DARTMOUTH IN CHINA
Graduate Secretary of the Dartmouth Christian Association
One of the conspicuous and noteworthy developments in the life of the colleges in the United States during the past twenty-five years has been the growing interest in and cooperation with the students of other countries. This has expressed itself in many different ways. There have been international social, literary, labor, religious and athletic leagues or federations. There has been .remarkable increase in the number of student delegations visiting the United States and certainly the students of our colleges and universities are traveling to the countries to the East and West in larger numbers than ever before.
It would be quite unfair to conclude that this desire to travel on the part of the students in the United States is inspired solely by interest in the students of other countries. Quite certainly it is not. While the interest in travel in certain countries may wax and wane according to the times and seasons there is one country with which the student contact is continually growing more intimate and friendly namely China. This is evidenced in the many colleges which are today supporting or cooperating in the support of hospitals and colleges in that country. Yale, Princeton, Syracuse, Oberlin, Grinnell and several others are included in this list. Those who would argue that this is imperialism of a very subtle variety must not forget that a mutual interchange of students is carried on between most of these institutions in China and the sister college in the United States. This system though it must of necessity serve but a very few of the students of either China or the United States is doing much to develop student friendship and understanding between the two countries.
The name Dartmouth-in-China sounds much more elaborate and extensive than the facts warrant. Some graduates with more imagination than information may picture a replica of Dartmouth Row in some Chinese City with an unpronouncable name. This will serve as a good day-dream to be realized at some future time, should conditions and the desire of the Chinese people warrant it. For the present Dartmouth is cooperating in the education of children in the grades and up through what would correspond roughly to Junior High School in the United States. A brief history and description of this school work follows.
In 1921 when conditions in the Near East compelled the suspension of the work which Dartmouth through the Dartmouth Christian Association had been supporting in Turkey, it was thought advisable by the Alumni Committee of this organization to transfer this support to some other country. H. W. Robinson '10, representative of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (Congregational) located at Paotingfu (Bow-ding-fu) North China, was selected to receive the help of the College. Three hundred dollars was sent the first year. This was used to build a country school suitable for a six year course at Ivao I (Gow-ee) about 100 miles south of Paotingfu: to pay the salary of a high-school teacher for the Paotingfu Junior Middle School and to help build several rooms in a dormitory in this same school. The country school at Kao I was christened the Dartmouth School by Mr. Robinson.
Some idea of the increase in interest among students and alumni will be obtained by a comparison of the contributions made to date. 1920-21 $300 1921-22 1000 1922-23 1000 1923-24 1000 *1924-25 1750 *1925-26 2135
Evidently Dartmouth men in North China are also interested and impressed with the type of educational work with which their college is becoming identified judging from the following extract from one of Mr. Robinson's news letters. "Tuesday noon we attended a luncheon in honor of the Strong's (Dr. and Mrs. William E. Strong '82) given by the Dartmouth Alumni Association of North China. At this time the Association voted $100 Mexican to our Dartmouthin-China work in Paotingfu." To date the physical part of Dartmouth-in-China is embodied in H. W. Robinson '10 and several Chinese teachers, a country school in Kao I and a dormitory and class room build.'ng in Paotingfu.
In Hanover interest in Dartmouth-inChina finds expression through the Christian Association, the College Chest and the Dartmouth-in-China Advisory Committee composed of Prof. E. B. Watson '02 as Chairman, Professors E. F. Clark '01, A. B. Meservey '06, A. W. Vernon and Dr. W. E. Strong '82, the graduate secretary of the D. C. A. and the undergraduate chairman of this department ex officio. The functions of this committee as delegated by the Alumni Committee of the D. C. A. are "to carry on correspondence with our representative in China, assist in the College Chest Drive and in the disbursements of funds from the Christian Association going to Dartmouth-iri-China, advise the undergraduate chairman and supervise the general educational work on the campus." The graduate secretary of the D. C. A. was elected secretary of this committee. All requests for information may be addressed to him Post Office Box 63, Hanover, New Hampshire.
F. S. Wilder '25 now teaching and studying at Atlanta University, Atlanta, Georgia, is fitting himself for work in China. He hopes to be assigned to the Paotingfu district where he may become associated with Mr. Robinson.
It is interesting to note that this present project is not the first time that Dartmouth has been identified with the educational program in China. The book "Dartmouth Traditions" compiled by William C. Hill '02 contains a story entitled "Dartmouth in China." This is an account of the experiences of Charles D. Tenny '78, a missionary, who some years before the Revolution and the founding of the Republic became private tutor to the sons of the Prime Minister, Li Hung Chang. He became a very close friend of the Minister and was appointed by him the head of the government college in Tientsin. It was while serving in this capacity that Tenny was able to recommend and assist in making vital changes in the Chinese school system.
Harold W. Robinson 'lO Representative of Dartmouth-in-China since 1921
The location of the work of Dartmouth-in-China
School boys playing basketball at the Dartmouth school, Kao-I
Dormitory built in 1926 with Dartmouth funds at the Boys' Junior Middle School, Paotingfu
A Thayer School party goes to Moose Mountain
*(In 1924-25 the Dartmouth College Chest just organized by the undergraduates voted $750. In 1925-26 the sum of $1100 was voted from the same fund.)
