Since at least 1906, Chinese students have been attending the University of Illinois. During the second decade of Chinese Illini enrollment, a great many more agriculturalists, business leaders, engineers, humanities majors, and scientists would choose Illinois to study. In fact, there were at least two local weddings and three locally produced theatrical performances too.

Read on to learn more about early Chinese Illini!

Illinois – China Connections

During the earliest years of the Chinese Illini story, a few faculty members had developed connections with China too. From 1903 to 1905, Geology Professor Eliot Blackwelder was an assistant geologist on a Carnegie Institute Expedition to China. [1] Just five years later, in 1910, Professor Ambrose P. Winston (1893-1894) later took a position as an Economy Professor in the College of Finance in Beijing. [2] More connections would develop over time, including even more alumni working in China.

Alumni in China

The early Illinois alumni directories (Record Series 26/4/801) list a few more Illini in China. Ms. Helen M. Wilson (A. B. Literature, Art, and Science, 1916) married fellow Illini Mr. Waldo L. Schlueter (A.B. Commerce, 1916) and they were living in Shanghai, while Mr. Schlueter was a representative for the Standard Oil Company. [3] That same year came Ms. Katherine Caroline Halsey, (A.M. Political Science, 1909), of Lake Forest, Illinois, who enjoyed a career with the Y.W.C.A., taking her across the U.S. and to Shanghai in 1916. [4] The following year, Mr. Jesse E. Moncrieff, (A.M. Philosophy, 1910), of Pesotum, Illinois, took a position with the American Baptist Foreign Missionary Society to work as a principal at the Munroe Academy in Suifu, Sichuan Province, in 1917. [5] Ms. Susan Martha Reed, (A.M. History, 1908; PhD History, 1913), of Roxbury, Massachusetts, and her spouse Mr. William Warren Stifler, (A.M. Physics, 1908; PhD Physics, 1911), of Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania) took positions with the Peking Union Medical College. Dr. Stifler eventually became Dean of the Pre-Medicine School in 1918. [6] At the same time, Chinese Illini enrollment continued too.

Students

Class of 1917

The second decade of early Chinese Illini included more agriculturalists, businessmen, engineers, humanities majors, and a great deal of student organizing for the University community too.

Mr. Hung Lieh Chang, (A.B. History) of Ku Hsen, prepared at Honan High School and Baldwin-Wallace College, before coming to Illinois. [7] Mr. Chang left few records behind, but he may have lost a book according to one DI advertisement. Within a few years of graduation, Mr. Chang had become head of a school in Kaifeng, the DI reported. While Mr. Ju Shen Chang, (B.S. Commerce) of Chekiang, also prepared at Balwdin-Wallace College, before coming to Illinois. [8] More records about Mr. Chang have not been identified yet.

Mr. Tze-Li Chang, (B.S. Railway Civil Engineering), of Hunan Province, prepared at the Hunan Polytechnical Institute in Changsha, before coming to Illinois. [9] Mr. Chang was part of the 1915 Mask and Bauble Show planning committee, and he co-signed a student editorial defending Railway Civil Engineering Professor Arthur F. Comstock in 1917. After graduation, Mr. Chang took a position as an instrument man in the construction department of the Southern Railway Company in Kings Mountain, Kentucky in 1917. He even attended at least one Chinese alumni meeting in Nanking in 1930. While Mr. Queh K. Chen, (A.B. Literature, Art, and Science, 1917; A.M. Political Science, 1918), prepared at Yale College Preparatory High School, before coming to Illinois. [10] More records have not been identified yet.

Mr. Zen Hsieh, (B.S. Electrical Engineering), of Szechuan (now Sichuan), prepared at Nanyang Preparatory School, before coming to Illinois. [11] While traveling to the U.S., Mr. Hsieh met a Ms. Be Vong Lee who was traveling to study at Iowa Wesleyan College (now University) whom he would later marry after the couple graduated from their respective schools, the DI reported. In fact, President of Iowa Wesleyan College Rev. Schull officiated the wedding with Rev. J. W. Wilson of the local First Presbyterian Church. After the wedding, the couple traveled to Washington, D.C., New York City, and Baltimore, before traveling to Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania where Mr. Hsieh took a position with Westinghouse Electric Company.

