Marion Keith

The Black Bearded Barbarian (Annotated) Marion Keith

George Leslie Mackay or Má-kai; (21 March 1844 - 2 June 1901, aged 57) was the first Presbyterian missionary to northern Taiwan (then Formosa). Born in Canada, He dedicated his life to bringing medical, dental, and spiritual guidance to the people of Taiwan. Along with establishing more than 60 local churches, Oxford College (Aletheia University), the first girls' school (Tamsui Girls' School, 1884) and Tamsui Middle School (Tamkang Senior High School), he was also involved in the bringing of Western medicine to Taiwan. A key achievement was the establishment of what is now called the MacKay Memorial Hospital in 1880. He also helped to adapt the Taiwanese language to a written form by adapting the Latin alphabet to represent it phonetically. It is safe to say that he is the most famous and beloved foreign expat who has lived in Taiwan.