Cai Yuanpei (1868-1940) was born in Shaoxing Zhejiang province. He was the greatest educationist, educational-system reformist and academic learner in Modern China. He was appointed to be president of many universities.

Cai Yuanpei established Guangfuhui in 1904 and joined Tongmenghui in 1905. After his foreign study in the University Leipzig of Germany in 1907 with Karl Lamprecht, he became the temporary Republic's Minister of Education in 1912, but later due to Yuan Shikai's presidency. He resigned and returned to Germany and then France.

Later he came back to be the chancellor of Beijing University. During the time that he was nominated as the president of Beijing University, he boldly reformed this old university under the guideline of The Freedom of Thought and Not Repelling Any Anti-opinions. He reduced the staff and eliminated those corrupted and useless officials and staff. He changed Beijing University to be a purified and academic place from the old one. He erected the authority of Beijing University in China and brought this university to the height of power and splendor. He also introduced more advanced thoughts and theories into the teaching and university management. He employed many young but versatile learners who the western ideas influenced much meanwhile he also kept those great masters with the strong sense of tradition and customs. Hence the basic two parties of debating in thought and theory formed and this brainstorm brought this university endless spiritual treasure and gave China at that time the great influence. The May-fourth Movement is a good example.

He founded the National College of Music in 1927, the former of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music today. Cai Yuanpei paid more attention to importance of five ways of life — "Virtue, Wisdom, Health, Collective, and Beauty". These are still used as a slogan in Taiwan today. Cai Yuanpei died of the disease at the age of 76 in Hong Kong.