United China Relief records, 1941 -- 1949

United China Relief (UCR) was an important focal point of the American partnership with Nationalist Chinese forces in the war in East Asia. It was founded in 1941 as a cooperative organization of American relief agencies operating in China, and within the first year was able to generate more total funds raised than the agencies had previously been able to raise separately. In 1943 it joined forces with the National War Fund, which had committees based in major cities in the United States, and by the end of the war in 1945 had switched its focus to more long-term rebuilding projects in China. It was partly this shift in mission that prompted the organization to change its name to United Service to China (USC) in mid-1946. Its post-war efforts to raise money for China were not, however, very successful, and at the end of 1950 the decision was made to cease operations, and to put all remaining funds into a reserve account. By 1965 it was clear that the organization was defunct and it was dissolved at the end of the next year, with the remaining funds being distributed to cooperating agencies. In total, UCR/USC raised over $52 million for China aid. Active members of the organization who routinely attended executive committee meetings held in New York City included Henry P. Van Dusen, Cornelius V. Starr and Henry R. Luce.