Mr. Ching Lee Hsun, (B.A. Physics, 1917; M.A. Physics, 1918), prepared at Kiangsi High School, before coming to Illinois. [12] More records have not been identified yet. While Mr. Jin Jee Hsun, (B.S. Chemistry), of Nan Chang, prepared at the University of California, before coming to Illinois. [13] After graduation, Mr. Hsun took a position with a chemical concern in Milwaukee.

Mr. Alfred Chang Lee, (B.S. Civil Engineering), prepared at Yale College High School, before coming to Illinois. [14] In 1915, Mr. Lee was listed in the DI as among the top ten percent of Engineering students during the first two years of study, and in 1916, he was listed as a member of the Sunday Evening Club which organized faculty lectures monthly.

Mr. Szu-Kuang Li, (A.B. Commerce), of Chichou, prepared at Tsinghua College, before coming to Illinois. [15] While he was a student, Mr. Li was a member of the 1917 Class Day committee, which made social arrangements before commencement, and he was a soccer player that year too.

Mr. Thian-Kitt Lin, (A.B. Commerce), of Canton, prepared at the University Academy, before coming to Illinois. [16] More records have not been identified yet. While Mr. Ching Kui Lu, (B.S. Mechanical Engineering), prepared at Fengtien Province Middle School and Chihli College, before coming to Illinois. [17] More records have not been identified yet.

Mr. Wing Ngui Mah, (A.B. Literature, Art, and Science), of Canton, prepared at the College of Pacific Mission and San Francisco High School, before coming to Illinois. [18] While he was a student, Mr. Mah may have lost a gold watch with a jade pendant, as described in DI notices from October 3 through October 18, 1914. Mr. Mah’s luck would improve, a few months later. The following February, Mr. Mah won second prize in a promotional drawing from a local typewriter rental company. The prize was a 2/3 refund on typewriting rental fees paid. In 1917, during his senior year, Mr. Mah was the chair of the Chinese Club Chinese Revolution Day festivities. He was also a musical performer too.

Mr. Enlin Sun, (B.S. Agriculture), of Koaya, Kiangsu, prepared at Tsinghua College, before coming to Illinois. [19] More records have not been identified yet. While Mr. Teh-Chang Yee Cheng Tong, preparing at Ming Tah Middle School and Hunan Normal School, before coming to Illinois. [20] More records have not been identified yet.

Mr. Yin Woo, (A.B. Commerce), prepared at the Kwang Tung Government High School, before coming to Illinois. [21] In 1915, Mr. Woo joined the multicultural student organization Cosmopolitan Club (Record Series 41/64/8). While Mr. Wei Yoh Wu, (B.S. Electrical Engineering), prepared at Chu Sze Academy, before coming to Illinois. [22] More records have not been identified yet. And Mr. Tsao Shing Yang, (B.S. Electrical Engineering), of Singhwa, prepared at the Hunan Polytechnical Institute in Changsha, before coming to Illinois. [23] More records have not been identified yet.

Mr. Gan Chyo Yee, (B.S. Chemical Engineering), prepared at the KingTsin Middle School in Changsha and the Chinese Republic Institute in Shanghai, before coming to Illinois. [24] While he was a student, Mr. Yee wrote an appeal to U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, arguing that the U.S. should remain out of the World War and to realize itself as a model of peace for the world, as excerpted in the DI. After graduation, Mr. Yee took a position in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania.

Class of 1918

Mr. Ye Young Chan, (A.B. Liberal Arts and Sciences), of Shin Ning City, prepared at Nanking Military School, Wheaton Academy, Wheaton College, and the University of Wisconsin, before coming to Illinois. [25] After graduation, Mr. Chan had a position in the Chinese government, and he attended the 1930 Chinese alumni gathering in Nanking.

Mr. Jung-Ting Chen, (B.S. Agriculture), of Canton, prepared at the Canton Christian College and Tsinghua College, before coming to Illinois. [26] While he was as student, Mr. Chen was active in student groups, including singing at the 1917 Chinese cultural program organized by the Cosmopolitan Club. After graduation, by 1922, Mr. Chen had become head of the Kiangsu Third Provincial Agricultural School’s Department of Animal Husbandry.

