Ann Elizabeth Wee

Ann Elizabeth Wilcox was born on 19 August 1926{{sfn|NUS Press|2016}}{{sfn|The Straits Times|2016}} in Corbridge, Northumberland, England to a middle-class family. Her father was an insurance salesman and her mother was a homemaker.{{sfn|The Straits Times|2016}} After finishing her A-levels, in 1944 Wilcox joined the Red Cross{{sfn|Sim|2011|p=C4}} and worked as a live-in domestic at Howick Hall. The former home of the Prime Minister Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, for whom the famous tea is named, had been turned into a military hospital, during World War II.{{sfn|The Straits Times|2016}}{{sfn|Wee|2016|p=xx}}

When she completed her service, Wilcox began attending the London School of Economics, reading economics. In 1945, the school was evacuated because of bombings to Cambridge University. While continuing her studies in Cambridge, Wilcox met a Singaporean law student, Harry Lee Wee, at a social function and they began dating. In 1946, both Wilcox and Wee returned to London. He completed an internship as a legal clerk and took his law examination and she finished her undergraduate degree in economics in 1947 and began her master's studies in social anthropology.{{sfn|Sim|2011|p=C4}}{{sfn|Suk-Wai|2016}}{{sfn|LSEAAS Magazine|2013|p=8}} Harry returned to Singapore in 1948, while Wilcox remained in London to complete her schooling. She also did relief work in the slum neighborhoods of London, taking social surveys when the war ended.{{sfn|Sim|2011|p=C4}} In March, 1950, Wilcox began the three-month voyage to reunite with Harry in Singapore{{sfn|Suk-Wai|2016}} and on 28 June 1950, the couple were married{{sfn|The Straits Times''|2016}} at St Andrew's Cathedral.{{sfn|Sim|2011|p=C4}}

Soon after her marriage, three teachers resigned from posts at the Methodist Girls' School and Wee was urged by her mother-in-law to apply for a position.{{sfn|The Straits Times|2016}} She would teach at the school for four years.{{sfn|Sim|2011|p=C4}} In 1952, she also began teaching social work classes at the National University of Singapore (NUS), which at the time was known as the University of Malaya in Singapore, on a part-time basis. Throughout 1955 and 1956, Wee worked in the Social Welfare Department of the government.{{sfn|The Straits Times|2016}} She worked as a training officer and was required to make home visits for the counseling and advice section. During her assessments in shanty towns and shops in Chinatown, she had to learn Cantonese and Hokkien on the job, so that she could communicate with her clients.{{sfn|Sim|2011|p=C4}} At the end of 1956, Wee left government service when a full-time teaching post opened up at the university{{sfn|The Straits Times|2016}} in the Social Studies Department.{{sfn|Desker|Kwa|2012|p=67}}

In 1967, Wee applied for the post of Department Head for the university's Department of Social Work and formally assumed the post in 1968.{{sfn|The Straits Times|2016}} Over the next two decades, she worked to implement policy and change the perception that social workers were not professionals but suppliers of "tea and sympathy". When other departments were eliminated, she fought for social work to be retained and an honours course to be added to the department's curriculum.{{sfn|Sim|2011|p=C4}} In 1970, Wee began working with the Juvenile Court as an advisor in child protection.{{sfn|Suk-Wai|2016}} She also served as an advisor to the Ministry of Social Affairs on women's and girl's issues and on the board of both the National Youth Leadership Training Institute and the National Trades Union Congress, advising on a program to implement dental care.{{sfn|Khng|1973|p=2}} She was awarded the Bintang Bakti Masyarakat by President Benjamin Sheares in 1973.{{sfn|Khng|1973|p=2}} Working as the department head until her retirement in 1986,{{sfn|The Straits Times|2016}} her career spanned the longest term as department head in the history of the university.{{sfn|NUS Press|2016}} Despite retiring as head of the department, Wee continued teaching as an associate professor at NUS.{{sfn|The Straits Times|2016}} In 2004, she authored Social Work in the Singapore Context, the "only textbook on social work in Singapore".{{sfn|Sim|2011|p=C4}} Wee continued her involvement as a social worker with the juvenile courts until 2009,{{sfn|The Straits Times|2016}} retiring with almost four decades of service.{{sfn|Sim|2011|p=C4}}

In 2009, Wee became the inaugural honoree for the lifetime volunteer achievement award presented by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports{{sfn|The Straits Times|2016}} to recognize her work with the Juvenile Courts.{{sfn|Soin|Thomas|2015|p=264}} She was honored with the Meritorious Service Medal in 2010 for her pioneering efforts in social work, often being referred to as the "founding mother" of the field in Singapore.{{sfn|Sim|2011|p=C4}}{{sfn|Singapore Council of Women's Organisations|2014}} In 2014, she was inducted into the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame.{{sfn|Singapore Council of Women's Organisations|2014}} She published her memoir, A Tiger Remembers: The Way We Were in Singapore in 2016.{{sfn|Suk-Wai|2016}}{{sfn|NUS Press|2016}} The Ann Wee NUS Social Work Alumni Award, is presented in her honor by the National University of Singapore to recognize excellence in social work.{{sfn|NUS Press|2016}}

