Li, Zongren papers, 1944-1951

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
Repository:
Rare Book and Manuscript Library
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.

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.

Arrangement

Arranged by material type.

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

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.

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.

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
Contracts
Correspondence
Letters (correspondence)
Memorandums
Photographic prints
Photographs
Name
Acheson, Dean, 1893-1971
Chiang, Kai-shek, 1887-1975
Jessup, Philip C (Philip Caryl), 1897-1986
Marshall, George C (George Catlett), 1880-1959
Rusk, Dean, 1909-1994
Symington, Stuart, 1901-1988
Zhongguo guo min dang
Place
China -- Foreign relations -- United States
China -- Politics and government
China -- Politics and government -- 20th century
Taiwan -- History -- 1945-
Taiwan -- Politics and government
Subject
Portraits
Statesmen
World politics

Li Zongren papers, 1944-1951


Correspondence


Box 1 Folder 1

List of letters to and from Li Zongren and Gan Jiehou, undated


Box 1 Folder 2

Memoranda of Conversation between Li Zongren and Colonel L. T. Ride, Dec. 4, 1944


Box 1 Folder 3

Cataloged incoming correspondence: Acheson, Dean; Jessup, Philip C.; Marshall, George C.; Rusk, Dean; Symington, Stuart, 1949-1950


Box 1 Folder 4

1949


Box 1 Folder 5

1950


Box 1 Folder 6

1951


Box 1 Folder 12

Outgoing letters copybook, in Chinese, circa 1949


Box 1 Folder 13

Incoming envelopes to Gan Jiehou, 1949-1950


Box 1 Folder 15

Letters from U.S. personalities, 1949-1955


Box 1 Folder 16

Incoming letters, in Chinese, circa 1949


Box 1 Folder 17

Incoming and outgoing letters, in Chinese, circa 1940s

Letters mostly on Chinese Civil War, Li Zongren's health, and the Sino-Japanese War


Box 1 Folder 7

Memoranda, correspondence, and documents, 1949-1950


Box 1 Folder 8

Chinese Telegraphic Codebook, circa 1949

The codebook was used to decipher confidential intelligence communication within the KMT. The Chinese characters and terms within the codebook were customized to the needs of communication between the users. Location numbers that identify the characters and the terms can easily be switched by adjusting the numbers in the vertical and horizontal headers.


Box 1 Folder 9

Office of President's letterhead, 1949


Box 1 Folder 10

Portrait of Li Zongren (1), and Li Zongren with Mme. Li-Guo Dejie (1), circa 1949


Box 1 Folder 11

Residence lease contract, 1950-1951


Box 1 Folder 14

News clippings, in English, 1949-1950