Mr. Chuin Du, (A.B. Literature, Art, and Science), of Wei-Whei Fu, prepared at Honan Provincial High School and Baldwin College, before coming to Illinois. [27] More records have not been identified yet. While Mr. Tse Lauphit, (B.S. Agriculture), of Nauchang, prepared at Nanyang High School, before coming to Illinois. [28] More records have not been identified yet. And Mr. Bing Funn Lee, (B.S. Mechanical Engineering), of Canton, prepared at the Boone Preparatory School of Berkeley, California, and the University of California, before coming to Illinois. [29] More records have not been identified yet.

Mr. Tao Nan Lee, (B.S. Commerce), of Nanking, prepared at the University of Nanking High School and the University of Nanking, before coming to Illinois. [30] More records have not been identified yet. While Mr. Nai Yu Liu, (A.B. Commerce), of Foochow, prepared at Tsinghua College, before coming to Illinois. [31] More records have not been identified yet.

Mr. Cyrus Ching-Chung Lowe, (B.S. Commerce), of Tientsin, prepared at the Methodist Peking University and Tsinghua College, before coming to Illinois. [32] While he was a student, Mr. Lowe joined the Cosmopolitan Club in 1915, he played the title character of the 1916 Chinese student summer production of “The Life of Tsao”, and he presided over the 1917 Chinese cultural program. After graduation, Mr. Lowe continued his graduate studies at Harvard University, the DI reported.

Mr. Chi Ting Shing, (B.S. Railway Civil Engineering), of Siang Lu, prepared at the Hunan Technical Institute, before coming to Illinois. [33] More records have not been identified yet. While Mr. Marvin Yik Hsen Wong, (B.S. Commerce), of Canton, prepared at Tongshan Engineering College, before coming to Illinois. [34] More records have not been identified yet.

Class of 1919

Mr. K. Weiman Hsu, of Shanghai, was sent to study at Illinois by the recently organized Geological Survey of China. In fact, for academic year 1919-1920, Geology Professor Eliot Blackwelder arranged for a special undergraduate scholarship to support K. W. Hsu’s paleontological studies too. In 1921, Mr. Hsu gave a talk titled “What I’ll Do with my Education When I Go Back to China”, for the local Urbana Women’s Club. Within a few years of graduation, Mr. Hsu was a University of Nanking Professor of General Geology and Paleontology, and he was elected as an editor of The Science Society of China in 1924, the DI reported.

Mr. Shou Cheng Lu, of Foochow, (B.A. Journalism), was active in student life. In the Chinese Students’ Club, he was a writer for the Chinese Students’ Monthly publication, and a speaker for the 1917 Chinese Cultural Night. He was also the senior editor of the student publication The Cosmopolitan Student. For the Daily Illini, he was a staff writer, he gave an interview about the observance of Spring in China, and he wrote an editorial arguing for self-governance across all of Asia too. In fact, he even considered completing another degree at the University of Indiana too.

Mr. Towe Tong, (B.A. Railroad Administration), of Tientsin, bought a U.S. liberty bond during World War One, and after graduation, he became an administrator on the Peking-Hankow (now Beijing-Hankou) Railroad.

Mr. Mao-Te Tsao, (B.A. Economics, 1919), of Shanghai, was a first baseman for the Cosmopolitan Club baseball team. In fact, Mr. Tsao made a game-winning home run in April 1919. For the next month, Mr. Tsao was a frequent feature in the Daily Illini. In middle May 1919, it was announced that Chinese Illini organized an essay contest for American students, with three judges including History Professor E. B. Green, Economics Professor S. Litman, and Mr. Tsao too. The next day, Mr. Tsao had an editorial published in the DI in which he described the honor system for examinations in a university in China. Another day later, it was reported that Mr. Tsao gave a talk at the off-campus Y.M.C.A. titled “What Christianity Has Done for China”. Finally, another day later, Mr. Tsao published another editorial to advocate the development of U.S. and Chinese economic relations over Japanese and Chinese economic relations.

Class of 1920

Mr. Chia Chieh Chang, (B.S. Mechanical Engineering), of Peking, was an active alumni even attending his first alumni reunion in 1920. Mr. Hseuh Lian Hsieh, (B.A. Commerce), of Wusih, Kiangsu (now Wuxi, Jiangsu), pledged to the Cosmopolitan Club in 1918, but he may have spent time away from classes with a case of either measles or the mumps, the DI reported.

