19 18, two missionary universities in Beijing decided to merge: Huiwen University and Sheikh University. 1900 after the boxer rebellion, two private universities tried to merge, but due to too many internal contradictions, many consultations failed. It was not until 19 18 that a compromise was reached and it was decided to hire a person unrelated to the original two schools as the principal. At this time, Si Tuleideng had been teaching in Nanjing Theological Seminary for many years and became the best candidate for the new president, but almost all his friends advised him to decline politely. He finally accepted the challenge. 19 19 1 month, Si Tuleideng went north to meet relevant persons of two universities that are about to merge. After many mediations, a school name committee composed of five people including Cai Yuanpei was established. Finally, Dr. Cheng Jingyi's suggestion was adopted and "yenching university" was adopted as the school name, which also solved other contradictions. Si Tuleideng officially became the first president of yenching university.
Fund raising and expansion
Si Tuleideng took over yenching university's arsenal in Dongcheng. The scale is very small, with only 94 students, most of whom are funded by scholarships. Two of the faculty members are from China and have doctorates. Few foreign faculty members are qualified to teach in universities. Insufficient funds, only half of the expenditure. While improving the original stall, Si Tuleideng intends to start a new stove. Starting from 1922, he traveled back and forth to the United States 10 in 15 to raise money, one of which raised 1.5 million dollars. This was almost an astronomical figure at that time. With funds, he decided to choose a new campus for the school. He and his colleagues searched the suburbs of Beijing and found a piece of land in the west of Tsinghua campus. It was originally abandoned by a prince in the Qing Dynasty, and was later transferred to Chen, the governor of Shaanxi Province. To this end, I went to Shaanxi to see Chen, who was very interested in setting up this school. He sold his property to yenching university for 60,000 yuan and donated 1/3 of it as a scholarship. This land covers 40 hectares. Together with other abandoned gardens bought nearby, the total area of yenching university has increased several times.
After several years of construction, the new campus of 1929 was officially put into use. Yenching university campus building, which combines Chinese and western cultures, is a masterpiece of Si Tuleideng. He proudly declared: "All the tourists praised yenching university as the most beautiful campus in the world-it helps to deepen students' feelings for this school and its internationalist ideal. "
For vocational trainers
Yenching university only existed for 33 years (1952 closed), during which it was seriously disturbed by the Japanese invasion of China. The total number of registered students does not exceed 10000, but it has trained a large number of high-level talents for China, including 42 academicians of China Academy of Sciences, 42 academicians of China Academy of Engineering 1 1, and so on. During World War II, 9/ 10, China was a journalist in major cities around the world, and graduated from yenching university journalism department.
Response strategy
Yenching university is a missionary school, and its funds mainly come from the church. Si Tuleideng realized that the school could not survive if it strictly followed the original concept of running a school and ignored the wishes of the people of China. Only when the education policy reflects the requirements of China's public opinion can the school stand and develop in China. Si Tuleideng believes that China people have the right to stipulate what kind of education foreigners should have in China, so when the Ministry of Education of China Government announced the regulations on the registration of missionary schools in 1925, yenching university reacted the fastest. According to this regulation, the post of principal must employ China people, and the school board must have a majority of directors from China. Of course, the former board strongly opposed it, and Si Tuleideng spent a lot of time persuading them. Si Tuleideng fully agreed with the regulations of the Ministry of Education prohibiting students from being forced to worship religion and offering compulsory religious courses, and he was also retired as principal by the principal. All these made yenching university a missionary school, but it gradually became China and was recognized by the people of China.
Hire a famous teacher
Si Tuleideng knew that to build yenching university into a first-class university, there must be first-class teachers. He insisted that the school hire its own teachers; All teachers do not have to be religious; According to the professor level, Chinese and foreign teachers are paid equally; For those who are prestigious, talented and knowledgeable, visit them at home and hire them with high salary. Yenching university gathered a group of masters at that time. Chen Yinque, Zheng Zhenduo, Qian, Fei Xiaotong, Gu Jiegang and others all taught in yenching university. The monthly salary of professors is 360 yuan (silver dollar), and that of principals is 500 yuan. Si Tuleideng only takes the professor's monthly salary. At that time, national universities often defaulted on wages, and yenching university never defaulted on wages.
Yanjing society
What really makes yenching university a world-class university is the establishment of Harvard Yanjing Society. Si Tuleideng learned that Alcoa Gold Office (1863- 19 14) donated a huge legacy to the education fund, and claimed that part of this legacy was used to study China culture, and an American university and a China university jointly formed an institution to implement this plan. At first, the executor chose Harvard University in the United States and Peking University in China, but Si Tuleideng managed to persuade Harvard University to cooperate with yenching university, and established the Harvard Yanjing Society in the spring of 1928, and set up the Beijing office of Yanjing Society.
