Kwang Pu Chen papers, 1936-1968

Summary Information

Abstract

The K.P. Chen papers documented the banking and finance career of a banker, entrepreneur, and finance advisor, Kwang Pu Chen dating from 1936 to 1968. Materials in the papers include accounts, loan contracts, correspondence, telegrams, diaries, financial reports, , letters, news clippings, notes, photographs, press releases, printed materials, and reports.

At a Glance

Call No.:
MS#0215
Bib ID:
4079003 View CLIO record
Creator(s):
Chen, Guangfu, 1881-1976
Repository:
Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Physical Description:
4.27 linear feet (11 boxes); 2 Reels (Microfilms)
Language(s):
English , Chinese .
Access:
You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.

This collection is located on site.

This collection has no restrictions.

Description

Summary

The Kwang Pu Chen papers consist of documents and printed materials assembled during Chen's career in banking and finance, including his negotiations for American loans (1938-1940), his affiliation with the Universal Trading Corporation (1938-1958), Foreign Trade Commission (1939-1940), Burma Road (1939-1940), Chinese Currency Stabilization Fund and the Stabilization Board of China (1939-1943), and Foreign Exchange Equalization Fund Committee (1947-1948). Other files including memoranda, diaries, and notes, printed papers, and the biography of K.P.Chen written by Chang Kia-ngau.

Arrangement

Arranged in original order.

Using the Collection

Restrictions on Access

You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.

This collection is located on site.

This collection has no restrictions.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Reproductions may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.

Preferred Citation

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Kwang Pu Chen papers; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

Related Material

Chinese oral history project collection, Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University. Finding Aid. This collection contains administrative information related to the project, including the interviewee files relating to his oral history interviews.

Reminiscences of Kuang-fu Ch'en, 陳光甫口述回憶錄

Ta-Chun Hsu papers; C.V. Starr East Asian Library, Columbia University.

Accruals

Materials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. Contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.

Ownership and Custodial History

Gift of Kwang Pu Chen, 1968.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Source of acquisition--Chen, K. P. Method of acquisition--Gift; Date of acquisition--1968. Accession number--M-68.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Processing Information

Cataloged Christina Hilton Fenn 07/--/89. Processed in October 2018 and finding aid updated by Yingwen Huang.

Revision Description

2009-06-26 File created.

2014-03-04 XML document instance created by Catherine C. Ricciardi.

2018-10-23 Finding aid updated

2019-05-20 EAD was imported spring 2019 as part of the ArchivesSpace Phase II migration.

Biographical / Historical

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.

Subject Headings

The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches for other collections at Columbia University, through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, and through ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.

All links open new windows.

Genre/Form
Accounts CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Biographies (literary works) CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Clippings (Information Artifacts) CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Commercial correspondence CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Contracts CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Diaries CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Financial records CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Financial statements CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Letters (correspondence) CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Notes (documents) CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Photographs CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Press releases CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Reports CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Telegrams CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
black-and-white photographs CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
indexes (reference sources) CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Name
Chang, Kia-ngau, 1889-1979 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Chang, Kia-ngau, 1889-1979 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Chiang, Kai-shek, 1887-1975 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Exchange Stabilization Fund CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Hu, Shi, 1891-1962 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
International Monetary Fund CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Kung, H. H. (Hsiang-hsi), 1880-1967 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Lochhead, Archie CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Miao, Yuntai, 1894-1988 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Morgenthau, Henry, 1891-1967 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Pei, Tsuyee, 1893-1982 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Shanghai shang ye chu xu yin hang CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Soong, T. V (Tzu-wen), 1894-1971 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Universal Trading Corporation CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Wei, Tao-Ming, 1899-1978 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Young, Arthur N. (Arthur Nichols), 1890- CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Place
Burma Road (China and Burma) CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
China -- Commerce CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
China -- Commerce -- History -- 20th century CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
China -- Commerce -- United States CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
China -- Economic conditions CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
China -- Economic conditions -- 20th century CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
China -- Foreign relations -- United States CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
United States -- Foreign relations -- China CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Subject
Bank management -- China CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Bankers CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Banks and banking -- China CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Banks and banking -- United States CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Banks and banking, Chinese CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Business enterprises, Foreign -- China CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Corporations -- China CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Corporations -- China -- Finance CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Currency question -- China CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Economic development -- China -- 20th century CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Exports -- China CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Finance CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Finance, Public -- China -- History CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Industries -- China CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Inflation (Finance) -- China CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
International trade CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Money -- China -- History CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Negotiation in business -- China CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Sino-Japanese War, 1937-1945 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
World War, 1939-1945 -- Economic aspects -- China CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID