China Institute in America records, 1926-2012, bulk 1931-1996
Collection context
- Creator:
- China Institute in America
- Abstract:
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China Institute in America records document the decades-long organizational history of the renowned institute. Established in 1926, China Institute in America is a nonprofit organization dedicated to deepening the world's understanding of China through programs in art, business, culture, and education. The bulk of the collection, dating between 1931 and 1996, showcases the Institute's operations in various projects and initiatives as well as its affiliations with acclaimed individuals. Materials consist of administrative records, correspondence, reports, manuscripts, ephemera, and photographs.
華美協進社檔案記錄了這一著名機構數十年的歷史。華美協進社成立於1926年,是一個致力於通過藝術、商業、美食、文化和教育項目加深世界對中國的理解的非盈利組織。該檔案的主要內容集中於1931年至1996年,展現了華美各類項目的創立與發展以及與知名人士的聯繫。檔案材料囊括行政記錄、往來信件、報告、手稿、印刷品及照片等。
- Extent:
- 65 linear feet (12 record cartons, 80 manuscript boxes, 11 half manuscript boxes, 1 album box)
- Language:
- English , Chinese .
- Scope and content:
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The China Institute in America records document the century-long operations of the renowned China Institute. Established in 1926 by the China Foundation for the Promotion of Education and Culture, the China Institute in America is a nonprofit organization dedicated to deepening the world's understanding of China. The collection bulk-dates between 1931 and 1996 and is organized into 11 series by subject and material type. The bulk of the files, which consist of administrative records, correspondence, reports, manuscripts, and photographs, illustrate the multidisciplinary projects and programs the Institute has conducted in the areas of education, publishing, business, and arts and cultural exchange. During WWII, the Institute played an important role in establishing channels of emergency relief provided to individuals and organizations. In 1944, the China Institute accepted a gift from the Henry Luce Foundation and relocated to the China House at 125 East 65th St, which became the Institute's home for the subsequent decades. Based at the China House, the Institute expanded its programming into publishing and the arts by holding numerous events and operating memberships. In addition, the China Institute was dedicated to supporting Chinese students and scholars visiting and studying in the United States through fellowships such as the Tsing Hua University Fellowship and the C. T. Loo and Frank M. Shu Fellowships. Lastly, the collection includes extensive files of Paul Chih Meng, who directed the China Institute between 1930 and 1967. Furthermore, the collection gathers correspondences with board members and trustees of the Institute between mid-1950s and 1970s, including those with Hu Shih, Kuo Ping-Wen, Edward Hume, and on. Starting in the late 1960s, Wan-go H. C. Weng became a close collaborator of the Institute, notably on the production and distribution of the acclaimed Chinese History Film Series, before assuming the role of president between 1982 and 1986. The 1980s witnessed China Institute's increasing effort in engaging with the broader Chinese and Chinese American scenes through the organization of major events, galas, and exhibitions, which are documented in various visual and textual materials in the records.
華美協進社檔案記錄了這一著名機構在過去一百年中的各類項目運作及活動。華美協進社於1926年由中華文化教育促進會創立,是一個致力於加深世界對中國理解的非營利組織。該檔案已歸檔的部分大致涵蓋1931年至1996年,並按主題分爲11個系列。檔案的大部分內容由行政記錄、信件、報告和手稿組成,展現了機構在教育、出版、商業、藝術和文化交流等多領域的項目與活動。二戰期間,華美協進社在爲個人和組織提供緊急救援與資助方面發揮了重要作用。1944年,華美協進社接受了來自亨利·盧斯基金會的贈款,遷至紐約東65街125號的中國之家。在之後的數十年裏,機構的項目擴展到出版和藝術領域,舉辦了大量活動並運營會員制度。此外,華美協進社致力於支持中國學生和學者來美訪問和學習,通過清華大學獎學金和盧芹齋獎學金等項目爲其提供資助。檔案還收錄了1930年至1967年間擔任華美協進社主席的孟治先生的文件,以及1950年代中期至1970年代華美理事會成員的信件往來,其中包括胡適、郭秉文、愛德華·休姆等人的通信。從1960年代後期起,翁萬戈成爲華美的緊密合作者之一,並於1982年至1986年間擔任華美協進社主席,其在著名的《中國歷史影片系列》的製作與發行方面貢獻卓著。1980年代,中國學會加強了與華人及華裔美國社羣的聯繫,組織了許多重要活動、晚宴及展覽。這些活動的視覺及文本材料均在檔案中有所記錄。
- Biographical / historical:
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China Institute played an important role in administering emergency relief funds to Chinese students stranded in the United States by the Second Sino-Japanese War that started in 1937. Through the intervention of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and the U.S. Economic Advisor Lauchlin Currie in 1938, the Institute obtained scholarship-in-aid for Chinese students in America from the Department of State. In 1940, the Chinese Government provided additional funds to Chinese students through the Committee on Wartime Planning administered by China Institute.