After meeting with the lawyer Cleveland, Hall's executor, in Si Tuleideng, with the help of his old friend Dr. Harry Luce, the lawyer finally promised yenching university 500,000 yuan, but it would be a year later, because he wanted to confirm that yenching university was "a university worthy of support".
A year later, Si Tuleideng saw the lawyer again. Before he spoke, the lawyer offered to fulfill his promise. But the lawyer "changed his mind" because he didn't give Yanjing 500,000 yuan, but doubled it to1000,000. Si Tuleideng certainly won't miss such a good opportunity. He took the opportunity to raise the difficulty of Yanjing's development and raised the money requirement to1500,000, but this time the lawyer promised much more readily than the first time. With the strength of yenching university at that time, Si Tuleideng can't help feeling smug. He said: "I really appreciate the generous commitment of Harvard authorities to connect the beautiful name of their university with a small missionary school in China." Supporting students' patriotic action is an idea that Si Tuleideng has been insisting on in yenching university for more than 20 years.
1920 In April, the All-China Federation of Students announced a strike because of the negotiations between the government and Japan on the Shandong issue, in protest. In response to the resolution of the Student Union, teachers and students in yenching university were suspended for six weeks, and the delayed studies were made up in the summer vacation. Just after the May 30th tragedy in 1925, yenching university issued a declaration, which was drafted by a British professor on behalf of Chinese, American and British teachers in yenching university, and made a request to the British authorities. This was supported by the headmaster, Si Tuleideng.
March in person
193 1 After the September 18th Incident, Si Tuleideng personally led hundreds of teachers and students in yenching university to the streets, shouting "Down with Japanese imperialism!" 1934, Si Tuleideng went to the United States and suddenly received an urgent telegram from yenching university, asking him to return to school. It turned out that Beijing students organized a petition group to go to Nanjing to oppose the government's anti-Japanese policy, and yenching university students announced a strike. After Si Tuleideng came back, a school meeting was held immediately. Some people thought that Si Tuleideng would not support the strike, but he said, "When I got off the boat in Shanghai, I asked the person who came to pick me up first whether the students from Yanda University also went to Nanjing to petition. I was relieved to hear the "yes" answer. If Yan college students did not participate in the petition this time, it means that my education in these years has completely failed. " 1935 during the "December 29th" student movement, students from yenching university marched to Xizhimen on foot to protest against the Japanese autonomy plot in North China. The leader of the male students was Huang Hua, who later served as China's foreign minister.
After the official outbreak of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the Japanese army occupied Beiping. Yenching university often finds excuses to provoke and arrest Japanese teachers and students. Si Tuleideng was supposed to mediate between the US Consulate and the Japanese Garrison Command. He once said: "During the fall of Beiping, when my students returned to school after patriotic activities, they always told me excitedly how they served the motherland and the people with practical actions. This makes me feel very gratified. What is particularly touching is that they are already practicing the motto of Yanda University,' Because of truth, they are free, so they serve'. "
Continue running a school
One year before the fall of Peiping, Si Tuleideng returned to the United States and got the consent of the American Trusteeship Department. Even if Peiping fell, he would continue to run schools. Many school-age young people in China can't go to the rear area for a while, and they don't want to go to schools under the puppet regime-yenching university has become their ideal choice. During the four and a half years from the July 7th Incident to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 194 1, yenching university maintained a normal state of running schools. Si Tuleideng came back as the headmaster. He strategically emphasized that the university was an American school, hung the American flag to prevent Japanese bombing, and hired a Japanese-speaking university alumnus as the principal's secretary to handle Japanese affairs, including bailing out the arrested Yan college students.
1939, Si Tuleideng said in his speech to the teachers and students of the whole school: "yenching university is not a paradise, so you can't' turn a deaf ear to things outside the window', but care about state affairs", "yenching university is now an enemy-occupied area, so don't be fooled by the negative propaganda of the Japanese aggressors". The Japanese once asked Japanese students to study in Yanda University. Si Tuleideng obviously agreed, but insisted that they should pass the exam like China students. As a result, although Japanese students took the exam, none of them entered Yanda University because they failed to meet the standards.
Be thrown into prison
194 1 When the Pacific War broke out in February, Japan no longer cared about the reaction of the United States. On the morning of the war, the Japanese gendarmerie, which had been dissatisfied with Si Tuleideng and yenching university for a long time, invaded Yanyuan, surrounded and blocked the school, and arrested 65,438 teachers and students of Yanda University.
