National News.

The Finals of the Miss Hong Kong 2002 Pageant were held last night at the Hung Hom Coliseum. To the surprise of many, twenty-one year-old Tiffany Lam Man-Lee of San Francisco was crowned Miss Hong Kong. Lam seemingly came out of nowhere to beat the favourites heading into the evening: Gisela Yu Si-Wan and Cerina Da Graca. Commenting on her victory, Lam said: "I'm very surprised. I didn't think I had a chance of winning. I'm still on Cloud Nine. I want to celebrate with my family. I especially want to thank my mother because she flew here from America twice to support me, talk with me and make soup for me. I really have to thank her."

Elizabeth Ling-so Hall, who became the San Francisco school district's first Chinese American principal in 1953, died July 24 of cardiac arrest at San Francisco's Davies Medical Center. She was 92.

Ms. Hall was born in San Francisco on May 19, 1911, shortly after her family emigrated from China. The family's last name was Ho but somehow wound up as Hall on immigration papers, and the name stuck.

Ms. Hall was one of the city's few Asian American children who didn't attend Chinatown's Oriental School, which was renamed Commodore Stockton School in the mid-1920s. Instead, she was granted special permission by the district to attend Pacific Heights School near her family's home.

After graduating from Polytechnic High School -- where she was the only Chinese American girl -- Ms. Hall won a scholarship to UC Berkeley, taking the ferry across the bay to her classes. She later transferred to San Francisco State University to enroll in its education courses.

Along with nine other women, Ms. Hall founded Sigma Omicron Pi, the school's first Chinese sorority, and served as its first president. Each spring, the group put on a fashion show along with the UC Chinese Alumni Association to raise money for scholarships. The sorority now has chapters around the country, including local branches at San Jose State University, UC Davis and UC Santa Cruz. Ms. Hall was also active in Alpha Beta Kappa, a teachers sorority.

After graduating with her teaching credential in 1931, Ms. Hall applied for a job in the San Francisco school district but was told the district already had three Chinese teachers and didn't need any more, according to a 1977 profile of her in the San Francisco Examiner.

After 10 years -- during which she earned her master's degree, tutored and taught in private schools -- Ms. Hall was hired by the district and taught for 12 years at Commodore Stockton. In 1953, she was appointed principal of the adjacent Sarah B. Cooper and John Hancock elementary schools, later becoming principal at Spring Valley Elementary School.

Despite the district's initial rejection, Ms. Hall looked back on her career in education with fondness.

"I had a wonderful time," she told an Examiner reporter 25 years ago, adding that her favorite part of her career was "making friends and working with children, parents and teachers to bring out the best in them. We tend to downplay excellence and play up mediocrity."

Ms. Hall lived in a house on Anza Vista Avenue for the past 52 years. Her nephew, Dr. Robert Chong, said she took avid interest in politics, current events, traveling, fine arts, and baking meringues and lemon chiffon pies for her nephews.

She is survived by her sister, Flora Chong, of San Francisco, and several nephews and nieces. At Ms. Hall's request, the family met privately on Monday to celebrate her life. Donations in her memory may be made to any charity.

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