Title: Oberlin Shansi Memorial Association Records, 1868-present

ID: RG 15/

Extent: 145.12 Linear Feet

Administrative History

The Oberlin Shansi Memorial Association (OSMA), a private foundation housed on the campus of Oberlin College, is administered by a Board of Trustees, a Student Committee, and an Executive Director. OSMA's purpose is to foster international respect and understanding through educational exchange with Asia. It offers graduating seniors and first year alumni of Oberlin an opportunity to live and work in an Asian culture for two years as Oberlin Shansi Representatives. In addition to sending representatives abroad, Shansi offers study and teaching fellowships for Asian and Oberlin faculty and students and support for Asia related programs and events at Oberlin. Each year, the Shansi Student Committee and Trustees select up to seven representatives to send to Asia. Representatives receive travel expenses from OSMA and a stipend from the Asian institution at which they study and work. They generally teach English in an Asian university and study language and culture, although for a time during the 1960's and 1970's, a limited number of "experimental" representatives devised their own programs of work and study that did not necessarily involve teaching English.

OSMA has its roots in the fervor for foreign missions that characterized the United States in the late nineteenth century. In January of 1881, a group of twelve students, primarily from Oberlin's Graduate School of Theology, applied to the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) to volunteer their services as a group, the Oberlin Band, for mission work, preferably in China. The ABCFM approved the plan and between 1882 and 1900, thirty Americans served in the Shansi province of northern China under the auspices of ABCFM. Nineteen were Oberlinians; the remainder were their wives or non-Oberlin doctors. At this time, the China Secretary of ABCFM, to whom the Oberlin Band reported, was Judson Smith, former Professor of Church History at the Oberlin's Graduate School of Theology. The primary focus of these missionaries was evangelism, but they also engaged in other service-directed activities. Concentrating on the cities of Taiku and Fenchow, the Oberlin Band organized churches, established schools, carried on medical work and famine relief, and set up opium refuges in an attempt to cure people of their addictions.

In March 1900, the Boxer Movement spread to Shansi when the Empress Dowager appointed the strongly pro-Boxer Yu Xian as governor of the Province. On July 31, the missionaries and many of their Chinese helpers and converts at Taiku were killed by a mob. On August 15, missionaries at Fenchow met the same fate. Foreign troops moved into Shansi and Yu Xian was removed. In 1902, Irenaeus J. Atwood, Graduate School of Theology Class of 1881, returned to arrange for local restitution and indemnities. As a result of the settlement, the ABCFM mission acquired property outside the eastern gate of Taiku. The property, known as the "Flower Garden," became the gravesite for many of the martyrs of 1900 and later became the site of the Oberlin Shansi Memorial Schools.

In 1903, the Memorial Arch on Tappan Square on the grounds of Oberlin College was dedicated. A strong desire persisted, however, to further memorialize the martyrs by continuing the educational aspects of their work in Shansi. President Henry Churchill King, the YMCA and YWCA secretaries, representatives of the Oberlin Band of Student Volunteers for Foreign Missions, and others promoted the idea of an educational memorial in China. That effort culminated on January 30, 1908, with the establishment of the OSMA, chaired by President King, to support educational work in connection with the ABCFM missions still operating in Shansi.

Kung Hsiang-hsi, an Oberlin graduate who had been a student in one of the mission schools in Taiku and had escaped to the United States following the Boxer uprisings, was invited to return to Taiku in 1908 to assume the leadership of OSMA's educational work. A school was built in the Flower Garden and Kung named the work Ming Hsien — "Remember the Worthy." While OSMA had financial responsibility for Ming Hsien, its work was closely intertwined with that of the ABCFM. For several years, Oberlin graduates appointed by the American Board played important roles at Ming Hsien as treasurers, vice-principals, and instructors. Paul L. Corbin, Franklin B. Warner, and Wynn C. Fairfield were among those involved. As Kung's increasing regional and national political importance in China drew him away from Ming Hsien frequently, these Oberlinians who could communicate with both the Board and OSMA played even more important roles. Kung resigned as principal of Ming Hsien in 1928 and went on to serve as Finance Minister and Premier of Nationalist China. He continued to serve on the Board of Managers until the fall of the nationalist government in 1949.

At first, OSMA raised funds through annual drives and "Shansi Days" at Oberlin College. In the 1920's, however, OSMA received $750,000 from the Charles Martin Hall estate (See Subgroup IV, Series 4). As a result of this endowment, OSMA incorporated under the laws of the State of Ohio. The by-laws of the association called for the establishment of a Ming Hsien Board of Managers in China to handle local governance of the schools. This new administrative structure, together with a rising tide of Chinese nationalism, led to major changes at Ming Hsien. In 1925, the position of vice-principal, which had been held by missionaries, was abolished and a Chinese graduate of both Ming Hsien and Oberlin College, Qiao Jinliang, was appointed administrative dean. In 1927, Ming Hsien was registered with the national government and thus came under regulations of the Chinese Ministry of Education. As a result, mandatory Bible courses and church attendance were abolished in favor of voluntary, extra-curricular Bible classes. While a Christian motivation and spirit persisted, the aim of OSMA and Ming Hsien during this period gradually evolved from evangelism into one of Christian service to China.

As the administration of OSMA and Ming Hsien evolved, so did the program of the Association and its schools. By 1918, the need for English teachers had become urgent. That year, Ming Hsien invited Lewis E. Davis, son of Francis and Lydia Lord Davis, to come for a year to teach English. The following year, John L. Davis joined his brother. In 1920, OSMA picked up the responsibility for appointing Oberlin College graduates to go to China for two or three years to teach English. They went as representatives of Oberlin College and the annual appointment of representatives became central to OSMA's program. The Shansi Student Committee selected representatives, who were subsequently appointed by the OSMA Board of Trustees. The first representatives were men, but since 1928, both men and women have been appointed. Eventually, support of representatives came from the student activity fee, with two dollars collected for each student assigned to the program. Indicative of the growing secularization of OSMA, the representatives were not missionaries. They taught, coached athletics, and led a wide variety of extra-curricular activities. Many returned to Oberlin College for a year of service on campus to promote OSMA through events, student clubs, the Shansi Student Committee, and, for a time, through publishing the Dragon Tracks newsletter. Beginning in 1927, OSMA also brought Chinese administrators and faculty of Ming Hsien to the United States to study at Oberlin, in the graduate school of an American university, or both.