Si Tuleideng was in Tianjin to raise money for the school and stayed in Shang Tang Health Company. Japanese military police arrested him and took him to Beijing. After Si Tuleideng was arrested, the State Council repeatedly asked Japan to release Si Tuleideng, which just made Japan think that Si Tuleideng was a pivotal figure and decided to release him on the day when he needed to play a role. Therefore, after other teachers and students of Yanda University were rescued, Si Tuleideng stayed alone in Japanese prison for another four years until 1945 War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression won.
When he first entered the prison, Si Tuleideng was interrogated, but the Japanese found nothing. In the days that followed, he was allowed to read two newspapers, one was an English newspaper published in Beijing, and the other was an English version of Osaka Daily News.
During his four years in prison, Si Tuleideng completed most of his autobiographies. Later, Si Tuleideng wrote Fifty Years of China based on his autobiography written in prison.
The day after he was released from prison, he returned to Yanda University and began to rebuild the campus-10/0/0, 10, and Yanda University started school again. A novice diplomat
1945, civil war is imminent. US President Truman sent Marshall as a special envoy to China to mediate the dispute between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, hoping to settle it amicably. Due to complicated reasons, mediation failed. At this time, Marshall nominated Si Tuleideng as the US ambassador to China. Marshall felt powerless and had nothing to do. A different person may turn around. Si Tuleideng's understanding of the styles of China and China is extensive, and people from all walks of life in China can accept him. Both the Kuomintang and the Communist Party have his students in important positions, so although he is a "green hand" in diplomacy, he was appointed as the American ambassador to China by Truman.
Peace efforts
1July, 947, Si Tuleideng performed his duties in Nanjing. Si Tuleideng took it as its responsibility to promote peace in China and tried to form a coalition government in China. He once wrote: "If there is still a glimmer of hope for my participation, I will urge the Kuomintang and the people to form a Coalition government and a unified army to end this civil war that exhausts the people's strength and kills each other. I will go all out at all costs." However, the national government under Chiang Kai-shek did not listen to him, and the American government was partial to the national government. As an ambassador, he had to obey the decision of the American government-all efforts failed and the civil war broke out in an all-round way. Si Tuleideng denounced his dereliction of duty and wrote: "I failed the trust of the people of China. I failed to persuade either party to make concessions in order to reach an agreement. " By 1948, the Kuomintang troops were losing ground, and in April 1949, the People's Liberation Army captured Nanjing. The Soviet ambassador to China moved to Guangzhou with the National Government, but Si Tuleideng remained in Nanjing. He wants to keep in touch with the Communist Party of China (CPC). He said that the China issue is not only an issue of China policy, but also an issue related to world peace. He hopes to settle Sino-US relations, which will be a great contribution to world peace.
Forced to return to the United States
Mao Zedong entrusted Lu Zhiwei, then president of yenching university, to write to Si Tuleideng, saying that he could go to Peiping to attend the celebration of Yanda University. Zhou Enlai welcomed Si Tuleideng back to yenching university through Huang Hua and said that we might meet again. However, when Si Tuleideng asked the State Council for instructions about his trip to Beiping, he was rejected and asked to return to the United States immediately. In this way, Si Tuleideng "sat quietly" in Nanjing after liberation 100 days, and had to leave. The Kuomintang government also hoped that he would go to Guangzhou first and then return to the United States, believing that this was spiritual support for the Kuomintang government. Si Tuleideng didn't do this. He flew directly from Nanking to Okinawa, where he made a statement in support of the government of China led by the Communist Party of China (CPC). However, the State Council refused to let this statement be published in the United States and telegraphed him not to make another statement.
In this way, Si Tuleideng left China, where he lived for 45 years, and never set foot on the land of China. Only three months after he returned to the United States, Si Tuleideng could not afford to get sick. The severe sequelae of stroke made him spend the last 13 years in a wheelchair and a hospital bed. At that time, Si Tuleideng had no relatives with him. His wife died in Beijing at the age of 50, and his only son was not around. His daily life depends entirely on the care of Fu Jingbo, a private secretary who has been with him since childhood, and his family. Si Tuleideng made a will and asked Fu Jingbo to bury his ashes next to his wife's grave if possible after his death.
1962 September, Si Tuleideng died in Washington. In 2008, the spirit of Si Tuleideng, who had been away from China for 60 years, returned to Hangzhou, China under the watchful eyes of American Ambassador to China Reid, yenching university alumni and Hangzhou citizens. On June165438+1October 17, the ashes of former American Ambassador to China Si Tuleideng were buried in Hangzhou Anxian Garden. The tombstone reads: "Si Tuleideng, 1876- 1962, the first headmaster of yenching university."