Rare Book & Manuscript Library
 

Li, Zongren papers, 1944-1951

Summary Information

Abstract

The Li Zongren papers consist of materials on the life and political career of Li Zongren dating from 1944-1951. The materials were given to the Chinese oral history project during the oral history interview with Li Zongren. The papers primarily documented the period when Li was the Acting President of the Republic of China from 1949 to 1951 in the U.S. urging for assistance to stabilize the internal conflicts in China.

At a Glance

Call No.: MS#0779
Bib ID 4079027 View CLIO record
Creator(s) Li, Zongren, 1891-1969; Gan, Jiehou, 1897-1984
Title Li, Zongren papers, 1944-1951
Physical Description 0.4 Linear Feet (1 box)
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.

Arrangement

Arrangement

Arranged by material type.

Description

Summary

The Li Zongren papers consist of correspondence, a codebook, and documents from 1944 to 1951 in English, photographs and portraits. The correspondence from/to Li Zongren and his personal secretary, Gan Jiehou (Kan, Chieh-Hou, 甘介侯) and the related documents focus on the 1949 to 1951 transition period, Li's effort in urging US assistance in the political situation within China, as well as his opposition to Chiang Kai-shek. Correspondents include Dean Acheson, Philip C. Jessup, George C. Marshall, Dean Rusk, and Stuart Symington. Another highlight of the papers is the one-of-a-kind Chinese codebook customized and utilized by the KMT for confidential communication.

Using the Collection

Rare Book and Manuscript Library

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

Single photocopies 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); Zongren Li 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 files relating to the Li Zongren interviews.

Reminiscences of Tsung-jen Li, 李宗仁口述回憶錄, Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University. (This is the final version of Li Zongren's oral history interview. It was originally cataloged and frequently cited under the Wade-Giles transcription of his name, so the title of the memoir record was not changed.)

Chiu Chung-Wei correspondence, Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University. Finding Aid

Accruals

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

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Source of acquisition--Chinese Oral History Project. Method of acquisition--Transferred by Prof. Martin Wilbur; Date of acquisition--1980. Accession number--M-80.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Processing Information

Cataloged Christina Hilton Fenn 07/--/89. Processed in September 2018 by Yingwen Huang. The papers were previously filed with the Wellington Koo papers as box 221 and was digitized.

Revision Description

2009-06-26 File created.

2018-09-14 EAD Finding aid updated.

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

Subject Headings

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

All links open new windows.

Genre/Form

Heading "CUL Archives:"
"Portal"
"CUL Collections:"
"CLIO"
"Nat'l / Int'l Archives:"
"ArchivedGRID"
Contracts Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Correspondence Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Letters (correspondence) Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Memorandums Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Photographic prints Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Photographs Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID

Subject

Heading "CUL Archives:"
"Portal"
"CUL Collections:"
"CLIO"
"Nat'l / Int'l Archives:"
"ArchivedGRID"
Acheson, Dean, 1893-1971 Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Chiang, Kai-shek, 1887-1975 Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
China -- Foreign relations -- United States Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
China -- Politics and government Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
China -- Politics and government -- 20th century Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Jessup, Philip C (Philip Caryl), 1897-1986 Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Marshall, George C (George Catlett), 1880-1959 Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Portraits Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Rusk, Dean, 1909-1994 Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Statesmen Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Symington, Stuart, 1901-1988 Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Taiwan -- History -- 1945- Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Taiwan -- Politics and government Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
World politics Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Zhongguo guo min dang Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID

History / Biographical Note

Biographical / Historical

Li Zongren (pinyin: Li, Zongren; Wade-Giles: Li, Tsung-jen; Chinese: 李宗仁; courtesy name: Delin 德鄰) was born in Guilin, Guangxi province, 1890. He was a Guangxi warlord and participated in the Northern Expedition, Sino-Japanese War, and the Chinese Civil War. He became the Vice-President in 1948 and later the Acting President of the Republic of China in 1949. He left China and moved to the US in 1950. In 1965, he decided to return to China with his wife Guo Dejie, where he died in 1969.

Gan Jiehou (pinyin: Gan, Jiehou; Wade Giles: Kan, Chieh-Hou; Chinese: 甘介侯) was born in Jiangsu, 1897. He graduated from Harvard University, 1926. He was a politician and a scholar. He came to the U.S. as Li Zongren's private secretariat representative and arranged Li's meetings with American officials during the transition period. He died in New York, 1984.