During the late 1920s and 1930s, the program of Ming Hsien expanded beyond the primary and secondary schools that had been the focus for the first two decades. In 1927, Raymond T. Moyer started the Agriculture Department, a primarily experimental program that sought to develop better seeds and farm animal breeds for the Shansi province. The Industrial Department began in 1931 under the leadership of Li Tingkui in an effort to develop some of the simple technology needed to assist in the establishment of small-scale rural industry. Working closely with the Agriculture Department, the Industrial Department developed new plows, water wheels, and deep-well pumps. Wu Shouming (a.k.a. Mark Wu) started the Department of Rural Service in 1935. Centered at the village of Guanjiapu near Taiku, that department addressed problems of illiteracy and public health and established clinics, a rural credit cooperative, and classes in agricultural and industrial technology and home economics.

With the invasion of northern China by Japanese troops in 1937, Ming Hsien was forced to move southward and westward to get out of reach of Japanese troops. This movement, which occurred in five phases covering 1300 miles, became known as "the trek." The final resting place of the schools was Ch'intang in Szechuan province. During this period of movement, only one representative, Herbert Van Meter, was able to reach Ming Hsien. Once the program settled at Ch'intang, however, the flow of representatives resumed.

During the first years in Szechuan, the program prospered, but the political turmoil, financial hardships, and physical deprivation caused by the Sino-Japanese War, World War II, and civil war between nationalist and communist forces within China took a tremendous toll. The year 1951, when China sided with North Korea in the Korean War and ended diplomatic relations with the United States, began a thirty year hiatus of OSMA operations in China.

The end of the long Oberlin commitment in China led to a modification of OSMA's program and expansion to other parts of Asia. New emphasis was placed on student and faculty exchange programs. Major institutions involved included Obirin Gakuen and Nagoya University in Japan, American and Lady Doak Colleges in Madurai, India, and Tainan Boys School and Tunghai University in Taiwan. Later occasional exchanges occurred with colleges and universities in Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Afghanistan, and the Philippines. The program in India halted for eight years beginning in 1970 by action of the Indian government, but resumed when U.S. relations with India began to thaw in the late 1970's and early 1980's. A similar warming of relations with the People's Republic of China culminated with the return of OSMA to the Shansi province in 1980. While the old Ming Hsien program was never reinstated, a student and scholar exchange program comparable to the ones in other parts of Asia was established. The program in China also included exchange of library materials between Oberlin College and the Taiyuan Institute of Engineering and Shansi Agricultural University. The exchange program with China was once again phased out in the mid-1980's.

Executive Secretaries of OSMA

1907-1926 William Frederick Bohn

1926-1941 Lydia Lord Davis

1941-1942 Frances Cade

1943-1944 Mrs. Eleanor Tracy Arnold

1944-1946 Josephine Van Meter

1947-1950 Melville Kennedy

1951-1981 Margaret Leonard

Executive Directors of OSMA

1981-2012 Carl Jacobson

2013- Gavin Tritt

Forms of Material (links to similar genres)

Languages of Materials

Administrative Information

Acquired: 01/01/1967. Accession No: 1987/073, 1993/023, 1994/038, 1994/077, 1994/079, 1995/030, 1995/073, 1995/082, 1995/094, 1996/091, 1996/093, 1996/098, 1997/034, 1997/068, 1997/080, 1997/088, 1997/089, 1998/020, 1998/087, 1999/34, 1999/70, 2000/51, 2000/67, 2000/80, 2000/112, 2001/005, 2001/039, 2001/065, 2001/093, 2002/015, 2004/011, 2004/057, 2005/027, 2008/039, 2009/002, 2009/043, 2011/039, 2011/061, 2012/004, 2012/041 (not interfiled), 2012/042 (partially interfiled), 2012/072, 2014/022, 2014/040, 2016/047, 2019/002, 2019/031, 2019/037, 2020/003

Restrictions: Certain materials in Subgroups II, IV, VII and VIII are restricted, as noted on the inventory.

Acquisition Note:

Provenance

Records of the Oberlin Shansi Memorial Association were acquired in fourteen lots between 1967 and 1991. Margaret Leonard directed the transfer of files from the OSMA office to the Archives in 1967, 1981, twice in 1987, twice in 1988, and twice in 1990. One lot of photographs arrived in 1991. Ellsworth Carlson transferred files in 1985. Carl Jacobson and Peg (Margaret) Leonard directed the transfer of the accessions in 1990. Four lots came from the Oberlin College Library in 1968, 1972, 1976, and 1987. Seventeen more accessions were received from the OSMA office in accessions 1996/098 1997/068, 1997/80, 1997/088, 1997/089, 1998/87, 1999/34, 1999/70, 2000/51, 2000/67, and 2000/80, 2000/112, 2001/005, 2001/039, 2001/065, 2001/093, and 2002/015. In 1998, 0.4 linear feet of records were transferred from the papers of President Starr. Additional material was transferred from the Oberlin College Library, Special Collections, in 2001 (2001/094). Additional transfers from OSMA occurred in the years between 2004 and 2016.

In 2008, the centennial of Shansi’s founding, 18.83 linear feet of material donated by former Shansi representatives, fellows and other personnel was transferred from the OSMA office after the centennial celebration. These materials comprised scrapbooks, photograph albums, loose photographs, films, videotapes, audio recordings, objects, correspondence and miscellaneous paper materials. The scrapbook on Oberlin’s Gamelan was given to Shansi by Molly Johnson, former assistant to president Nancy S. Dye, transferred to Archives in accession 2008/039. In 2011 a digital project funded by the Mellon Foundation, “Shansi: Oberlin and Asia,” encompassed the professional transfer of sixteen films to Betacam and DVDs for preservation and public access [accession number 2011/039]. The Japanese government signboard of 1868 was given to the College’s Religion Department by Jerome Davis in 1916; it was transferred to the Archives in 2014.

