United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia records - Addendum A

These records are a continuation of the official archives of the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia. Transferred to the Yale Divinity Library in 1984, they supplement and overlap with the records of the United Board found in Record Group Number 11. Group 11A documents the work of the United Board as it sought to redefine its policies and goals following the closing of mainland China in 1951. It provides extensive information about the institutions and projects to which the United Board lent its support. The records comprise 115 linear feet of material dating from 1904 to 1981, with a concentration on the period 1958 to 1971.

Portions of Record Group Number 11A could have been directly integrated into files found in Record Group Number 11, but because of the bulk and complexity of the two groups, it was decided to treat them as separate entities. The registers for Groups 11 and 11A should be used in conjunction with each other. There is documentation in Record Group 11A that relates directly to the China colleges and universities that were the focus of the United Board's work prior to 1951. Of particular interest in Series III are the articles and papers gathered by the United Board in connection with a proposed book on the China colleges. These papers touch on subjects such as women's education in China and science instruction at the China colleges and universities. Series III of Group 11A also includes records related to the Japanese War Claims made for each of the Board-supported China colleges and universities. Also of note are the Princeton-in-Asia files found in Series VI, which document the longstanding Princeton connection with Yenching University; some files previously in Group 11A have now been transferred to the Princeton-in-Asia office in Princeton.

The researcher should be aware not only of the interrelatedness between Groups 11 and 11A, but also of the interrelatedness between the series within Group 11A. A researcher interested in Yonsei University, for example, would need to consult not only the Yonsei University files in Series IV, but also Series II for correspondence of individuals involved with Yonsei, Series III for United Board committee records and for information collected in connection with the Appraisal of Christian Higher Education in Asia, Series V for photographs, and Series VI for documentation of Yonsei found in the files of the Council on Christian Higher Education in Asia. Some cross referencing has been used to point out cases of diffused documentation, but a general awareness of its prevalence in this collection is also advised.

There is no Series I in Record Group No. 11A. Series II has been established as a continuation of the Consolidated General File found in both Series I and II of Group 11. These files represent the office files of the New York headquarters of the United Board. The materials remain in their original arrangement, filed alphabetically by the names of individuals, organizations, or subject headings. Notable correspondents in Series II include: Rowland Cross, William P. Fenn, Lyman Hoover, Paul T. Lauby, Elisabeth Luce Moore, George L. Paik, Elsie Priest, Henry Knox Sherrill, Hollington Wong and Henry P. Van Dusen. Also of interest are the files organized under the heading "Mission Boards", which document the problems faced by the various boards during this time period and their evolving relationships with the United Board. Though it is primarily correspondence, the Series also includes working papers, miscellaneous typescripts, legal documents, and some publications collected on specific topics or by individuals. The Series includes documentation of organizations related to the United Board, some of which are also documented in Series VI.

While the Consolidated General File of Series II is predominantly correspondence, Series III consists primarily of official papers, minutes, and reports. The compilation of materials in this "New File" provides a succinct overview of the development, operations, and internal structure of the United Board during a turbulent period of its history. Much energy was spent on redefining the Board's purposes and in promoting the new goals and programs among potential donors. Approximately 1H linear feet of material in this Series relates to the United Board for Christian Colleges in China; this material largely overlaps with material found in Series III of Record Group No. 11. The remainder of the Series relates to the numerous committees of the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia, to program efforts such as the Appraisal of Christian Higher Education in Asia (conducted 1966-1969) and the Commission for the Advancement of Christian Higher Education in Asia (1970-1973), and to financial matters, particularly the Japanese War Claims funds and the so-called "Cy Pres" funds, monies designated for use in China Colleges, which were frozen by the Court following the closing of China and finally released in 1968 for use in other United Board programs.

Correspondence, minutes, reports and publications in Series IV document the formation, policy, and programs of colleges and universities in Asia that were associated with the United Board. Material from eighteen institutions is included, but the files are most extensive for the following schools:

Yonsei University was formed by the merger of Chosen Christian College and Severance Union Medical College; these predecessor institutions are also documented. The audio-visual materials of Series V are largely related to the four institutions best documented in Series IV. Also of interest is a photograph album documenting the early work of Princeton-in-Asia.

The related organizations documented in Series VI include:

The records are most extensive for COCHEA. Seven linear feet of materials related to the Princeton-in-Asia program once included in this Series have now been transferred to the Princeton-in-Asia office in Princeton. These files are still described in this finding aid, to provide information; they date primarily from 1923 to 1949 and include committee records, correspondence, promotional material, and publications. In conjunction with the Princeton-in-Peking records found in Record Group No. 11 and the personal papers of Dwight Edwards (YDSL Record Group No. 12), Sidney Gamble, and Lennig Sweet (YDSL Record Group No. 8), these records provide very complete and valuable documentation of the Princeton-Yenching connection.

The Related Publications found in Series VI are divided into two categories: Concerning Education and Conference Publications. These publications represent material collected by the United Board as background material or as documentation of conferences that the Board sponsored.