The first Chinese tertiary institute in Singapore, Nanyang University was founded in 1953 using funds donated by members of the Chinese community. Inspired by the philanthropic works of fellow businessman Tan Kah Kee, Tan Lark Sye personally donated $5 million to the building project. The Hokkien Association, of which Tan Lark Sye was the president, donated 500 acres of land in Jurong for the building of the campus. Classes began in 1956, although the university was officially opened only in 1958. The university later merged with the University of Singapore in 1980 to form the National University of Singapore. Following the merger, the campus became home to the Nanyang Technological Institute, later renamed the Nanyang Technological University in 1996. The Nanyang University Memorial is a memorial tablet built and revealed on 30 March 1958 to mark the end of the first phase of construction for Nanyang University and to honor the donors who contributed to the building of the university. It was unveiled by then governor of Singapore, Sir William Goode in a grand ceremony of more than 100 guests. It was gazetted as a national monument in 1998 together with the nearby Library and Administration Building and Gateway Arch.