The lantern slides of Professor George D. Hubbard (Geology) were brought into this collection from the general lantern slide collection in 2017. Additional files were received from the OSMA office in 2019. The embroidered silk woman’s robe was received from Carl Jacobson, former OSMA director, in 2020.

Related Materials:

Papers of Oberlin College Presidents Henry Churchill King (RG 2/6), 1873-1934, and Ernest Hatch Wilkins (RG 2/7), 1927-46. Papers of Lydia Lord Davis (RG 30/80), 1862-1944; Florence Fitch (RG 30/37), 1807-1951; Alice Moon Williams (RG 30/58), 1883-1952; John Griffith Olmstead (30/2), c. 1902-1930; Everett D. Hawkins (30/130), 1927-1972; Robbins Strong (30/215), 1934-89; Herbert and Josephine Van Meter (30/288), c. 1930s-1987; Raymond T. Moyer (30/260), 1921-1992; Ellsworth C. Carlson (30/176), 1935-2000; Paul L. Corbin (30/49), 1886-1937; Frances Cade and E. John Hamlin (30/418), Eva J. Price (30/274); and records of the YMCA-YWCA (RG 29), c. 1900-1965; and the Oberlin Band of Student Volunteers for Foreign Missions (RG 19/3/1), 1886-1927.

For additional objects donated for the Shansi centennial in 2008, see the Objects Digital Catalogue. See also “Shansi: Oberlin and Asia,” a digital collection published by the Oberlin College Archives in 2012. See also the Archives guide to Missionary Records. For a secondary source on Shansi’s architecture, see Jeffrey W. Cody, Building in China: Henry K. Murphy’s Adaptive Architecture (Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press; Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2001).

For the H. H. Kung Papers in Chinese dating from 1938 to 1943, given to the Oberlin College Library by Kung in 1960, see the Microfilm Collection.

Finding Aid Revisions: Processed by: Lisa Pruitt and Cindy Nickoloff, October 1988. Revised February 1994, June 1996, July 1996, September 1996, May 2, 1997 by Tara Ikenouye, July 1998 by Julie A. Petersen, July 1999 by Ken Grossi, June 2000 by Beth Spalding, September 2000 by Melissa Gottwald, September 2001 by Rebecca Deeb. New accessions between 2001 and 2012 processed by Anne Cuyler Salsich, September 2012 and revised June 2013 and June 2014. Accession 2012/054 processed in 2013-14 by Carl Jacobson and Anne Cuyler Salsich, completed November 2015. Revised February 2017; September, November 2019; November 2020.

Collection Material Type: Official Records

Scope and Contents:

SCOPE AND CONTENT

The records of OSMA date from 1881 to the present and document the activities of Oberlinians in Asia during that period. Earlier records discuss missionary activities of the Oberlin Band such as evangelism, teaching, medical work, and the operation of opium refuges in the Shansi province of northern China. The bulk of these records, however, deal with the education activities of OSMA, which was formed as a living memorial to those Oberlin missionaries who died in the Boxer Rebellion of 1900.

Administrative and financial records of the OSMA from 1908-1981 document the founding and operations of primary and middle schools, and later a college, in Shansi. Extensive correspondence and numerous reports provide insight into the lives of the Chinese people in this era and the lives of American men and women living and working in China. These people observed first hand and regularly reported on political events and social issues in China, from the founding of the Nationalist government, to the invasion by the Japanese and the ensuing Sino-Japanese War, and to the eventual triumph of communist forces, ending American diplomatic relations and thus OSMA's work in China. Major corespondents include H. H. Kung, Mark Wu, Lydia Lord Davis, Wynn C. Fairfield, and Herbert Van Meter. Photographs, negatives, slides, and audio tapes provide extensive visual documentation of the time and place. A selection of glass lantern slides have been highlighted and described on an addendum page. Student essays and art work of very high quality provide the Chinese perspective.

Records from 1950 to the present trace the secularization of OSMA and document the transformation of its programs to an emphasis on two-way exchange of students and scholars. Administrative correspondence offers a look at the role of cultural exchange in both higher education and international relations (and vice versa). Extensive correspondence with both American and Asian students and scholars paints a detailed picture of the impact of cultural exchange on the individual.

In 2008 OSMA celebrated its centennial, sparking an influx of materials donated by former representatives and others associated with Shansi. Most of the materials are audiovisual, including films, photographs, photograph albums, audio recordings, scrolls, currency, and other artifacts primarily from the 1920s through the 1940s, with some later materials. In 2012 director Carl Jacobson retired; from his office a significant amount of material dating from the 1980s to 2012 enlarged the collection, particularly the audiovisual subgroup.

Records of the OSMA have been arranged into the following subgroups and series.

Subgroup I. Oberlin China Band

Series 1. Minutes (correspondence contained in the book)

Series 2. Correspondence

Series 3. General File

Subgroup II. Administrative Records

Series 1. Constitution, Regulations, and Amendments

Series 2. Minutes

Series 3. Reports

Series 4. Correspondence

Series 5. Committees

Series 6. Financial Records

Series 7. General File

Series 8. Directory of Representatives

Series 9. Executive Officers

Subseries 1. Margaret H. Leonard

Subseries 2. Carl Jacobson

Subgroup III. Program Areas

Series 1. China

Subseries 1. Ming Hsien

Subseries 2. Yunnan University

Series 2. India

Subseries 1. Madurai

Subseries 2. Himachal Pradesh

Series 3. Taiwan

Series 4. Japan

Series 5. Thailand

Series 6. Indonesia

Series 7. Korea

Subgroup IV. Representatives

Series 1. Reports and Letters

Series 2. Questionnaires

Series 3. Correspondence * (Restricted)

Series 4. Unsuccessful Applicants * (Restricted)

Series 5. Diaries of Student Representatives * (Restricted)

Series 6. Correspondence of Non-Representatives

Series 7. Materials Received from Representatives and Non-Representatives for the 2008 Centennial

Series 8. Presentations by Representatives, Fellows, Grant Recipients, Prize Winners and Visiting Scholars