No additional records about Mr. Thomas T. Woo, (B.A. ), of Wuchang (now part of Wuhan), and Mr. Chinghsi Hiram Lowe, (B.S. Agriculture), of Peking, have been identified yet.

Class of 1921

Mr. Ching Fu Futze Chou, (B.S. Agriculture), of Peking, was very active on campus. In 1918, he pledged to Cosmopolitan Club, he was a musical performer at a Chinese Students’ Club social, and he competed in an intramural table tennis competition that month too. In 1919, Mr. Chou was part of a committee which organized a panel of talks about culture by other international students, and for the Y.M.C.A. he took time off from his studies to work with a Chinese labor battalion in France. The following fall, Mr. Chou returned to campus and he was even elected Chinese Students’ Club president too. At the 1919 Chinese Independence Day, Mr. Chou gave a talk, “History of the Independence of China from 1911”. That same year, he was captain of a junior soccer team too. In 1920, he was a cast member of the Club production of “Rainbow”, and he performed music at a December Club show. In 1921, Mr. Chou was initiated into the Philomathean Society (Record Series 41/75/23) student-organized literary society.

Mr. Will S. Chung, (B.A. Liberal Arts and Science) of Shanghai, was elected Chinese Students’ Club president, in 1921. While Mr. Chien Hsun Huang, (B.A. Railway Administration), of Canton, was Chinese Students’ Club president in 1920.

Mr. King Woon Wong, (B.A. Liberal Arts and Sciences), was active in the local Y.M.C.A., where he was elected as a member of the Y.M.C.A. Student Board of Directors in 1920, he attended the 1920 summer conference in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, and he worked in Y programming at the University of Wisconsin too. Mr. Wong played soccer on the Chinese Students’ Club team and he was active in Methodist Church programs off campus too. After graduation, Mr. Wong planned to establish a leather factory, the DI reported. While Mr. Kwok Sham Yuen, (B.A. Liberal Arts and Sciences), of Canton, might not have left any additional records behind.

Mr. Chi Chuan Yu, (B.A. Liberal Arts and Science), of Shanghai, was a prolific editorial writer in the Daily Illini, often writing about international relations and China. Some of Mr. Yu’s writings have considered:

• the 1919 Paris Peace Conference,
• the concession of the Shandong Peninsula,
• Japanese-U.S. government relations,
• territorial claims on Fiume and Kiaochau,
• the Chinese people’s openness to U.S. citizens to work in or to visit China,
• the defeat of the Shandong amendment,
• an appeal for current DI reporters to continue to report and to keep high standards for reports on issues affecting international issues (as well as the students on campus),
• an announcement for availability of local Chinese student publications,
• the triannual Chinese Illini publication “Young China“,
• praise and support for all Americans (across the continent) to continue to take interest in international students,
• the positive effects of the University of Illinois and Chinese Illini in the development of China,
• the 1920-1921 North China Famine,
• the goodwill between Chinese, Japanese, and U.S. students regardless of national government differences,
• the local Famine Relief charity drive,
• the significance of Chinese student education in the U.S.,
• the hurtful nature of negative stereotypes of Chinese people in contemporary U.S. media,
• international student services Dean Carnahan’s support of students,
• and the persistence of hurtful, negative stereotypes in U.S. media.

Mr. Yu gave multiple talks about China too. Some of his talks included:  a Chinese Students’ Club sponsored talk “Recent Situations in China” at Morrow Hall (1920), and a women’s Cosmopolitan Club talk, “The Student Movement in China” (1920) too. After graduation, Mr. Yu taught at two separate Chinese colleges, including the First Shanghai Commercial School and the China National College, the DI reported. In fact, he published a book A Guide to Composition for Chinese Students in 1924 too.

Mr. Yu’s brother, Mr. Jih Chuan Yu, (B.S. Railway Civil Engineering), was active in student life too. He was a Chinese Students’ Club auditor, and he directed a six-piece Chinese student orchestra for the 1920 CSC production of “China, Past, and Present”. After graduation, Mr. Yu worked for the New York Central Railroad Company before returning to China.

