Background
He was born in Wushing, Chekiang, China on October 23, 1895.
He was born in Wushing, Chekiang, China on October 23, 1895.
After receiving his preliminary education in his native city, Kung-chan Pan entered St. John's University at Shanghai, where he distinguished himself in oration and from which he was graduated. After leaving the the University, he taught in Shanghai University, Republican University, Southern University and other schools in Shanghai.
During the Student Movement in 1919, Kung-chan Pan was editor of the Shanghai Students' Union Daily and was a leader of the students in the movement against the maladministration of the Peking Militarist Government. In 1929, when the Shanghai Tribune was established, he was appointed an editor of the paper and won reputation as a prominent journalist by his editorial writings. Later, he joined The Shun Pao as an editor in charge of telegrams.
In 1927, when Nationalist Revolutionary Forces captured Chekiang and Kiangsu, Mr. Pan was appointed a member of the Shanghai Provisional Branch of the Central Political Council and concurrently member of the Shanghai Committee of the Central Publicity Committee. In July, the same year, when the Shanghai Municipal Government was established, he was appointed Commissioner of the Farmer, Labor and Commercial Affairs Bureau of the Shanghai Municipality and when that Bureau was re-organised into the Bureau of Social Affairs, he was appointed Commissioner of the same, from which he resigned on January 1932. On April, 1932, he established the Chen Pao (Shanghai Morning Post) and was appointed the managing Director by the Board of Directors of the paper. He was elected Shanghai delegate to the 3rd, the 4th, and the 5th Kuomintang Congresses in Nanking in the spring of 1929, the autumn of 1931, and the winter of 1934 respectively.
In September 1929, Kung-chan Pan was appointed concurrently Chief Secretary of the City Government of Greater Shanghai, which post he held for three months. He was also a commissioner of Education of Shanghai Municipality since 1933, elected member of the Central Executive Committee of Kuomintang on November 1935.