Series 9. Combined Representative Files (later accretions)

Subgroup V. Publications and Publicity

Series 1. Newsletters

Series 2. Newspapers

Series 3. Mass Mailings

Series 4. Programs and Events

Series 5. Pamphlets, Flyers and Posters

Series 6. Miscellaneous Publications

Series 7. Anthology of Shansi Representative Letters

Series 8. Unpublished Manuscripts

Series 9. Centennial Celebration Publications

Series 10. Website Files

Subgroup VI. Architectural Plans and Maps

Series 1. Architectural Plans

Series 2. Maps

Subgroup VII. Audio-Visual

Series 1. Photographs

Subseries 1. Analog

Subseries 2. Digital

Series 2. Photograph Albums

Series 3. Negatives

Series 4. Slides

Subseries 1. Lantern Slides*

Subseries 2. Mounted 35mm Film Slides

Series 5. Moving Images

Subseries 1. Films

Subseries 2. VHS Tapes and Mini DV Cassettes

Subseries 3. Betacam and DVDs

Series 6. Audio Recordings

Series 7. Mixed Media Collections

Subgroup VIII. Miscellany

Series 1. Currency

Series 2. Postage

Series 3. Certificates

Series 4. Scrolls

Series 5. Scrapbooks

Series 6. Artifacts

Series 7. Non-OSMA Publications

Series 8. Textiles

(*See Addendum to Series 4.*)

SUBGROUP AND SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

Subgroup I. Oberlin China Band, 1881-1900, 1931-58 (0.4 l.f.)

Contains records pertaining to the Oberlin China Band, predecessor organization of the OSMA. Records are divided into three series: 1. Recording Secretary's Book; 2. Correspondence; and, 3. General File.

Series 1. Recording Secretary's Book, 1881-1899 (0.2 l.f.)

Consists of one volume containing minutes of meetings of the China Band, 1882-1884; original handwritten letters concerning the beginnings of the Oberlin Band in China Band, 1881, with copies added to the book by Martin Luther Stimson in 1889; brief quotations from the file of the Oberlin News, 1881-1885. Also included is one folder of typescript notes from this volume and other documents not extant taken by Grace McConnaughy, n.d. Roughly chronological within type of material.

Series 2. Correspondence, 1883, 1889-90, 1892-93, 1896, 1931-32, 1934, 1952, 1958 (0.1 l.f.)

Correspondence of members of the Oberlin Band and interested parties, 1883-96. Includes letters to and from C. D. Tenney, M. L. Stimson, F. H. Foster, Judson Smith, and others not identified. Also includes correspondence, primarily of Lydia Lord Davis, M. L. Stimson, and Wynn C. Fairfield, regarding the history of OSMA, 1931-34, 1958. Arranged into five categories: Letters concerning the organization of the China Band, 1881-1925; Letters received from the Oberlin China Band, 1883-1900; Journal Letters (photostat copies) from the Oberlin China Band preceding the Boxer Rebellion, 1900, 1907; Letters about the Oberlin China Band, 1900-1958; and, Letters and Accounts concerning the Boxer Rebellion, 1900-01, n.d. Arranged alphabetically in the inventory. Letters in this series are copies or transcriptions unless otherwise noted. (Five folders)

Series 3. General, 1881-1903 (0.1 l.f.)

Handwritten and typewritten notes, summaries, and extracts on the history of the Oberlin China Band. The material drawn on dates from 1881-1903, but the notes/summaries themselves are not dated. Contains lists of the original Oberlin Band members, extracts from Shansi Mission notes, extracts from Prudential Committee of ABCFM.

Subgroup II. Administrative Records, 1903-2011 (24.85 l.f.)

Administrative records documenting the founding and operations of the OSMA. Arranged in eight series: 1. Constitution; 2. Minutes; 3. Reports; 4. Correspondence; 5. Committees; 6. Financial Records; 7. General File; 8. Directory of Representatives; and, 9. Executive Officers.

Series 1. Constitution, Regulations, and Amendments, 1908, 1923-24, 1949-77, 1983-85, 1989, 1991, n.d. (0.050 l.f.)

Describes the original purpose, objectives, and organizational structure of OSMA. Includes original and revised Regulations and Amendments, and draft proposals for the above. Includes OSMA’s original Articles of Incorporation and amendments.

Series 2. Minutes, 1907-2012 (4.6 l.f.)

Minutes of meetings of the Association, 1907-40; minutes of the Executive Committee, Board of Trustees, 1941-2006; and minutes of the Advisory Council, 1950. The Executive Committee, Board of Trustees, has been the primary decision-making body since 1944. The minutes and supporting documents (i.e., Executive Director's Report, budget reports, and correspondence) discuss all issues regarding operations, organization, program development, and finance. Includes a "Duplicate" box which contains copies of Executive Committee Minutes. Arranged chronologically.

Series 3. Reports, 1907-2007 (1.0 l.f.)

Consists primarily of the Executive Secretary's Report, 1915-80, and the Annual Report of the OSMA, 1907-33, 1980, and 1982-2007, the most important summaries of OSMA activities in any given year. Also includes Program Planner's Reports, 1973-80; extracts on OSMA from the Oberlin College President's Report, 1907-51; reports of the Agricultural Department of Ming Hsien, 1928-43; and Shansi China Tour reports, 1981-82, 1986-87.

Series 4. Correspondence, 1904-2000, 2007 (7.0 l.f.)

Correspondence of OSMA headquarters with individuals and organizations associated or concerned with OSMA activities, including administrators, representatives, Asian and American exchange students and faculty, colleges and universities, and organizations such as the ABCFM, 1902-61, the East-West Association and its director Pearl S. Buck, 1943-50, the United Boards for Christian Colleges in China and Christian Higher Education in Asia, 1944-86, and the Yale-China Association, 1941-62, 1976-99. Arranged alphabetically by individual, institution, organization, or, in some instances, by subject.

Series 5. Committees, 1918-97 (1.8 l.f.)

