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Dr. Theodore Hsi-en Chen (1902-1991): Chinese American Education Pioneer and Founder of East Asian Studies at USC Main MenuIntroductionDr. Theodore Hsi-en Chen's ScholarshipDr. Theodore Hsi-en Chen and the China Society of Southern California (CSSC)Dr. Theodore Hsi-en Chen’s Legacy to the USC and the CommunityEvents and CelebrationArchives and ResourcesAbout the ProjectLi-Ping Chenc0e6a2c0a94a0c1771c94d579885876c547d45b5Tang Li94607ee88639079982d0344d02ff8ecdf7b6dc46
Dr. Theodore Hsi-en Chen’s Life and Career at USC
1media/Chen_AACS.jpg2022-12-12T15:46:28-08:00Tang Li94607ee88639079982d0344d02ff8ecdf7b6dc464158888structured_gallery13302622023-02-05T18:19:44-08:00Li-Ping Chenc0e6a2c0a94a0c1771c94d579885876c547d45b5 The following excerpt is from a short biography about Dr. Chen written by Deng Biyu in Chinese and published in Fujian Literature and History (1987, 135-158). The English translation is conducted by Min Chen, Dr. Chen's niece. See the full text.
"Professor Chen Hsi-En is a native of Fuzhou, Fujian Province. He was born at the family home on Aofong Square in Fuzhou on July 14, 1902. After graduating from Gezhi high school, he was admitted to Fujian Christian University (FCU). Because of his outstanding achievement in English, Professor Xu Guang Rong selected him as an English tutor. After graduating from FCU, he was hired at Yinghua Middle School to teach English. Working there for two years, he was well received by the teachers and won his students admiration. In the autumn of 1924, he went to graduate school of Teachers College in Columbia University in the United States as an apprentice to Dewey and Kilpatrick. Due to poor health, he did not complete his doctorate. In 1929, he returned to FCU to work as professor of education and director of education and discipline. In 1937, seven days before the Marco Polo Bridge incident, Professor Chen took his family to the United States to continue his unfinished doctorate. This was the second time he had come to America. He enrolled at the University of Southern California. Due to his outstanding performance, the professors all liked him very much. In 1938 he was hired to teach the “comparative education” course. In 1939, he received his doctoral degree and was appointed professor of education. During his residency in the United States, the Japanese launched a large-scale invasion of China. In response, he gave inspiring patriotic speeches everywhere in the United States to help people understand the truth of the Japanese invasion of China, helping to win the American people’s sympathy and support for our country. He left his footprints throughout the United States, becoming a famous public speaker. At the end of 1946, FCU President Lin Jingrun was sent to the United States for medical treatment due to liver cancer. The school Board of Directors invited Prof. Chen to return to China to serve as acting president. Unfortunately, President Lin Jingrun died in the United States. The Board and the students asked Professor Chen to take over as permanent president. Having asked for only one year of leave from USC, Professor Chen could not accept. As planned, he returned to USC in July of 1947, continuing his work as a Professor and Head of the Asian Culture Department and as Director of the East Asian Cultural Center. Professor Chen taught at USC for over 30 years, retiring in 1974."
12023-01-27T17:21:42-08:00Li-Ping Chenc0e6a2c0a94a0c1771c94d579885876c547d45b5Coming to the United States13Dr. Chen came to the United States for his graduate studies first at Columbia University and then at the University of Southern California where he obtained a doctoral degree in education in 1939. His wife, Wen-Hui Chen, also obtained a doctoral degree in Sociology from USC in 1952. Both of them taught at USC for many years.structured_gallery2023-02-17T10:26:40-08:00Tang Li94607ee88639079982d0344d02ff8ecdf7b6dc46
1media/elementary Chinese_thumbnail.jpg2022-12-15T17:56:50-08:00Tang Li94607ee88639079982d0344d02ff8ecdf7b6dc46Elementary Chinese Reader and Grammar 國語讀本43Dr. Chen and his wife wrote this textbook in dedication to their two American-born daughters. It was used as a textbook in the Chinese class at USC in the 1940s. This book, though used for “elementary” level, includes longer reading passages/conversations, a large amount of vocabulary as well as extensive comparisons between Chinese and American history, culture, and society-- roughly comparable to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Intermediate High to Advanced Low level of Chinese language competence. Note that the transliteration system used in this textbook was Wade-Giles, not the Bopomofo or Pinyin system.structured_gallery2023-02-07T22:32:13-08:00Li-Ping Chenc0e6a2c0a94a0c1771c94d579885876c547d45b5
1media/scrapbook_thumbnail.jpg2022-12-15T18:38:13-08:00Tang Li94607ee88639079982d0344d02ff8ecdf7b6dc46Dr. Chen's Scrapbook18Dr. Chen meticulously documented his prolific career at USC in this scrapbook, leaving with rare textual records of the lectures, talks, programs, and other activities he delivered and organized from 1944-1967.structured_gallery2023-02-17T10:28:02-08:00Tang Li94607ee88639079982d0344d02ff8ecdf7b6dc46
1media/EA studies_thumbnail.jpg2022-12-16T15:32:51-08:00Tang Li94607ee88639079982d0344d02ff8ecdf7b6dc46East Asian Studies at USC12Under Dr. Chen’s influential leadership, Asian studies at USC experienced rapid growth during the 1960s and 1970s, with increased budgets and enrollment, as well as enhanced curriculum, programs, and events. In addition, he received several grants (including $180,000 from the Carnegie Corporation of New York in 1963) to promote Chinese and Japanese language courses in high schools in the greater Los Angeles Area.structured_gallery2022-12-16T21:56:43-08:00Tang Li94607ee88639079982d0344d02ff8ecdf7b6dc46
12022-12-16T22:11:55-08:00Tang Li94607ee88639079982d0344d02ff8ecdf7b6dc46Tunghai University5Dr. Chen was invited by the United Board for Christian Colleges in China to establish Tunghai University, one of the first private universities in Taiwan, based on the model of American liberal arts colleges. He declined the appointment as the inaugural University President in 1954 but continued to serve on the board of the trustees.structured_gallery2023-02-10T17:47:36-08:00Li-Ping Chenc0e6a2c0a94a0c1771c94d579885876c547d45b5