Chinese oral history project, 1958-1975

After clicking 'Submit Request', users will login with their UNI and password (Columbia affiliates) or their special collections account (external users). Appointments are required and will be arranged according to each individual repository's policy.


Interviews


Cai, Zengji (Choy, Jun-ke), 蔡增基 , 1970, 341 pages; 2 Reels

Son of Chinese immigrants to Hawaii; return to China, 1911; Commissioner of finance, Canton, 1919-1920; Commissioner of land, Canton, 1926; general manager Canton-Hankow Railway, 1928; managing director Shanghai-Nanking Railway and Shanghai-Hangchow Railway, Shanghai, 1928-29; mayor of Hangchow, 1930; commissioner of finance, Shanghai, 1931; commissioner of land, Shanghai, 1933-1934; visits abroad; rehabilitating shipping; second Japanese invasion; refuge in Macao, hazardous journey to Shiukwan; trek to Chungking, return to America

Interview audio has been digitized. The digitized audio is accompanied by timestamped indexing for ease of navigation.

Additional information about interview, including rights and access conditions, can be found in the CLIO record. Use CLIO record to request paper transcript in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.


Chen, Guangfu (Chen, Kwang Pu; Chen, K.P.), 陳光甫 , 1961, 167 pages; 1 Reels

Early days in China; student in United States, 1904-1909; Kiangsu provincial government and bank, 1910-1915; Shanghai Commercial and Savings Bank, 1915-1937; China Travel Service, interest in insurance business; National Revolution of 1925-1927; travel before the war; currency reform and 1936 Silver Mission; views on general situation to 1937; contributions to War of Resistance; War of Resistance, 1937-1945; postwar years, 1946-1949; transition and revival, 1949-1961. Audio does not represent full interview content. Most audio associated with interview was not retained. Content on reel was retained as sample of source material for edited transcript

Interview audio has been digitized.

Additional information about interview, including rights and access conditions, can be found in the CLIO record. Use CLIO record to request paper transcript in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.


Chen, Lifu, 陳立夫, 1968, 1057 pages; 9 Reels

Interview audio has been digitized.

Additional information about interview, including rights and access conditions, can be found in the CLIO record. Use CLIO record to request paper transcript in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.


Ho, Franklin L. (He, Lian), 何廉 , 1966, 450 pages; 5 Reels

Boyhood and early education, 1895-1909; high school education in China, 1909-1919; university education in United States, 1919-1926; first decade at Nankai University, 1926-36; economic research and teaching at Nankai Univesity; government service; insights into power in China, the Sian Incident and its aftermath; work with Nung-pen chu, 1938-1941, and events leading to its abolition; parties and cliques; rest, reflection and travel, 1941-1943; post-war economic reconstruction, 1944-1946; ministry of economic affairs; activities after leaving government, 1946-1948; return to Nankai, 1948

Interview transcript and audio have been digitized. The portions of the digitized audio are accompanied by timestamped indexing for ease of navigation.

Additional information about interview, including rights and access conditions, can be found in the CLIO record. Use CLIO record to request paper transcript in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.


Hu, Shih, 胡適 , 1958, 286 pages; 1 Reels

Family and early life; student days in the United States, 1910-17; working for a Chinese renaissance: theories of literary reform, analyses of early Chinese philosophy, discoveries in the history of Zen Buddhism, critical studies of major Chinese novels.

Interview transcript and audio have been digitized. The digitized audio is accompanied by timestamped indexing for ease of navigation.

Additional information about interview, including rights and access conditions, can be found in the CLIO record. Use CLIO record to request paper transcript in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.


Koo, V. K. Wellington, 顧維鈞, 1975, 10,436 pages; 23 Reels

Childhood and education, 1882-1912; first decade as diplomat, 1912-1922; sevice in China, 1922-1932; mission to Paris, 1932-1941; second mission to London, 1941-1946; to Washington, 1946-1953; second mission to Washington, 1953-1956; service as foreign minister and premier; representative to League of Nations and United Nations; associate justice of the International Court of Justice at The Hague, 1956-1967; detailed table of contents for all eight volumes. Audio content for this interview is broken into segments that not follow same sequence as the transcript

Interview transcript and audio have been digitized. The digitized audio is accompanied by timestamped indexing for ease of navigation.