Records pertaining to the activities and efforts of committees addressing specific challenges such as future policy or areas of concern such as agriculture or curriculum. Also contains records of the Student Committee, which played an important role in selecting representatives. Election Records exist for 1937-69, 1979-81, 1982-85, and 1987-91. Records of the Student Committee date from 1918-75 and 1977-1991, while the remainder of these files date from 1944 to 1948. Arranged by committee, with the most influential filed first until box 5, which accommodates newer material. Chronological within committee. Includes minutes for Student Committee, 1926-96, and Finance Committee material, 1990-97. The correspondence concerning the transfer of security and funds from the Charles M. Hall estate, 1928 are also included in this series.

Series 6. Financial Records, 1903-2003 (6.46 l.f.)

Consists of records pertaining to income and expenditures, including annual financial reports and budgets, 1910-1941; Financial Statements with Auditors' Reports, 1935-52, 1960-80, 1982-89, 1998-2003; reports and correspondence of the treasurer, 1936-66, 1969-80, 1988-89; records of the Finance Committee, 1937-64, 1980-86, 1990-97; information on scholarship applications and awards, 1919-71; and ledgers and account books, 1903-72. The bulk of this series dates from 1920 to 1950. Arranged hierarchically, with annual reports and treasurer's records first, followed by Finance Committee records, general files, and ledgers. Also includes tax reports (IRS) from 1970's, 1980-89, 1995 and 1997.

Series 7. General Files, 1918-2000 (2.4 l.f.)

Materials produced by, collected by, or related to the OSMA. Includes reports, essays, writings, speeches, notes for Susan Hinman's history of OSMA, and talks such as Jacobson's Memorial Arch talk, 1989. Extensive notes by Wynn C. Fairfield for his history of OSMA and other reports, as well as his lectures and talks, make up 1.25 linear feet. Alphabetical by individual, institution, or subject.

Series 8. Directory of Representatives, 1918-1993 (1 vol., 0.2 l.f.)

This 44-page spiral-bound "Directory of Representatives, 1918-1993" was produced by the office of the Oberlin Shansi Memorial Association.

Series 9. Executive Officers, 1911-ca. 1930s, 1978, 1980-82, 2001 (1.54 l.f.)

Consists of two subseries, one for Margaret (Peg) H. Leonard, OSMA secretary from 1943 to 1981, and the other for Carl Jacobson, director from 1981-2012. Subseries 1 contains a scrapbook prepared by OSMA on the occasion of Leonard’s retirement in 1981, a photograph album of family and college photographs taken of or by Leonard, and two oral history documents concerning Leonard from oral history interviews conducted by Kate Popisil in Oberlin on April 5, 12, 19, and 26, 2001. (Second copy filed in RG 43, Oral Histories.) Subseries 2 currently holds articles by Carl Jacobson published in the Oberlin Alumni Review.

Subgroup III. Program Areas, 1907-2007, 2011, n.d. (14.0 l.f.)

Records relating to OSMA's programs in Asian educational institutions. Includes administrative records, correspondence with exchange students and faculty and with those institutions, and a small amount of printed matter and students' work from the Asian schools. Arranged in seven series: 1. China; 2. Madurai, India; 3. Taiwan; 4. Japan; 5. Thailand; 6. Indonesia; and, 7. Korea. About half of the material relates to OSMA's work in China.

Series 1. China, 1907-2000, 2002, 2004, 2011, n.d. (6.8 l.f.)

Subseries 1. Ming Hsien, 1907-1989, 1991-93, 1997, 1999-2000, 2002, 2004, 2011, n.d.

Consists primarily of materials relating to Ming Hsien, 1907-1950, including minutes and correspondence of the Board of Managers; reports of the Ming Hsien schools; financial records of the schools; correspondence, primarily with Oberlin-connected ABCFM missionaries working in the schools and with Chinese students; a general file of student art work and essays, questionnaires, miscellaneous reports, and campus plans; a newsletter by Ming Hsien students, and Chinese language printed and hand-written materials. Arranged alphabetically or chronologically within each document type.

Subseries 2. Yunnan University, 1917, 1987-2000

Includes files concerning the Yunnan University Program, 1987-2000, and a file concerning a magnetic test by the Carnegie Institute in 1917. These files include Faculty Fellows and general information.

Subseries 3. Shanxi Agricultural University, 1990-2000

Comprises correspondence concerning Shanxi Agricultural University, 1990-2000.

Series 2. India, ca. 1912, 1955-2000, 2004-07, n.d. (4.2 l.f.)

Subseries 1. Madurai, ca. 1912, 1955-2000, 2004-05, 2007, n.d. (4.0 l.f.)

Records relating to OSMA's cooperative exchange programs with Lady Doak and American Colleges in Madurai. Includes minutes, reports, and correspondence of the Managing Committee; correspondence of the directors; correspondence with the colleges and with Indian "faculty fellows" who were sponsored to study in the U. S.; a few financial records; miscellaneous articles and reports; and catalogs and publications of the two colleges. The bulk of these files document the first phase of the program in India, 1955-1971, rather than the period since it was resumed in 1978. Arranged alphabetically or chronologically within each document type. Included in this series is a copy of Green Well Years (1997) by Manohar Devadoss, and a field guide book for a winter term project on geology of Indonesia at Gadjah Mada University in 1998.

Subseries 2. Himachal Pradesh, 2006-07 (0.2 l.f.)

Comprises reports given to Shansi when they were considering opening an exchange program there. For PowerPoint presentations by the first fellow, Anya Desai in 2008-10, see SG IV. Representatives, Series 8. Presentations.

Series 3. Taiwan, 1954-77, 1987-88, 1990-92 (1.0 l.f.)

Consists primarily of correspondence with "faculty fellows" (exchange scholars) from Tunghai University. Also includes a small amount of correspondence with the Tainan Boys School and Tunghai University catalogs and other publications, some in Chinese. Filed first alphabetically and then chronologically in each document type.

Series 4. Japan, 1952-67, 1972-92, 1994-97, 1999-2003, 2006, n.d. (1.4 l.f.)

Correspondence with exchange students from Nagoya University and Obirin Gakuen. Files also include the students' application for the program and some letters of reference. Arranged alphabetically within each school.

