James Ying-Peh "Jimmy" Tong

Dr. James “Jimmy” Ying-Peh Tong, born in Shanghai, China on December 8, 1926, passed away on September 24, 2019 in Athens, Ohio.  A life-long educator and an early advocate for women in the sciences, Jimmy mentored students across all disciplines and was well known for his love of chemistry and its practical applications, such as photography, toxicology, and in particular, forensics. 

In 1947, Jimmy was sent alone on behalf of his family for business from war-torn Shanghai to the United States. Soon after he gained admission to The University of California Berkeley, where he met his future wife Harriet, and received both his BS and MS in Chemistry in 1950 and 1951, respectively. Jimmy and his new bride left California and traveled to Wisconsin where he completed his PhD in Chemistry at The University of Wisconsin in just 2 years.

After a postdoctoral fellowship in Illinois, the Tongs arrived in Athens in 1957, and Jimmy began a long and distinguished career teaching in the Chemistry Department at Ohio University. In 1976, he started Ohio University’s Forensic Chemistry Program as a way to fill the need for specialized chemists in crime and investigative laboratories. He took great pride in the achievements of all his students and kept in touch with many of them through newsletters, reunion celebrations, and personal letters.

Jimmy worked tirelessly to encourage women to study the sciences and started the WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) program to show school-aged girls and young women the many possible career paths available to those with degrees in the sciences.  He started this program in 1976, and it has been held at Ohio University annually since.  He also ran the regional science fair for young local scientists, and each year took the state winners to the International Science Fair. 

An avid photographer, Jimmy kept his ever-present camera ready to capture beauty whenever and wherever it appeared. Throughout the 1980’s he made several trips to China to recruit graduate students for Ohio University- all the while taking photographs of the scenery, people, monuments, art and artifacts. Many of his photographs have been exhibited in small galleries over the years. He retired from Ohio University in 1997, was awarded Professor Emeritus, and in 2011 he was awarded the Red Cross Home Town Hero award in Education.

He was preceded in death by his wife Dr. Harriet Tong, father King Yuan Tong, mother Yao Kwun Tong, brother Keng Kai Shou Tong, sisters Li Jen Tong, Met Jen Tong, Wei Jen Tong, and Bei Jen Tong, and son-in-law Charles Bennett.

He is survived by his three daughters, Rebecca Marcus (Ivan), Maria Tong, Victoria Tong (Andy Van Fossen), four grandchildren Jaana Niinisto, Aleksis Niinisto, Jessica Strait (Caleb), and Diana Bennett, nephew Kenneth Tong (Evelyn), nieces Gene Cary (Douglas) and Irene Tuddenham, and their families.

A memorial service will be announced later this year. Arrangements are entrusted to Hughes-Moquin Funeral Home where you may sign the online guestbook or leave the family a private message of sympathy at www.hughesmoquinfuneralhome.com