Class of 1922

Mr. Wellington S. Hsu, (B.S. Agriculture), of Shanghai, played intramural table tennis and he gave a talk about Chinese student movements as part of a Chinese student panel hosted off campus. Mr. Hsiang K. Li, (B.S. Mechanical Engineering), of Weihwei, wrote multiple DI editorials, including:

• thanking the exceptional kindness of nurses at the local hospital,
• a Thanksgiving letter of appreciation for existence of China and its friendship with the U.S.,
• an appeal to the U.S. for aid to China during the North China Famine,
• the value of U.S. higher education is beyond coursework but it includes campus life,
• the appreciation international students have for an Illinois education,
• and an appeal for an end to a recent series of campus book thefts.

He was an athlete too. Mr. Hsu competed in the 1921 annual friendly soccer match between international students and U.S. students. After graduation, Mr. Li worked for the Continental Motors Corporation in Muskegeon, Michigan, and he was enthusiastic about the future of the Chinese motor industry.

Mr. Shu M. Ling, (B.A. General Business), of Ping Kiang, gave multiple talks on campus. Some talks included a panel talk about nationalism in different countries, and the opening talk of the 1925 Chinese Students’ Club annual banquet.

Classes of 1923 and 1924

Mr. Han Ying Chang, (B.S. Civil Engineering), of Shantung, also had a busy undergraduate life. During winter break 1923, he and other students were invited for dinner parties with faculty, he co-performed a sword dance for a Y.M.C.A. winter social, again in February 1923, and again for the 1923 student circus. Finally, in 1924, he was initiated into Phi Kappa Epsilon.

Mr. Low Kwan Chen, (B.S. Railway Civil Engineering), of Shanghai, represented Chinese students on international student panel discussions at the Y.M.C.A., the University Place Christian Church, McKinley Church, Grace Evangelical Christian Church, and First Congregational Church. While Mr. Tsee-Liang Hau, (B.A. Railroad Administration), of Changchow, may not have left any other records behind.

Mr. Tsun-Chan Hu, (B.A. General Business), of Monkden, attended his junior prom, he was a Chinese Students’ Club treasurer, and the Young China business manager too.

Mr. Tsuching C. Li, (B.A. Banking), of Chinhai, was an active intramural athlete. He played for the 1923 senior team against the freshmen, sophomore, and he was a referee for the 1923 American versus foreign student game too. junior classes.

Mr. Ming-Sung Loh, (B.S. Electrical Engineering), of Shanghai, may not have left many records behind.

Mr. Tu Wang, (B.S. Civil Engineering), of Kunlong, may not have left many records behind.

Mr. Pao Kwai Whang, (B.A. Banking and Finance), pledged to the international trade club Theta Delta Pi where he gave at least one talk on commerce in China, he attended the ninth annual Y.M.C.A. student volunteer convention in Indianapolis, and he went to his Senior Informal school dance too.

Mr. Kan Tsz Wong, (B.A. General Business), of Canton, was both an intramural athlete and a frequent off-campus speaker too. When not competing in local table tennis tournaments, Mr. Wong was a member of the 1923 senior soccer team against the freshmen and sophomores. Through the off-campus Y.M.C.A., Mr. Wong also attended the Y.M.C.A. student volunteer convention and he coordinated the 1924 International Night event too. For the Christian Endeavor student organization, Mr. Wong led international night discussions, including one about “World Friendship” (July 22 1924). In Chinese Students’ Club, he gave an address for a 1924 banquet too.

Mr. Te Yuan Wu, (B.A. Foreign Trade), of Peking, and Mr. Tsao Kui Yao, (B.A. Railroad Administration), of Shensi, may not have left any additional records behind.

Class of 1925

Mr. Hsi Chin Liu, (B.S. Mechanical Engineering), of Ping Hsiang, left few records behind, but he might be the same Tsinghua Mechanical Engineering Professor who visited campus in 1947.

Mr. Ying Tsaan Loh, (B.A. Banking and Finance), of Canton, was active in Chinese Students’ Club and multiple religious organizations. In the CSC, Mr. Loh was a treasurer, and he was a performer in a 1920 Club production too. Off campus, Mr. Loh gave speeches and organized talks about Christianity in China too (February 23, and 28, 1923; March 8, April 12, April 15, 1924).

