Tao-chung “Ted” Yao 姚道中
May 9, 1946—September 19, 2015
Prof. Tao-chung “Ted” Yao, professor emeritus in East Asian Languages & Literatures of the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, passed away on September 19, 2015, after a lengthy bout with lung cancer.
A graduate of Soochow University in Taipei in 1968 with a degree in English Literature, Prof. Yao came to the U.S. in 1969. In 1973, he earned an MA in Asian Studies with a focus on Philosophy, from Seton Hall University, and in 1980 a PhD in Chinese Language and Culture, with a focus on History, from the University of Arizona.
Over the course of a long career, Prof. Yao taught at the University of Arizona, the University of Massachusetts, Mt. Holyoke College, the Ohio State University, and the University of Hawai’i. He retired on May 31, 2012.
Looking back over his career, Ted offered the following comment, “All my training was in philosophy, religion, and history, but except for one course on Chinese religion at Mt. Holyoke College, I have only ever taught courses in Chinese language and pedagogy. Anyone who enjoys teaching Chinese has a future!”