Wee died on 11 December 2019 at age 93. She is remembered as the 'founding mother' of social work in Singapore.{{sfn|Yong|2019}}

• {{cite book |last=Wee |first=Ann Elizabeth |author-mask=1 |date=1963 |chapter=Chinese-Malay Relationships: The Conflict of Social Values in a Plural Society |editor-last=Szczepanik |editor-first=E.F. |title=Symposium on Economic and Social Problems of the Far East: Proceedings of a Meeting Held in September 1961 as Part of the Golden Jubilee Congress of the University of Hong Kong |location=Hong Kong |publisher=Hong Kong University Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CfcyAAAAIAAJ|ref=none}} (Also known as the Hong Kong University Symposium on Economic and Social Problems of the Far East.)
• {{cite book |last=Wee |first=Ann Elizabeth |author-mask=1 |title=Some Social Implications of Rehousing Programmes in Singapore |publisher=Hong Kong University Press |year=1972 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LiFFwAEACAAJ|ref=none}}
• {{cite book |editor-last=Wee |editor-first=Ann Elizabeth |editor-mask=1 |title=Two studies of social work in the field of abortion: Virginia Heng and Laily Ibrahim |publisher=Univ. of Singapore Dept. of Social Work |year=1973 |oclc=220566890 |asin=B000XCOH7C|ref=none}}
• {{cite book |last1=Wee |first1=Ann Elizabeth |author-mask=1 |last2=Vaithilingam |first2=D. K. |title=Family planning and family organisation |year=1973 |oclc=251422982|ref=none}}
• {{cite book |last1=Wee |first1=Ann Elizabeth |author-mask=1 |last2=Galvez |first2=Cherie |author3=Singapore Council of Social Service |title=A survey of youth-work agencies |publisher=The Council |year=1986 |oclc=226123049|ref=none}}
• {{cite book |last=Wee |first=Ann Elizabeth |author-mask=1 |chapter=Early social work resource literature in Singapore |pages=65–81 |editor-last=Kapur |editor-first=Basant K. |title=Singapore Studies: Critical Surveys of the Humanities and Social Sciences |volume=1 |publisher=Singapore University Press |issue=v. 1 |year=1986 |isbn=978-9971-69-105-9 |oclc=1080552938 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pifUAAAAMAAJ|ref=none}}
• {{cite conference |last=Wee |first=Ann Elizabeth |author-mask=1 |title=Demographic trends: The era of the ageing society: A matter of concern for women and for women's organisations |year=1992 |oclc=1103286613 |conference=ASEAN Confederation of Women's Organisations, 5th General Assembly |location=Brunei|ref=none}}
• {{cite book |last=Wee |first=Ann Elizabeth |author-mask=1 |chapter=Social work education in Singapore |editor-last=Tan |editor-first=Ngoh Tiong |editor-last2=Mehta |editor-first2=Kalyani |title=Extending frontiers: Social issues and social work in Singapore |publisher=Eastern Universities Press |year=2002 |isbn=981-210-216-7 |oclc=51231611|ref=none}}
• {{cite book |editor-last=Mehta |editor-first=Kalyani K. |editor-last2=Wee |editor-first2=Ann Elizabeth |editor-mask2=1 |title=Social work in context: A reader |publisher=Marshall Cavendish Academic |location=Singapore |year=2004 |isbn=978-981-210-310-9 |oclc=58536062|ref=none}}
• {{cite book | last=Wee | first=Ann Elizabeth |author-mask=1 |chapter=Where we are coming from, social and welfare interventions when Singapore was a British colony |editor-last=Mehta |editor-first=Kalyani K. |editor-last2=Wee |editor-first2=Ann Elizabeth |title=Social Work in the Singapore Context |edition=2nd |location=Singapore |publisher=Pearson |year=2011 |isbn=978-981-06-8651-2 |oclc=741539477 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LOixXwAACAAJ |ref=none}}
• {{cite book |last=Wee | first=Ann Elizabeth |author-mask=1 |chapter=Concepts in context, concepts are there to make learning easier |editor-last=Mehta |editor-first=Kalyani K. |editor-last2=Wee |editor-first2=Ann Elizabeth |title=Social Work in the Singapore Context |edition=2nd |location=Singapore |publisher=Pearson |year=2011 |isbn=978-981-06-8651-2 |oclc=741539477 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LOixXwAACAAJ |ref=none}}
• {{cite book |author1=Ho Chi Tim |last2=Wee |first2=Ann Elizabeth |author-mask2=1 |title=Social services |publisher=Institute of Policy Studies / Straits Times Press |location=Singapore |year=2016 |isbn=978-981-4747-49-3 |oclc=962171475|ref=none}}
• {{cite book |last=Wee |first=Ann Elizabeth |author-mask=1 |title=A tiger remembers: The way we were in Singapore |publisher=Ridge Books |location=Singapore |year=2016 |isbn=978-981-4722-37-7 |oclc=960841593 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IA0KDgAAQBAJ|ref=none}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{refbegin|30em}}