In 1944, the Institute was relocated from 119 West 57th St to the former Frederick S. Lee House at 125 East 65th St, which was gifted by the Henry Luce Foundation and named the China House. China Institute dissolved as a membership corporation and reincorporated as a tax-exempt educational institution chartered by the University of the State of New York. In 1949, Henry R. Luce was elected President of the Board of Trustees.
From the 1940s and on, the Institute administers scholarships and fellowships for Chinese students, including the China Foundation Fellows, Tsing Hua Fellows and Scholars, and so on. The C. T. Loo and Frank M. Shu Funds entrusted China Institute with the selection of recipients of its grants-in-aid to Chinese graduate students majoring in science and engineering at American universities. The Institute collaborates with American Educational Institutions such as the Harmon Foundation in the production of visual and other materials on China such as educational documentaries.
An extended biographical note will be added once the remaining materials are processed. Meanwhile, the China Institute in America has compiled a detailed timeline of its history, please see https://chinainstitute.org/about-us/ .
Born in Beijing, Chih Meng (Paul Chih Meng, Meng Zhi, 孟治, 1901-1990) was a 72nd-generation descendant of the Chinese philosopher Mencius. Meng was a graduate of Nankai School and Tsing Hua University, Meng was a leader in the student patriotic movement on Tiananmen Square in 1919, against the World War I Versailles Treaty, which the students contended would encourage Japan to invade Manchuria. In the same year, Meng came to the United States on a five-year grant to study, first at Davidson College in North Carolina for two years, then in 1921 at Columbia University. He received his master's degree in 1924 and doctorate in 1927, both from Columbia University. In 1930, Meng was appointed Director of the China Institute and held the position until his retirement in 1967. During his term at China Institute, he was in charge of the Chinese Educational Mission to the United States and was the Executive Director of the Committee on Wartime Planning for Chinese Students in the United States. In addition, Chih Meng was a lecturer at the Institute of International Affairs, University of Virginia from 1932 to 1934, and in 1937; delegate to the Institute of Pacific Relations Conference in 1933 and 1936; lecturer at the Institute of World Affairs of California in 1937; advisor to the Chinese Delegation to the International Labor Conference held in New York in 1941. A prolific writer, Chih Meng had contributed to a number of American periodicals on international relations, including the Foreign Affairs and the Pacific Affairs. His book, titled China Speaks. On the Conflict between China and Japan, remains a valuable account on the Manchurian crisis of 1931 and the Sino-Japanese War. Chih Meng passed away in February 1990 in Sun City West, Arizona.
President of the China Institute in America between 1982 and 1986, Wan-go H. C. Weng (Weng Wan-go, Weng Wange, Hsing Ching Wan-go Weng, 翁万戈, 翁兴庆, 1918-2020) was a renowned art historian, art collector, and filmmaker. Born in 1918, Shanghai, China, Weng was the fifth-generation descendant of Weng Tonghe (翁同龢, a distinguished Chinese scholar in the Qing dynasty. Weng Wango attended Shanghai Jiaotong University and received a masters degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University in 1940. He taught himself to make films at the Harmon Foundation, a New York non-profit. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, he worked in Hollywood under director Frank Capra on films for the US Army, and later as a filmmaking consultant to the U.S. Department of State. During this time he met and married his wife, Virginia Dzung (1920-2003). Starting in the 1960s, Weng began producing his own films, which focused on Chinese art and culture. He was invited by architect I. M. Pei to help create a multi-media exhibition for the Expo '70 world fair in Osaka, Japan. His filmmaking career culminated in his series "China: The Enduring Heritage" (1972-1976), which has been acquired by and screened at museums and universities. In 2018, he donated his art collection to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. In 2020, he died at the age of 102, in Lyme, New Hampshire. Wan-go Weng was elected Co-Chairman of China Institute's Art Committee in 1971 and president of the Institute between 1982 and 1986. Prior to that, Weng began closely collaborating with the Institute in the late 1960s, through the notable Chinese History Series film project. The Series collects working files created throughout the creation of the film series, from initial proposal to research and scripts editing, from screenings to distribution. Weng's president records may be found in the general program files.