Mr. Hai Shou Wai, (B.S. Metallurgy), of Shanghai, was a frequently requested musician around town. Mr. Wai played the erhu for a variety of audiences, including the Y Hut (October 28, 1922) and the University Place Christian Church Open House (June 22, 1924).

While Mr. Tsung Toh Yuan, (B.S. Mechanical Engineering), of Canton, may not have left many records behind.

Class of 1926

Mr. Wiley Chan Chen, (B.S. Mechanical Engineering), of Shanghai, was both a frequent speaker and a flute player too. Mr. Chen spoke for the First Congregational Church (February 21, 1925), the Society of Mechanical Engineers (January 21, 1926), and the student organization The Friday Club (February 3, 1926). Mr. Chen would play the flute for the 1924 Y.M.C.A. Christmas Party and a 1925 Chinese Students’ Club dinner too.

While Mr. Cheng Luh Kuan, (B.S. Civil Engineering), of Mukden, and Mr. Lisan Tseng, (B.S. Railway Civil Engineering), of Shanghai, might not have left many records behind.

Mr. Edwin Puchu Wu, (B.S. Railway Civil Engineering), of Shanghai, was also a frequent speaker and musician too. Mr. Wu gave multiple talks around town including foreign student meetings at McKinley Church (October 26, 1924), (March 28, 1925), and (January 17, 1926), in addition to performing on the erhu at least once (May 3 1925). Mr. Wu was a member of multiple Chinese organizations too. For the Chinese Students’ Club, he was toastmaster of the 1925 annual banquet. For the Chinese Christian Student Association, he organized the 1925 Christmas party. That same year, he was initiated into the honorary international fraternity Phi Kappa Epsilon too. After graduation, Mr. Wu returned to Shanghai and he would later embark on a tour of Europe too.

Mr. Robert Yu Jr., (B.A. Railroad Administration), of Tientsin, was active in student organizations too. Mr. Yu was involved in the 1924 Y.M.C.A. Christmas party, as well as a Theta Delta Pi member and a later vice-president too. In 1924, Mr. Yu was interviewed by the DI about his perspective on Chinese students studying in the U.S. and Europe.

Class of 1927

Mr. Chao-Tsung Han, (B.S. Civil Engineering), of Honan, was a member of multiple student organizations and a writer too. In fact, Mr. Han wrote at least one DI editorial correcting a misconception of Chinese homonyms as used in a University guest speaker’s public lecture.

Mr. Hock Lan Tsia, (B.S. Electrical Engineering), of Canton, might not have left many records behind.

Mr. Kai Tung, (B.S. Electrical Engineering), of Changsha, might not have left many records behind.

Mr. Samuel Wong, (B.A. General Business), of Shanghai, left more records behind. First, we know that he organized at least one University Place Christian Church Christian Endeavor meeting “Through Foreign Window Panes”, (October 26, 1926). Although, Mr. Wong would be better remembered for his wedding with Miss Marion Chen, of Shanghai. While Mr. Wong studied business, Miss Chen studied English and Home Economics at the University High School, the DI reported. In a detailed Page Two article, a DI staff writer described the wedding. At 8:00 p.m., Saturday, February 19, 1927, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Baker, who were supporters of the Chinese Students’ Club, the double ring ceremony was presided over by University Place Christian Church Reverend Stephen E. Fisher. Over one hundred faculty, staff, and students were in attendance, including student musicians who provided the music. Please read the DI’s coverage for even more details! Following graduation, the Wongs returned to Shanghai.

Organizations and Special Events

Following the decline in enrollment during the the 1911 Chinese Revolution (also known as the “Xinhai Revolution“), Chinese student enrollment increased during the 1920s. In fact, so too did Chinese student organizations and their generous services to the University community.

Chinese Students’ Club

During the 1920s, the Chinese Students’ Club organized a variety of events on campus including Chinese Independence Day parties, cultural performances, and stage productions of plays in Chinese. At the beginning of the decade, the Club saw opportunity for growth, as they searched for a larger club house.

