Kwang Pu Chen papers, 1936-1968

K. P. Chen (Wade Giles: Chen, Kwang Pu, Chen, K. P.; Pinyin: Chen, Guangfu; traditional Chinese: 陳光甫; simplified Chinese: 陈光甫; original name: Huizu, 輝祖, Huide, 辉德; courtesy name: Guangfu, 光甫) was born in Jiangsu province, 1880. He is a banker, entrepreneur, finance advisor, and the founder of the Shanghai Commercial & Savings Bank and the China Travel Service. He began studying aboard in the United States in 1904 and received his B.S. from Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1909. In 1912, he was the General Manager of the Jiangsu Bank and moved headquarter of the bank to Shanghai. After he left Jiangsu Bank, he became a financial consultant to the Bank of China and became close to Chang Kia-ngau. In 1915, he founded the Shanghai Commercial & Savings Bank. In 1928, he founded the China Travel Service. During the Sino-Japanese War, he was responsible for consolidating the economy and the negotiation of American loans. In 1941, H. H. Kung appointed K.P. Chen as the Director of the Stabilization Board of China to stabilize the Chinese currency. He also held other leading financial advisor positions in various committees such the Chairman of the Cotton Control Commission, the Universal Trading Corporation, Committee of International Chamber of Commerce, Foreign Trade Commission, and Foreign Exchange Equalization Fund Committee. After the Communist occupied most of mainland China, he followed the Nationalist government to Taiwan, where he resided until his death in 1976 at the age of 96.