David Chai – Historian

David Chai retired in 2000 after 30 years with AT&T Bell Laboratories where he managed a database research group, and later managed systems engineering, network planning, and software development of quality assurance and inventory control systems.

While living in Holmdel, NJ, David was appointed to serve on its Planning Commission. He later ran successfully for a vacant Council seat in 1996, and became its Mayor in 1999. He received a number of community awards, including the Outstanding & Distinguished Service Award from the OCA – New Jersey and the Aletha R. Wright Volunteer Leadership Award from Leadership New Jersey.

David moved to the Bay Area in 2004, and co-founded the Chinese American Heroes [www.ChineseAmericanHeroes.org ] in 2005 as a 501C3 non-profit org and served as its President until 2014. The website documents Chinese Americans who have made major contributions to America that are often unknown in mainstream media. He later co-founded another 501C3 non-profit org called 10,000 Cries For Justice [www.10000CriesForJustice.org ] in 2014, and served as its President. It has a bi-lingual [Chinese and English] website that documents thousands of letters written by the victims of Japanese military atrocities inflicted on the civilians in China from 1931 thru the surrender of Japan at the end of WW II in 1945.

On March 16, 2017, David received a Resolution from the California Legislature that partially stated: “RESOLVED BY SENATOR JERRY HILL AND ASSEMBLY MEMBER KEVIN MULLIN.  That David Chai be applauded for his exemplary service as Chair of the Speak and Lead with Pride Program, and commended for his outstanding, decade-long record of personal, professional, and civic achievements.”

David immigrated to the US to attend college at Purdue University in 1955. He received a BS degree in Electrical Engineering in 1959. Later he went to the University of Michigan, where he received a Ph. D. in Computer and Communication Sciences in 1967.