Houses
Learn about the eight school Houses at ACS and the remarkable individuals they honour, from founders and teachers to philanthropists who shaped the school's history.
OUR HEARTS OUR HOPES OUR AIMS ARE ONE
OLDHAM HOUSE
Oldham House was named after Bishop William F Oldham who founded ACS in 1886. His first tour of duty in Singapore lasted about five years and the Methodist Mission was well and truly established when he left Singapore. Poor health forced him to return to America. In 1926, he and his wife visited Singapore and participated in the 40th anniversary of the School, and again in 1935 at the Golden Jubilee of the Methodist Mission.
THOBURN HOUSE
Thoburn House was named after Bishop Dr James Thoburn. He was responsible for initiating and accompanying the pioneer mission to Singapore. He (and Bishop Oldham) were responsible in the setting up of the Methodist Church as a Mission in Singapore in 1885. Bishop Dr Thoburns vision (and Bishop Oldham) made possible the birth of ACS. Had it not been for him, there might not have been an ACS.
It was his personal initiative as an important leader in the Methodist Conference in India that resulted in the planting of the first Methodist Church in Singapore in 1885.
GOH HOOD KENG HOUSE
Rev Goh Hood Keng was one of the most remarkable ACSians. He taught for about 20 years in ACS and distinguished himself as one of the most esteemed teachers of the school. He was the first Singaporean ordained Methodist Minister. As a minister of the Methodist Church, he pastured the Straits Chinese Methodist Church (Kampong Kapor Methodist Church) for nearly 40 years until he retired in 1952. As a preacher, Bishop Doraisamy considered him a “legend before his time”. Combining his gift of teaching with that of preaching was perhaps why the School named one of the Houses after him.
TAN KAH KEE HOUSE
Mr Tan Kah Kee was a folk hero, not only in Singapore but also in the Asean region and in China. A visionary, he was a pioneer industrialist, philanthropist, social reformer and, above all, a patriarch. Mr Tan was keenly interested in education and had given large donations to the Anglo-Chinese School and the then proposed Anglo-Chinese College.
CHEONG KOON SENG HOUSE
Mr Cheong Koon Seng was for many years the President of ACSOBA. One of the earliest ACSians he joined ACS in 1891. In the 1934 ACS Magazine, Mr Cheong was memorialized as "a genial friend, a sound businessman and a loyal old boy of the school to which he had rendered valuable and ungrudging help."
Working very closely with the Methodist Mission, he helped to acquire the land at Barker Road where the ACS (Barker Road) complex now stands.
LEE SENG GEE HOUSE
Dr Lee Seng Gee was the Chairman of the Lee Foundation. He was the Chairman of Lee Rubber Pte Ltd and the Lee Group of Companies.
During his lifetime, Tan Sri Lee's benevolence to ACS was marked by two major donations - the Lee Kuo Chuan Auditorium of Barker Road in memory of his father in 1950 and later on, the building at the Lee Kong Chian block of Barker Road. The Lee Foundation, set up by Dr Lee's father in 1952, served as a platform for further philanthropic work.
Dr Lee Seng Gee made it his legacy to continue this tradition of contributing to the society from which one benefited. The Lee Foundation continues to donate generously to the ACS family of schools.
SHAW VEE MENG HOUSE
Dr Shaw Vee Meng is the Chairman of the Shaw Foundation. He is the elder son of Sir Run Run Shaw and is an ACSian. He is also the Chairman of The Shaw Organisation Pte Ltd. The Shaw Foundation was set up by Tan Sri Dr Runme Shaw and Sir Run Run Shaw in 1957. The Shaw Foundation is one of the largest philanthropic organizations in the world, distributing generously to various fields of education, welfare, medicine and heritage.
In 1970, Shaw Foundation's financed the new Olympic-sized pool, Shaw Pool, at the ACS at Barker Road, making it the first school in Singapore to own such a sporting facility. In later years, the Shaw Foundation also funded the building of one block of classrooms, named Shaw Block in the old Barker Road Campus and the Shaw Library at ACS (Independent).
To this day, the Shaw Foundation continues to make generous donations to the ACS family of Schools.
TAN CHIN TUAN HOUSE
Tan Sri Tan Chin Tuan, an ACSian, set up the Tan Foundation in 1976.
In 1950, Tan Sri Tan Chin Tuan played a significant role in the Building Committee and gave generously to the construction of the original Barker Road Campus. Today, his generosity to his alma mater, Anglo-Chinese School, is commemorated in the gift of the Tan Chin Tuan Hall, the Tan Cheng Siong Theatre at Barker Road, the Tan Chin Tuan Auditoriums at ACS (Independent) and at Anglo-Chinese Junior College, and the numerous scholarships awarded to outstanding students at both ACS (Independent) and Anglo-Chinese Junior College and named after ACS pioneers.
A magnanimous philanthropist, an astute businessman and a distinguished civic leader with an impeccable record of public service to Singapore, Tan Sri Tan Chin Tuan was well-known for his integrity and compassion. He had been the benefactor, in many cases anonymously, of a host of charitable and educational institutions. He represents the values of kindness and dedication and has become a powerful symbol of the spirit of Singapore's early pioneers.