- K. C. Wu
K. C. Wu (zh-tpw|t=吳國楨|w=Wu Kuo-Chen|p=Wú Gúozhēn) (
October 21 ,1903 -June 6 ,1984 ) was a Chinese political figure and historian.Early life
K.C. Wu was born in Central China and grew up in
Beijing , where his father served in the military. He studied at bothNankai High School , whereZhou Enlai was a classmate, and atTsinghua University . In 1923, he earned a master's degree in economics fromGrinnell College and, in 1926, a doctoral degree in political science fromPrinceton University .Early career and personal life
After returning to China in 1926, Wu began a career in government service, first as a tax collector in
Hankow (today part ofWuhan ) for Hsia Tou-yin, a local warlord. In 1931, he married Edith Huang, daughter of Gene T. Huang. They eventually had four children: Eileen Hsiu Young Yu, Edith Hsiu Hwei Li, H.K. Wu andSherman Wu ."Obituaries: Edith Huang Wu"; Savannah Morning News,August 25 ,2002 . ( [http://www.lowcountrynow.com/stories/082502/OBITSindex.shtml] )] In 1932, he became mayor ofHankow . When theYangtze River appeared ready to flood in 1936, Wu oversaw the construction of a huge dike system which saved the city."Man on the Dike"; Time,August 7 ,1950 . ( [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,812967,00.html] )]With the fall of
Hankow to Japanese forces in October 1938 during theSecond Sino-Japanese War , Wu and his family fled toChungking . In 1939,Chiang Kai-Shek appointed him as mayor ofChungking , a position he held until 1942. He served as vice minister of Foreign Affairs from 1943-1945, interacting withZhou Enlai as part of the united front against the Japanese. After the end ofWorld War II , K.C. Wu became mayor ofShanghai in 1945, serving in that role until the Chinese Communists conquered the city in 1949. While mayor of Shanghai, Wu met theChicago Tribune 'sRobert McCormick and his wife Maryland. As the situation in Shanghai became less stable, Wu sent his two daughters to live with the McCormicks inIllinois . [http://www.cantignypark.com/newsite/mccormickmansion2ndfloorguestbedrooms.htm]Activities after leaving Mainland China
Following the relocation of the Nationalist government to
Taipei , Wu served as governor ofTaiwan Province from 1949 to 1953. Wu attempted to bring a greater degree of self-governance to the Taiwanese people, allowing for the election of certain local officials by popular vote. Wu also brought critics of Chen Yi into the government, and attempted to cut back on the abuses by the police. Wu was opposed by many other members of the Nationalist government, includingChiang Ching-kuo andChen Cheng ."Formosa Betrayed" by George H. Kerr; 1965, Houghton Mifflin, ISBN 0-306-70762-4. ( [http://www.romanization.com/books/formosabetrayed/ text] )]On
April 3 ,1953 , assassins nearly killed Wu. Seven days later, he was dismissed from his position as governor and left Taiwan. Some claim that Wu would have been killed on his way to the airport if not for the intervention ofMadame Chiang Kai-Shek . Wu's family, with the exception of one of his sons, left for the United States. In 1954, following his son's departure from Taiwan, Wu began to speak out against what he saw were serious problems with theKuomintang government. That same year, Wu wrote an article in Look magazine entitled "Your Money is Building a Police State in Taiwan".Following a lack of American response to his article, K.C. Wu lived in the United States generally removed from politics, and served as professor of Chinese history at
Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, Georgia. During his time in the United States, he wrote various works, including a detailed analysis on Chinese culture in the context of mythology and early history in his book "Chinese Heritage".Wu is remembered mainly for his vital role in the formation of a modern Taiwan and his anti-communist beliefs typical of a member of
Kuomintang , but he is also remembered for his brave anti-Kuomintang rhetoric and turbulent disagreements withChiang Ching-kuo .References
* http://www.faculty.armstrong.edu/FDawardR.htm
* http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,1101500807,00.html
*"The Chinese Heritage" by K. C. Wu; 1988, Random House Value Publishing, ISBN 0-517-54475-X.
*"Your Money is Building a Police State in Taiwan" by K.C. Wu; "Look",June 29 ,1954 .
*"The Voice of Asia" byJames A. Michener ; 1951, Random House, ISBN 0-394-45077-9.
*"Fires of the Dragon" by David E. Kaplan; 2002, Scribner, ISBN 0-7432-4538-5.
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