Series 5. Thailand, 1972-1984 (0.4 l.f.)

Correspondence with two universities and one individual who came to Oberlin on a faculty exchange. Arranged alphabetically.

Series 6. Indonesia, 1972-2000, ca. 2007 (0.6 l.f.)

Correspondence with Gadjah Mada University and with American and Indonesian exchange faculty, 1972-2000. Arranged alphabetically. Miscellanous publications, including writings by students.

Series 7. Korea, 1972-1984 (0.2 l.f.)

Correspondence with Yonsei University and with Korean exchange faculty. Arranged alphabetically.

Subgroup IV. Representatives, 1929-2012, n.d. (28.05 l.f.)

Files, primarily correspondence, relating to Oberlin College graduates selected as OSMA representatives. Divided into seven series: 1. Reports and Letters; 2. Questionnaires; 3. Correspondence; 4. Unsuccessful Applicants; 5. Diaries of Student Representatives; 6. Correspondence of Non-Representatives; 7. Materials from Representatives and Non-Representatives for the 2008 Centennial Celebration; Series 8. Presentations by Representatives, Fellows, Grant Recipients, Prize Winners and Visiting Scholars, 2005-07, 2009; and Series 9. Combined Representative Files (later accretions), 2000-2012.

Series 1. Reports and Letters, 1929-1994 (2.2 l.f.)

Consists of one-time reports to the OSMA trustees and periodic non-personal letters from representatives that served as regular bulletins or updates on their activities. Arranged chronologically within each document type. Each box can contain reports/letters from China, Japan, India, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, and/or Hong Kong. Contemporary accounts from representatives of their trips within China in the 1930s were added in 2008.

Series 2. Questionnaires, 1972, 1974, 1984, 1993, 1995 (0.4 l.f.)

Responses of representatives and former representatives to five different questionnaires. Arranged chronologically.

Series 3. Correspondence, 1934-2008 (19.55 l.f.)

Personal correspondence with representatives prior to, during, and after their service in the field. Discusses their appointments, travel and financial arrangements, and their experiences living and working in another culture. Some files, especially those dating from the 1970's and 1980's, include such confidential information as the students' applications, transcripts, doctor's reports, and letters of recommendation; therefore, researchers must have the archivist's permission before using this series. Arranged alphabetically by country and alphabetically by representative's name within each country.

See also Anthology of Shansi Rep letters, 2000, SG V. Publications and Publicity.

Series 4. Unsuccessful Applicants, 1986 (0.4 l.f.)

Files of applicants who were not selected as representatives. Include biographies, letters of recommendation and notes from the screening interviews. Records are arranged alphabetically by applicant. This series is restricted. Permission of the Archivist is required to view these records.

Series 5. Diaries of Student Representatives (unidentified), n.d. (4 vol., 0.2 l.f.))

Consists of four composition books which served as the diary of one unidentified representative in the Shansi program. This series is restricted.

Series 6. Correspondence of Non-Representatives, 1981-2007 (2.0 l.f.)

Personal correspondence with non-representatives, including Visiting Scholars, Lecturers, and Oberlin Scholars in-Asia, during and after their service in the field. Includes discussion on their activities, travel arrangements, and cultural experiences. Some files include applications and letters of recommendation. Arranged alphabetically by last name within categories. Series is restricted.

Series 7. Materials from Representatives and Non-Representatives for the 2008 Centennial Celebration, 1932-34, 1936, 1939-42, 1945-57, 1961-64, 1974-76, 1979, 1986, 1993-95, 1998-2008, n.d. (0.6 l.f.)

Consists of a variety of materials dating from the time of service of various individuals associated with Shansi programs in China, Japan, India, Thailand, Taiwan, and Indonesia. Additional loose photographs, photograph albums, and other media from this category are filed in Subgroup VII, Audiovisual.

Series 8. Presentations by Representatives, Fellows, Grant Recipients, Prize Winners and Visiting Scholars, 2005-07, 2009 (0.2 l.f.)

Comprises PowerPoint presentations to the Oberlin community by two Shansi in-Asia Grant recipients, one representative, one graduate fellow and one visiting scholar in the form of electronic files on CD-ROM, some digital photographs, and printed copies of the PowerPoint slides.

Series 9. Combined Representative Files (later accretions), 2000-2012 (2.5 l.f.)

Applications, contracts, correspondence, and reports in Fellowship files, Visiting Scholars and Visiting Professors files, and Study Grant files. Previous to 2019 these files were separated into Series 1 through 6, above.

Subgroup V. Publications and Publicity, 1900-2008 (9.25 l.f.)

Contains a variety of printed materials used to describe the work of OSMA in some detail, provide brief synopses for promotional purposes, or request donations from Oberlin alumni. Arranged by document type in seven series: 1. Newsletters; 2. Newspapers; 3. Mass Mailings; 4. Programs and Events; 5. Pamphlets and Flyers; 6. Miscellaneous Publications; 7. Anthology of Shansi Representative Letters; 8. Unpublished Manuscripts; and 9. Centennial Celebration Publications.

Series 1. Newsletters, 1911, 1913, 1919-25, 1927-28, 1932, 1936-2008 (1.6 l.f.)

Newsletters published by OSMA over the years. The bulk consists of the OSMA Newsletter, 1957 to present. Arranged alphabetically by title, chronologically within each title. The newsletters report on the annual Shansi Day Assemblies. The Ming Hsien Alumni Newsletter is a continuing periodical beginning in 1995.

Series 2. Newspapers, 1908-1979 (1.2 l.f.)

Newspapers published by OSMA and OSMA supplements to the Oberlin Alumni Magazine and the Oberlin Review. Also includes one folder of miscellaneous clippings and two boxes of clipbooks. Arranged chronologically.

Series 3. Mass Mailings, 1913-75, 1977-86, 1988 (0.4 l.f.)

Letters sent "Dear Alumnus" or "Dear Friends" to give brief updates on OSMA activities and request donations. Arranged chronologically.

Series 4. Programs and Events, 1910-2000, 2005, 2007-08 (1.8 l.f.)

