and died on July 6, 1983 in Kuala Lumpur.[4]

References

1. Lombard, Denys (1996). Nusa Jawa: Batas-batas pembaratan (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Gramedia Pustaka Utama. ISBN 978-979-605-452-7. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
2. Gould, James W. (2012). Americans in Sumatra. New York City: Springer. ISBN 978-94-011-8846-3. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
3. "Ulukau: Index to the Honolulu advertiser and Honolulu star-bulletin 1929-1967. Volume III: Honolulu Dept of Public Works to Pianists (Gary Graffman 10/6/58)". www.ulukau.org. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
4. "466 Sheaffer Catalog Of Desk Sets 1970s 39 Pages". Parker & Co. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
5. Hilditch, Tom. "Paradise Regained." Asiaweek.com, 15 June 2001.
6. Zecha, Shirley (2004). The Zecha Heritage Cookbook: My Great Grandma Never Left Our Kitchen. Kuala Lumpur: Batavia Delights Sdn. Bhd. ISBN 978-983-41856-0-2. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
7. "Adrian Zecha (né en 1933) : ses hôtels hors de prix de la chaîne Aman ressemblent au paradis". Capital.fr (in French). 28 January 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
8. Haryono, Steve (2017). Perkawinan Strategis: Hubungan Keluarga Antara Opsir-opsir Tionghoa Dan 'Cabang Atas' Di Jawa Pada Abad Ke-19 Dan 20. Utrecht: Steve Haryono. ISBN 978-90-90-30249-2. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
9. Tan, Mely G. (1963). The Chinese of Sukabumi: A Study in Social and Cultural Accommodation. Ithaca: Cornell University. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
10. Office Appliances; The Magazine of Office Equipment. 1921. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
11. "International Alumni Profiles. Tufts Student Services". web.archive.org. Tufts University. 24 September 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
12. The Chinese Students' Monthly. Chinese Students' Alliance of Eastern States, U.S.A. 1922. Retrieved 11 May 2020.