Benjamin Sheares

Benjamin Henry Sheares (12 August 1907 – 12 May 1981) was a Singaporean physician and academic who served as the second president of Singapore from 1971 until his death in 1981. Sheares retired in 1960 and was in private practice before being elected as the president of Singapore by the Parliament after the death of Yusof Ishak, the former president of the Republic, on 23 November 1970.[2] He was sworn in on 2 January 1971. Sheares initially wanted to retire after finishing his second term as he felt that he did not have the energy for another term, but Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew persuaded him to remain and Sheares took on his third term. He served as the president of Singapore for three terms from 2 January 1971 until his death on 12 May 1981. He was succeeded by Devan Nair on 23 October 1981. [3] Benjamin Sheares remains the only Singaporean President elected for three terms and remained the longest-serving President at 10 years - a record surpassed in January 2010 by his successor S. R. Nathan. Both the Benjamin Sheares Bridge and Sheares Hall at the National University of Singapore are named after him.