Schedules, flyers, and other publications related to programs and events such as the Shansi Breakfast or anniversaries, including Shansi’s centennial in 2008. Arranged chronologically within each document type.

Series 5. Pamphlets, Flyers and Posters, 1900, 1903-04, 1909, 1911, 1915, 1932, 1940-present, n.d. (2.25 l.f.)

Small publications designed to explain and promote the past and present activities of OSMA to students and present and potential supporters. Arranged chronologically.

Series 6. Miscellaneous Publications, 1888, 1897, 1905-2008, n.d. (1.4 l.f.)

Miscellaneous publications dealing with OSMA as well as with China in general. Includes photoduplicates from microfilm negatives of ABCFM North China Mission minutes and reports (0.4 lin. ft.) and other English and Chinese language materials. American Board materials are filed first, chronologically, followed by the remainder of the documents filed alphabetically by title.

Series 7. Anthology of Shansi Representative Letters, 1995-96, 2000 (0.2 l.f.)

Comprises files of material in preparation for the book Anthology of Shansi Representative Letters, 1995-96 (2000), as well as a finished copy.

Series 8. Unpublished Manuscripts, 1995-98 (0.2 l.f.) (RESTRICTED)

This series holds articles developed from lectures during the Boxer Uprising Symposium, a one-credit course offered at Oberlin College, April 20-23, 1995. Director Carl Jacobson had hoped that these would be published as a collection; he contributed an essay, “The ‘Oberlin Band’ in Shanxi, 1881-1900.” Additionally a file holds information on the symposium and the speakers/authors, including curriculum vitae and correspondence. These articles cannot be copied.

Series 9. Centennial Celebration Publications, 2005-08 (0.2 l.f.)

Files relating to the production, as well as finished copies, of two publications in honor of Shansi’s centennial year in 2008: One Hundred Years in the Life of Oberlin Shansi, and Shansi’s First Century. A Scrapbook (booklet).

Series 10. Website Files, 2002, 2008

Files created for the Oberlin Shansi Memorial Association’s official website stored on CD-ROMs (2) for 2002, designed by Jonathan Tao, and for the centennial celebration in 2008.

Subgroup VI. Architectural Plans and Maps, 1908, 1910, 1917, ca. 1920s, 1921-22, 1929, 1931-32, 1934-35, ca. 1940s, 1948, 1958, n.d. (16.0 l.f.)

Architectural plans and maps consist of blueprints and aeronautical charts related to the work in China. Arranged in two series, 1. Architectural Plans; and, 2. Maps.

Series 1. Architectural Plans, 1910, 1917, ca. 1920s, 1929, 1931-32, 1935, 1958, n.d. (4.0 l.f.)

Blueprints, drawings, and rubbings of the school and mission compounds at Taiku and Fenchow-fu.

Series 2. Maps, 1908, ca. 1910, 1921-22, 1929, 1934-35, ca. 1940s, 1948, n.d. (12.0 l.f.)

Includes three American Air Force aeronautical charts of the Lo River in Honan, China, three silk maps of China used by WWII pilots, Yunnan Province, Kunming and Lao Gai Railroad, the Wei and Huang Rivers in North Central China, and a block print map of Chengdu.

Subgroup VII. Audio-Visual, ca. 1890-2012, n.d. (44.46 l.f.)

Audio-Visual documents the work in China from approximately 1890 to 1985. Materials covers a wide range of photographic formats including individual photographs, photo albums compiled by student representatives, negatives and film reels. Arranged in five series based on format: 1. Photographs; 2. Photo Albums; 3. Negatives; 4. Slides; 5. Films; 6. Audio Tapes; and 7. Mixed Media Collections. (An addendum for Series 4 is also contained).

Series 1. Photographs, ca. 1890-2012, n.d. (13.99 l.f.)

The Photographs series documents representatives and their work, as well as the work of OSMA at the home office in Oberlin and abroad.

Subseries 1. Analog Photographs, ca. 1890-2012, n.d. (13.08 l.f.)

Best represented prior to 1950 is work in China, 1890-1950 (primarily b/w). A selection of these were scanned and mounted online in “Shansi: Oberlin and Asia” (Oberlin College Library, 2011). Also represented in this series are Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, and Thailand, 1950s-2000s (primarily color). Additional color photographs are of Shansi activities and members in Oberlin and photographs from alumni tours in the latter half of the 20^th century. Photographs are arranged roughly chronologically; however, later accessions of photographs relating to a particular country have not been filed with the earlier photographs from that country, but rather have been added at the end.

Subseries 2. Born Digital Photographs and Digital Copies, 1949-2012 (0.91 l.f.)

This subseries contains digital surrogates as well as born digital photographs from three accessions, 2008/039, 2012/041, and 2012/054. They originate with the directorship of Carl W. Jacobson. They were stored on CD-ROMS and zip disks, and nearly all were retained on the original carriers and backed up to the Archives digital archive. The bulk of the digital surrogates were made in preparation for the 2008 Centennial and associated publications. The born digital photographs, which begin to overtake analog photography at Shansi in 2005, continue the documentation strategy in the analog era, covering site visits to foreign countries, portraits of new fellows and visiting scholars, and the numerous social and business events at the Shansi House and elsewhere.

RESTRICTED; consult Archivist.

Series 2. Photograph Albums, 1913-57, 1960s-70s, 1986, 1988, 2008 (10.90 l.f.)

Photo albums compiled by OSMA student volunteers. Primarily black and white photographs documenting activity in China and Japan. Several albums are annotated, including detailed photographic journals of trips to the mountains west of Peking and to North China by representative Ted Forbes, ca. 1924-26.

Series 3. Negatives, ca.1910s-20s, 1934-37, ca. 1950s-2005, n.d. (1.55 l.f.)

Box 1 Consists of two small volumes with pockets for 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" negatives, and one volume with pockets for 3.5” x 6” negatives (1999/034). Negatives are from China and Japan. Negatives are labeled in an index at the front of the volumes. Box 2 consists of 5x7 glass plate negatives documenting rural China c.1910s-20s. These plates have not been identified and thus are in random order. Boxes 3 and 4 hold film negatives and some corresponding contact sheets dating from the 1950s to 2005, many of which were taken by former director Carl Jacobson on his trips abroad.