在美國教育家約翰·杜威和保羅·夢露,以及中國學者胡適和郭秉文的支持下,華美協進社由中華文化教育基金會創辦,於1926年5月25日在紐約市成立。該機構旨在通過各種項目、活動和服務促進中美之間的文化和教育交流。1929年,華美協進社重組爲會員制公,由孟治博士擔任重組期間的名譽祕書,孟在次年成爲該機構的主任。1931年,華美協進社開始擴展教育類的業務,例如在機構內開設了關於中國的基礎課程,並在紐約和新澤西的幾所公辦學校試行了教學項目。1933年,中國研究學院 (School of Chinese Studies) 成立,應紐約市市長和教育委員會的要求,開始向教師提供在職進修學分課程。1936年,孟治應清華大學和中國教育部的邀請訪問中國。
1937年中日戰爭爆發後,華美協進社在爲困於美國的中國學生提供緊急救濟基金方面發揮了重要作用。通過第一夫人埃莉諾·羅斯福和美國經濟顧問勞克林·柯里的牽頭,華美協進社於1938年從國務院獲得了對在美中國學生的獎學金援助。1940年,中華民國政府通過由華美協進社管理的戰時規劃委員會向中國學生提供了額外的補助。
1944年,華美協進社從曼哈頓西57街119號遷至由亨利·盧斯基金會捐贈的東65街125號弗雷德裏克·S·李故居,並將其命名爲中國之家。華美協進社解散了其會員制度,重新註冊爲由紐約州立大學特許的免稅教育機構。1949年,亨利·盧斯當選爲董事會主席。
從20世紀40年代起,華美協進社負責管理爲中國學生提供的獎學金和助學金,包括中國基金會獎學金、清華獎學金等。盧芹齋和弗蘭克·M·舒基金委託華美協進社甄選在美國大學主修科學和工程的中國研究生的助學金受惠者。該機構還與諸如哈蒙基金會等美國教育機構合作製作有關中國的教輔材料,包括紀錄片等。
若需參考華美協進社更細緻的時間線,詳見機構官網https://chinainstitute.org/about-us/ .
孟治(1901-1990)出生於北京,是哲學家孟子的第72代後裔。孟治畢業於南開學校和清華大學。1919年,孟治領導了在天安門廣場舉行的反對第一次世界大戰凡爾賽條約的愛國學生運動,該條約被學生們認爲會鼓勵日本入侵滿洲。同年,孟治獲得五年獎學金赴美,先入北卡羅納州的戴維森學院,學習二年,於1921年轉學到紐約哥倫比亞大學攻讀社會學,後分別於1924年和1927年獲哥倫比亞大學碩士和博士學位。1930年,孟治被任命爲華美協進社主席,直至至1967年退休。在華美協進社任職期間,他負責管理中國留美教育使團,並擔任戰時在美中國學生規劃委員會的執行主任。此外,孟治還在1932年至1934年和1937年擔任弗吉尼亞大學國際事務研究所的講師;1933年和1936年擔任太平洋關係研究所會議的代表;1937年擔任加利福尼亞世界事務研究所的講師;1941年擔任在紐約舉行的國際勞工會議上中國代表團的顧問。孟治博士筆耕不輟,爲多家關注國際關係的美國期刊供稿,包括《外交事務》和《太平洋事務》。他的著作《中日衝突之中方說法》是關於1931年滿洲危機和中日戰爭的重要記錄。1990年2月,孟治在亞利桑那州的太陽城西過世。
華美協進社1982年至1986年間的主席翁萬戈(Weng Wan-go, Weng Wange, Hsing Ching Wan-go Weng, 翁萬戈, 翁興慶, 1918-2020)是一位著名的藝術史學家、藝術收藏家及電影製作人。翁萬戈1918年出生於中國上海,是清朝著名學者翁同龢的五世孫。他曾就讀於上海交通大學,並於1940年獲得美國普渡大學電機工程碩士學位。此後,他在紐約哈蒙基金會自學電影製作。珍珠港事件後,他前往好萊塢,在導演法蘭克·卡普拉的指導下,參與美國陸軍的電影製作,並後來擔任美國國務院的電影製作顧問。在此期間,他結識並與Virginia Dzung結婚。自1960年代起,翁萬戈開始製作聚焦於中國藝術與文化的影片。他曾受建築師貝聿銘之邀,協助策劃1970年日本大阪世博會的多媒體展覽。他的電影製作生涯巔峯之作是《China: The Enduring Heritage》(1972-1976),該系列影片被多家博物館和大學收藏並放映。2018年,他將其藝術收藏捐贈給波士頓美術館。2020年,他在美國新罕布夏州萊姆去世,享年102歲。
翁萬戈於1971年當選為華美協進社藝術委員會聯合主席,並於1982年至1986年間擔任華美主席。 早在1960年代後期,他便開始與華美協進社密切合作,參與著名的《中國歷史系列》電影項目。檔案中收錄了從初步提案、研究、劇本編輯到影片放映與發行過程中的工作文件。
Access and use
- Restrictions:
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The collection has no restriction.
- Preferred citation:
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Identification of specific item, Date (if known); China Institute records, Box # and Folder #; C.V. Starr East Asian Library, Columbia University Libraries.
- Location of this collection:
- Before you visit:
- Researchers should request materials at least one week in advance to ensure availability. Due to limited storage, please request only the materials you plan to use during your visit.
- Contact:
- starr@library.columbia.edu