It was January 6, 1920, when the DI first announced the public performance dates for a Chinese Students’ Club production of “Rainbow”. The dramatic production was written by Mr. Shun Hung, a Chinese student studying at Harvard University, and adapted by Mr. T. E. Mao of Pittsburgh. [35] The story takes place in contemporary China, as  The play’s synopsis can be read in DI staff writer Ms. Lois M. Wine’s review. The performance was well received, as documented in Mr. S. L. Liang’s editorial which thanked the University community for their support and interest.

In 1921, the Club organized the production “China: Past, Present, and Future”, which was written by Chinese Illini Mr. Chi Chuan Yu (B.A. Liberal Arts and Science, 1921). The two-act play contrasted historic Chinese schools with a modern school in Shanghai to describe over one century of changes in Chinese education, the DI reported.

In 1923, another locally written production, “The Philosopher’s Stone” by Chun On Ngan (B.S. Chemical Engineering, 1924; M.S. Chemical Engineering, 1925), was performed in early May. Upon the arrival of one of the first women Chinese Illini, Miss Pauline Chiang, a female character was added to the story. The story took place in eighteenth century China, featuring the reconciliation of a Chinese emperor and his brother. The performance was hosted off-campus, at the Wesley Foundation.

While it might be that these three shows were some of the only Chinese Students’ Club programs of the early 1920s, the remainder of the decade saw many more events. In September 1918, the Midwest Chinese Students’ Alliance meeting was hosted. Annual independence day festivals were hosted at the Club House at 204 East John Street too. A new Club constitution was ratified in 1923, and an annual banquet series was initiated (1923, 1924, 1925).

Are you a Chinese Illini? Do you know someone who is? We’d like to hear from you! Please send us a message or leave a comment below. We want to include you and your story, as we celebrate the first 150 years of the University of Illinois.

Happy First 150 everyone!

References

[] As always, a special thank you to all students and staff whose tireless work for student life and publications (many of which are available at the University Archives) help preserve the memories of Illini everywhere.

[1] “Eliot Blackwelder”, The Semi-Centennial Alumni Record of the University of Illinois, Edited by Franklin W. Scott, page 845. In 1919, Geology Professor Eliot Blackwelder arranged for a special undergraduate scholarship to support K. W. Hsu’s paleontological studies for academic year 1919-1920. The recently organized Geological Survey of China arranged for Mr. Hsu to study at Illinois. Please see: Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, April 12, 1919, page 313, Record Series 1/1/802.

[2] “Ambrose Pare Winston”, page 965.

[3] “Waldo Lauff Schlueter”, page 645; “Helen May Wilson (Schlueter), page 653.

[4] “Katherine Caroline Halsey”, page 772.

[5] “Jesse Edwin Moncrieff”, page 793.

[6] “Susan Martha Reed”, page 801; “William Warren Stifler”, page 811-812.

[7] “Hung Lieh Chang”, page 662.

[8] “Ju Shen Chang”, page 662.

[9] “Tze-Li Chang”, page 662.

[10] “Queh King Chen”, page 663.

[11] “Zen Hsieh”, page 677.

[12] “Ching Lee Hsun”, page 677.

[13] “Jin Jee Hsun”, page 677.

[14] “Alfred Chang Lee”, page 682.

[15] “Szu-Kuang Li”, page 683.

[16] “Thian-Kitt Lin”, page 683.

[17] “Ching Kui Lu”, page 684.

[18] “Wing Ngui Mah”, page 685.

[19] “Enlin Sun”, page 699.

[20] “Teh-Chang Yee Cheng Tong”, page 701.

[21] “Yin Woo”, page 705.

[22] “Wei Yoh Wu”, page 706.

[23] “Tsao Shing Yang”, page 706.

[24] “Gan Chyo Yee”, page 706.

[25] “Ye Young Chan”, page 711.

[26] “Jung-Ting Chen”, page 711.

[27] “Chuin Du”, page 714.

[28] “Tse Lauphit”, page 723.

[29] “Bing Funn Lee”, page 724.

[30] “Tao Nan Lee”, page 724.

[31] “Nai Yu Liu”, page 724.

[32] “Cyrus Ching-Chung Lowe”, page 725.

[33] “Chi Ting Shing”, page 734.

[34] “Marvin Yik Hsen Wong”, page 740.

[35] For more information about the play, please see: The Chinese Students’ Monthly, Volume 15, Number 5, page 63.