Additional information about interview, including rights and access conditions, can be found in the CLIO record. Use CLIO record to request paper transcript in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.


Kung, H. H. (Kung, Hsiang-hsi; Kong, Xiangxi), 孔祥熙 , 1958, 147 pages; 1 Reels

Childhood, family's position in business, early influence of missionaries, experiences in politics, the Boxer Rebellion; education in China and United States, return to China; early association with Kuomintang and rise within Nationalist government; trip to Europe 1937 and meetings with Franklin D. Roosevelt, Neville Chamberlain, Eduard Benes, Hitler, and Mussolini; view of many government policies, role in currency stabilization, information about the Sian Incident and increasing Japanese pressure; friendship with various Chinese and foreign leaders.

Interview audio has been digitized.

Additional information about interview, including rights and access conditions, can be found in the CLIO record. Use CLIO record to request paper transcript in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.


Li, Hanhun, 李漢魂 , 1962, 239 pages

Part I: Childhood, military education, military experience before the Northern Expedition (1928-1930), pacification of two areas in Kwangtung, War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-1938), governor of Kwangtung Province, 1939-1945; Part II, experience as wartime governor: organization of provincial government with administrative organs; Part III: a select translation of his detailed diary for 1949, amplified by explanations and opinions

Interview transcript has been digitized.

Additional information about interview, including rights and access conditions, can be found in the CLIO record. Use CLIO record to request paper transcript in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.


Li, Huang, 李璜 , 1972, 1013 pages

Childhood; rise of Young China Association, 1918; student life in France; organization of Chinese Communist Party in France, and development of European student connections; return to China, domestic unrest, foreign intervention, 1929-1931; Manchurian Volunteer Army; Battle of the Great Wall; campaigns against Red bandits and to intercept Chu and Mao's march to the West (1933-1935); National United Front, 1937; defense of Wuhan; People's political council, social situation, administration and enforcement of economic control during war; Democratic League and political consultative conference, 1941-1947; Marshall's mission to mediate: reorganization of government and convening of National Assembly; financial bankruptcy and military collapse; Communist Army crosses Yangtse River, period of turmoil, 1949-1953.

Interview transcript has been digitized

Additional information about interview, including rights and access conditions, can be found in the CLIO record. Use CLIO record to request paper transcript in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.


Li, Shuhua, 李書華, 1961, 243 pages; 10 Reels

Autobiography; practice of the Ta-hsueh Ch'u System; education and research in science from 1920 to 1950s; balance of French share of the Boxer Indemnity: its remission and use; Board of Trustees for Sino-British Educational and Cultural Endowment Fund; background on Li Ta-chao and Ch'en Tu-hsiu and early development of communism; Wu Chih-hui, Ts'ai Yuan-pei, Li Shih-tseng, and Chang Ching-chiang: their participation in the revolution and their contributions to China; examination system of the Ch'ing dynasty.

Interview transcript and audio have been digitized.

Additional information about interview, including rights and access conditions, can be found in the CLIO record. Use CLIO record to request paper transcript in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.


Li, Zongren (Li Tsung-jen), 李宗仁, 1961, 1000 pages

Boyhood and education in military academies; development of young military man during early days of the Republic; military unification of Kwangsi; Northern Expedition of 1926-1928: command of Kwangsi Army, strategic planning, campaigns, power conflicts; regional conflict, 1928-1937, attempts to suppress regional power groups; war of resistance against Japan, field commander 1937-1945, victor over Japan at Taierchwang; account of the collapse of the Nationalist Government and retreat to Taiwan

Additional information about interview, including rights and access conditions, can be found in the CLIO record. Use CLIO record to request paper transcript in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.