Series 4. Slides, c. 1890-1905, c. 1910-22, c. 1940-50, 1968-99 (4.76 l.f.)

Subseries 1. Lantern Slides (3.76 l.f.)

Approximately 1200 3x4 black and white and hand-colored lantern slides. Nine lantern slides have been highlighted, dating primarily from c.1890-1905, with the assistance of Carl Jacobson, Executive Director of OSMA. Additional black and white slides (106) of Prof. George D. Hubbard’s (Geology, 1910-36) trip to Shanxi in 1921-22 were incorporated in this subseries in 2017.

Subseries 2. Mounted 35mm Film Slides (1.0 l.f.)

Comprises a set of 52 black and white glass mounted slides, a folder of duplicates of lantern slides from c. 1910-20, and two case boxes of color slides dating from c. 1940 to 1950 and 1968 through 1999. Most of these slides were taken during Carl Jacobson’s directorship, and were described by him at the folder level.

Series 5. Moving Images, ca. 1915, 1930s-1940s, 1950, ca.1970-80, 1984-88, 1990-91, 1993, 1996-2000, 2002-2005, n.d. (24 reels, 72 VHS tapes, 30 DVDs) (12.81 l.f.)

Subseries 1. Moving Images: Film (3.17 l.f.)

Fourteen reels of 16 mm film, 5 of which are by John Hamlin, apparently taken in China and related to OSMA's work. Ten 8mm reels are included, some of which were taken of or by reps Herbert Van Meter, Betty Cameron, and Robbins Strong. Not all films are labeled.

Subseries 2. VHS and Mini DV Cassette Tapes (7.66 l.f.)

Contains SVHS master and copy tape for each title of selected films (some titles combined on one tape) [2001/065], and original videotapes. Also included is an original tape (and DVD duplicate) produced in preparation for the 2008 centennial titled “Oberlin Shansi: Renewing the Commitment to Joining Worlds,” 2004 [2004/057]. The greater number of VHS tapes were received in accession 2012/054, with source material dating from 1979 to 2004.

Subseries 3. DVDs and Betacam (1.98 l.f.)

Selected films were transferred to Betacam and DVDs by a professional lab under the Mellon Grant digital project “Shansi: Oberlin and Asia” in 2010-11 (received in accession 2011/039). Descriptions were generated during group meetings with OSMA Director Carl Jacobson, Professors Bonnie Cheng and Ann Sherif, and student assistant Alyson Halpert. One box of DVDs with transfer footage as well as original digital files was received in accession 2012/054, dating from 1979 to 2012.

Series 6. Audio Recordings, 1961, 1979, 1991, ca. 1994 (6 tapes) (0.45 l.f.)

Contains a "mini" reel-to-reel tape, 4 cassette tapes, and a digital audio tape DAT). The reel-to-reel tape documents a discussion by American College Lecturers of the Oberlin Shansi program, 10 March 1961. One recording documents a tour given by Tom Gold to an Oberlin Shansi tour group on 15 July 1979. Two tapes were made an event at American College in Madurai, ca. 1994 featuring a poetry reading and discussion sessions. The remaining recordings cover a Shakuhachi recital by Adam Tucker at Fairchild Chapel on 13 April 1991.

Series 7. Mixed Media Collections, 1955-57, 1974-77, n.d. [2008/039] (1.0 l.f.)

These comprise materials generated or collected by representatives that include a combination of audio and visual materials, donated at the time of the 2008 Shansi Centennial celebration. Horace and MaryAnn Briggs prepared a photograph and scrap album of their time at Tunghai University in Taiwan, with a CD-ROM of its contents, and a phonograph record of Chinese folk songs from 1955-57. Materials from Candyce Golis include documents, photographs, currency, and her passport during her time as a representative in Indonesia from 1974-77.

Subgroup VIII. Miscellany, 1868-1980 (11.07 l.f.)

Miscellany comprises six series: 1. Currency; 2. Postage; 3. Certificates; 4. Scrolls; 5. Scrapbooks; 6. Artifacts; 7. Non-OSMA Publications; and 8. Textiles.

Series 1. Currency (China, Hong Kong, Philippines), 1930, 1936-45, 1962, 1972, n.d. [2011/061] (0.1 l.f.)

Comprises a collection of paper bills that demonstrate shifting political boundaries and government entities in East Asia from 1930-1972.

Series 2. Postage (China), ca. 1909-1950 [2011/061] (0.1 l.f.)

Postmarked stamps on envelopes sent to Oberlin Shansi from various locations in China in the first half of the 20^th century.

Series 3. Certificate (China), 1925 [2011/061] (flat file)

One certificate of customs payment in China for a shipment of equipment to Taigu’s Agricultural Department in 1925.

Series 4. Scrolls (China), n.d. [2008/039] (0.79 l.f.)

One pair of cloth scrolls presented to representatives Richard G. and Elizabeth James Irwin, OC 1932, by the Ming Hsien School, n.d.

Series 5. Scrapbook (Oberlin), 1980 [2008/039] (1.7 l.f.)

One scrapbook on the Gamelan at Oberlin College, 1971-1980.

Series 6. Artifacts, 1868, 1872 (2.97 l.f.)

One Japanese government signboard prohibiting Christian teaching, 1868, and a Chinese-English dictionary fan, 1872.

Series 7. Non-OSMA Publications, 1935-36, 2016 (2.91 l.f.)

Two special editions of the China Press in Shanghai in English for the 25^th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China, with reports by H. H. Kung. The 1936 edition’s front matter includes calligraphy by Kung. These are restricted pending digitization, as the newspapers are in poor condition. Also included is a two-volume book by the Shanxi Agricultural University celebrating its centennial, 1907-2007, published in 2016.

Series 8. Textiles, ca. 1950s (2.5 l.f.) [RESTRICTED]

One embroidered silk women’s robe, gifted to Margaret Leonard, Executive Secretary of OSMA, 1951-81, by H. H. Kung.

On-line Images/Records

Download Box / Folder List (pdf)