Nguyễn Xuân Oánh

Nguyễn Xuân Oánh (Phủ Lạng Thương, today Bắc Giang, 14 July 1921 – Hồ Chí Minh City, 29 August 2003), nicknamed Jack Owens,[2][3] was a Vietnamese economist and politician who held senior positions in the governments of both South Vietnam and the current Socialist Republic of Vietnam.[4]

In this Vietnamese name, the surname is Nguyễn, but is often simplified to Nguyen in English-language text. In accordance with Vietnamese custom, this person should be referred to by the given name, Oánh.
Professor
Nguyễn Xuân Oánh
Dr. Oánh in 1969
Economic advisor
to the Prime Minister of Vietnam
In office
1991–1997
Prime MinisterVõ Văn Kiệt
Member of the National Assembly
In office
17 June 1987 – 18 September 1992
ConstituencyHo Chi Minh City
ChairmanLê Quang Đạo
Member of the Presidium
of the Central Committee of the
Vietnamese Fatherland Front
In office
17 June 1987 – 18 September 1992
ConstituencyHo Chi Minh City
ChairmanPhạm Văn Kiết
Economic advisor
to the General Secretary of the
Communist Party of Vietnam
In office
1986 – 1991
Personal advisor (1980 – 1986)
General SecretaryNguyễn Văn Linh
Prime Minister of South Vietnam
Acting
In office
28 January 1965 – 15 February 1965
Head of StatePhan Khắc Sửu
Preceded byTrần Văn Hương
Succeeded byPhan Huy Quát
In office
29 August 1964 – 3 September 1964
Head of StateDương Văn Minh
Preceded byNguyễn Khánh
Succeeded byNguyễn Khánh
Deputy Prime Minister of South Vietnam
In office
8 February 1964 – 12 February 1965
Prime MinisterNguyễn Khánh
Trần Văn Hương
Phan Huy Quát
Governor of the National Bank of Vietnam
In office
4 November 1963 – 4 November 1964
Prime MinisterNguyễn Ngọc Thơ
Nguyễn Khánh
Preceded byUnknown
Succeeded byTrần Văn Lắm
Personal details
Born(1921-07-14)14 July 1921
Phủ Lạng Thương, Tonkin, French Indochina
Died29 August 2003(2003-08-29) (aged 82)
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
NationalitySouth Vietnam South Vietnamese (until 1975)
Vietnam Vietnamese (since 1976)
Political partyIndependent (since 1975)
Other political
affiliations		 National Social Democratic Front (until 1975)
SpouseThẩm Thúy Hằng
ChildrenNguyễn Thanh Vũ (son)
Nguyễn Xuân Dũng (son)
Nguyễn Xuân Ái Quốc (son)
Nguyễn Xuân Quốc Việt (son)[1]
RelativesNguyễn Xuân Bái (father)
EducationLycee Albert
National College of Japan
Kyoto University (BA)
Harvard University (MA; PhD)
Occupation
  • Economist
    Politician
Nickname"Jack Owens"

Early life and education

He was born on 14 July 1921 in Phủ Lạng Thương, today Bắc Giang, Tonkin, French Indochina.[5][6] His father is Doctor Nguyễn Xuân Bái, from Đa Ngưu village, Văn Giang district, Hưng Yên province. He was educated in Western studies since at a young age. His family sent him to Paris, France to be educated at Lycee Albert. After graduating from secondary school, Oánh went on to attain a bachelor's degree in economics at the National College of Japan in 1944. Afterwards he would go on to earn his MA at Kyoto University in 1950. He would go on to pursue his PhD in economics from Harvard University in 1954.

Career in South Vietnam

After earning a PhD in economics, Oánh worked for the World Bank Group's IFC and the IMF and taught economics at Trinity College.[7] In 1963, he returned home to South Vietnam and joined the government. Shortly after, he was appointed Governor of the South Vietnamese Central Bank, then Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Vietnam. He also served as acting Prime Minister of South Vietnam in 1964 and 1965.[2]

After the Fall of Saigon

Unlike most senior leaders of the former South Vietnamese government, Oánh and his family remained in Sài Gòn (Hồ Chí Minh City) after the Fall of South Vietnam in 1975. While senior government officials and military officers of the former Saigon government that stayed behind often endured punishment, either facing execution or being sent to a Communist reeducation camp run by the new Communist government, Oánh was spared from either fates. Instead, he was simply monitored by the new government.

He was also one of the few intellectuals of the former Republic of Vietnam who was well respected by the new Ho Chi Minh City government, led by Mr. Võ Văn Kiệt. Oánh was elected to the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 1987[8] and was appointed a member of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Vietnamese Fatherland Front.[9]

He also served as an economic adviser to Prime Minister Võ Văn Kiệt and Communist Party's General Secretary Nguyễn Văn Linh during the Đổi Mới economic reforms.[10][3]

Honor

Dr. Nguyễn Xuân Oánh was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun (3rd Class Honor marked by Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon) in November 1997, becoming the first Vietnamese citizen to receive this award.[11] He was awarded the Harvard Centennial Medal in 1999 by the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Personal life

He was married to Thẩm Thuý Hằng, a famous actress and pageant who was awarded the title of Merited Artist of Vietnam.[7] They have twin sons, Nguyễn Xuân Ái Quốc and Nguyễn Xuân Quốc Việt, who owned the coffee chain The Coffee Factory in Ho Chi Minh City.

References
  1. "Con trai Thẩm Thúy Hằng chia sẻ nhiều điều về mẹ". www.tuoitre.vn. 10 September 2022. Retrieved 2022-09-24.
  2. "Saigon's Oanh 'Jack Owens' to Friends in the U.S." The New York Times. 1964-08-30. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-03-12.
  3. Stowe, Judy (2003-09-01). "Vietnam economic reformer dies". BBC. Retrieved 2022-03-12.
  4. Nguyễn Q. Thắng, Nguyễn Bá Thế, "Từ điển nhân vật lịch sử Việt Nam".
  5. "Index Ng-Nz". www.rulers.org.
  6. Frankum Jr., Ronald B. (2011). Historical Dictionary of the War in Vietnam. p. 332.
  7. Kha, Nam (2013-06-19). "Chuyện về Thẩm Thuý Hằng - phu nhân Phó Thủ tướng chính quyền Việt Nam Cộng hoà". laodong.vn (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 2022-03-12.
  8. "Hoạt động Đại biểu Quốc hội Nguyễn Xuân Oánh". quochoi.vn. Retrieved 2022-03-12.
  9. "Niên giám Ủy ban Trung ương Mặt trận Tổ quốc Việt Nam". Google Books. Nhà xuất bản Chính trị quốc gia. 2000. p. 142.
  10. "Ông Nguyễn Xuân Oánh, nhân vật nòng cốt trong chương trình Đổi Mới của Việt Nam, từ trần, hưởng thọ 82 tuổi. - 2003-09-01". Voice of America (in Vietnamese). 15 January 2010. Retrieved 2022-03-12.
  11. "Japan awards prestigious medal to Vietnamese citizen". Tuoi Tre News. 2015-12-11. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
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