Shen, Yiyun (Shen I-yun), 沈亦云, 1962, 489 pages

Ancestry, girlhood and early education; life in the Peiyang Normal School for Girls; observations and experiences during Revolution of 1911, second revolution, life in exile; Peking, Tientsin, travel abroad; Capital Revolution; acting premiership; return to the south, participation in Northern Expedition; first "Special Municipality" in China and its first mayor; new Foreign Minister and settlement of Nanking incident; Tsinan Incident, Mukden Thunderbolt, husband's last mission in North China; T'ang-ku Truce; Political Reconstruction Council and unsuccessful reconstruction in North China; outbreak of war of resistance; new school of Nan-p'ing and rehabilitation of Mo-kan-shan; dynastic tradition and reluctant departure.

Additional information about interview, including rights and access conditions, can be found in the CLIO record. Use CLIO record to request paper transcript in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.


Tsiang, Tingfu Fuller (Jiang, Tingfu), 蔣廷黻 , 1965, 250 pages; 1 Reels

Reminiscences of childhood; education in the United States, including graduate studies at Columbia University; wartime work in France with the Y.M.C.A.; teaching at Tsinghua University; reflections on career as educatory, government official, head of the Chinese National Relief and Reconstrucation Commission, chief of the Chinese Delegation to the United Nations, and Chinese ambassador to Washington

Interview transcript and audio have been digitized. The digitized audio is accompanied by timestamped indexing for ease of navigation.

Additional information about interview, including rights and access conditions, can be found in the CLIO record. Use CLIO record to request paper transcript in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.


Wang, C. T. (Wang, Chengting Thomas; Wang, Zhengting), 王正廷 , 1960, 1 Reels

Interview audio has been digitized.

Additional information about interview, including rights and access conditions, can be found in the CLIO record.


Wu, K. C. (Wu, Kuo-Cheng), 吳國楨 , 1962, 391 pages; 2 Reels

Relationship with Chiang Kai-shek, 1946-1953; early postwar problems; Mayor of Shanghai, loss of mainland; governor of Taiwan; estrangement from Chiang Kai-shek and resignation; aftermath of break with nationalists.

Interview transcript and audio have been digitized.

Additional information about interview, including rights and access conditions, can be found in the CLIO record. Use CLIO record to request paper transcript in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.


Zhang, Fakui (Chang, Fa-k'uei), 張發奎 , 1965, 1033 pages; 1 Reels

Early years to May 1920; Kwantung Army, May-October 1920; military life in Kwantung, November 1920-June 1925; reorganization of army, Twelfth Division, June 1925-June 1926; the Ironsides on the northern expedition, June 1926-April 1927; second northern expedition and Nanchang Revolt, April-August 1927; Canton coup and communist revolt, retirement, August 1927-early 1929; relations with Kwangsi clique to May 1931, politics and travel to early 1936; Fukien-Kiangsi-Chekiang-Anhui and Kiangsi-Chekiang border areas, early 1936-July 1937; Shanghai and Wuhan campaigns, July 1937-38; Fourth War zone, late 1938-September 1939; Fourth War zone, October 1939-spring 1944; Fourth War zone and Vietnam, 1940-1944

Interview transcript and audio have been digitized.

Additional information about interview, including rights and access conditions, can be found in the CLIO record. Use CLIO record to request paper transcript in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.


Zuo, Shunsheng (Tso, Shun-sheng), 左舜生 , 1961, 304 pages; 2 Reels

Early life and education; participation in and leadership of the Young China Party; meetings with Chiang Kai-shek; rapproachement between the Young China Party and the Kuomintang; appointment to the National Defense Advisory Council; Third Group mediation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party; government job as minister of agriculture and forestry; editorship of the Lien-ho P'ing-lun [United Voice Weekly]. Valuable as inside account of Chinese political and intellectual history. Audio does not represent full interview content. Most audio associated with interview was not retained. Content on reel was retained as sample of source material for edited transcript.

Interview transcript and audio have been digitized.

Additional information about interview, including rights and access conditions, can be found in the CLIO record. Use CLIO record to request paper transcript in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.