Ngô Đình Khả

Ngô Đình Khả (吳廷可, 1856–1923 but some sources state 1850–1925) was a high-ranking Catholic mandarin in the Court of the Emperor Thành Thái of Nguyễn dynasty in Huế, Vietnam. He helped establishing the Quốc Học in Huế and was also a confidant to the emperor. He strongly opposed the French dominance of the Hue Court and when the French grew tired of Emperor Thành Thái's attempts to rein in their growing influence, Khả was the only member of the Council of Ministers to refuse to sign a petition requesting the emperor's abdication. This led to him gaining widespread renown for his loyalty. However, it also led to his removal from the court and his subsequent banishment to his home village. Kha is best known for being the patriarch of the Ngô Dinh family, which was the most prominent Vietnamese Catholic family. His son Ngô Đình Diệm was the first president of South Vietnam and his son Ngô Đình Thục was the third Vietnamese Catholic Bishop. Khả has sometimes been seen as a collaborator with the French. However, more recent scholarship has shown that he may be a forgotten nationalist.