• {{cite book|last1=Desker|first1=Barry|last2=Kwa|first2=Chong Guan|title=Goh Keng Swee: A Public Career Remembered|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uwohR6juj-MC&pg=PT67|year=2012|publisher=World Scientific Publishing Company Ltd.|location=Singapore|isbn=978-981-4291-39-2}}
• {{cite news|last1=Khng|first1=Pauline|title=The 'star' women of Singapore|url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/newnation19730504-1.2.12?ST|access-date=2 March 2018|publisher=New Nation|date=4 May 1973|location=Singapore|page=2}}
• {{cite news|last1=Sim|first1=Melissa|title=Founding mother of social work|url=http://newshub.nus.edu.sg/news/1109/PDF/SOCIAL-st-19sep-pC4.pdf|access-date=2 March 2018|newspaper=The Straits Times|date=19 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180302192252/http://newshub.nus.edu.sg/news/1109/PDF/SOCIAL-st-19sep-pC4.pdf|archive-date=2 March 2018|location=Singapore|page=C4}}
• {{cite book|last1=Soin|first1=Kanwaljit|last2=Thomas|first2=Margaret|title=Our Lives To Live: Putting A Woman's Face To Change In Singapore|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pNiiCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA264|year=2015|publisher=World Scientific Publishing Company Ltd.|location=Singapore|isbn=978-981-4641-99-9}}
• {{cite news|last1=Suk-Wai|first1=Cheong|title=Tiger, tiger, burning bright|url=http://www.straitstimes.com/uncategorized/tiger-tiger-burning-bright|access-date=2 March 2018|newspaper=The Straits Times|date=11 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161211143221/http://www.straitstimes.com/uncategorized/tiger-tiger-burning-bright|archive-date=11 December 2016|location=Singapore}}
• {{cite book|last=Wee|first=Ann|title=A Tiger Remembers: The Way We Were in Singapore|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IA0KDgAAQBAJ&pg=PR20|year=2016|publisher=National University of Singapore Press|location=Singapore|isbn=978-981-4722-37-7}}
• {{cite news |last1=Yong |first1=Michael |title=Ann Elizabeth Wee, 'founding mother' of social work in Singapore, dies aged 93 |url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/ann-elizabeth-wee-dies-founding-mother-social-work-singapore-12177086 |access-date=11 December 2019 |date=11 December 2019 |newspaper=CNA |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191211224326/https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/ann-elizabeth-wee-dies-founding-mother-social-work-singapore-12177086 |archive-date=11 December 2019 |location=Singapore}}
• {{cite news|ref={{harvid|NUS Press|2016}}|author=|title=Ann Wee's 90th Birthday and the Pre-Launch of Her Book, "A Tiger Remembers"|url=http://nuspress.nus.edu.sg:80/blogs/news/ann-wees-90th-birthday-and-the-pre-launch-of-a-tiger-remembers|access-date=2 March 2018|publisher=NUS Press|date=24 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161031230617/http://nuspress.nus.edu.sg/blogs/news/ann-wees-90th-birthday-and-the-pre-launch-of-a-tiger-remembers|archive-date=31 October 2016|location=Singapore|url-status=live}}
• {{cite magazine|ref={{harvid|LSEAAS Magazine|2013}}|author=|title=Alumni Portrait A.E. Wee|magazine=LSEAAS Magazine|date=2013|issue=40th Anniversary Commemorative|page=8|url=http://www.lsesingapore.org/images/uploads/LSEAAS_-_Gala_Dinner_-_Magazine_(Final).pdf|access-date=2 March 2018|publisher=London School of Economics Alumni Association of Singapore|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170217142114/http://www.lsesingapore.org/images/uploads/LSEAAS_-_Gala_Dinner_-_Magazine_(Final).pdf|archive-date=17 February 2017|location=Singapore}}
• {{cite web|ref={{harvid|Singapore Council of Women's Organisations|2014}}|author=|title=Ann Elizabeth Wee: Pioneer in social work education in Singapore|url=http://www.swhf.sg:80/the-inductees/13-community-social-work/130-ann-elizabeth-wee|website=Singapore Women's Hall of Fame|publisher=Singapore Council of Women's Organisations|access-date=2 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170814220102/http://www.swhf.sg/the-inductees/13-community-social-work/130-ann-elizabeth-wee|archive-date=14 August 2017|location=Singapore|date=2014|url-status=dead}}
• {{cite news|ref={{harvid|The Straits Times|2016}}|author=|title=Jobs kept falling into her lap|url=http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/jobs-kept-falling-into-her-lap|access-date=2 March 2018|newspaper=The Straits Times|date=11 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161211161622/http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/jobs-kept-falling-into-her-lap|archive-date=11 December 2016|location=Singapore}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Wee, Ann Elizabeth}}

Category:1926 births

Category:2019 deaths

Category:People from Corbridge

Category:British women in World War II

Category:Alumni of the London School of Economics

Category:Singaporean women

Category:Academic staff of the National University of Singapore

Category:Singaporean social workers

Category:English emigrants to Singapore