Catholic higher education in China: The rise and fall of Fu Ren University in Beijing (Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Illinois)

This dissertation tells a more complete story of the rise and fall of Fu Ren University (1925–1952) and provides an analysis of a key Catholic higher education institution in China. The theme of the discussions is to show the unique nature of Fu Ren University as both Western Catholic and Chinese. Supporting materials are taken from the archives at seven different locations across two countries: Saint Vincent Archabbey, Pennsylvania; Saint John' Abbey, Minnesota; Saint Benedict's Convent, Minnesota; Divine Word Fathers, Chicago; Sisters of the Holy Spirit, Chicago; Beijing Normal University, China and Beijing City Archives, China. This research has found that Fu Ren played significant roles in both the Catholic Church and Chinese higher education.; Fu Ren University was the only private university in China initiated by Chinese and sponsored by non-Chinese. Two famous Chinese Catholic scholars petitioned the Pope in Rome to send “learned men, meek and humble of heart” from different nationalities to establish a Catholic University in Beijing to study Chinese literature and to introduce Western sciences. Under the leadership of both American Cassinese-Benedictines and the Divine Word Fathers, as well as the Chinese university president, Fu Ren University achieved its goal to be a prestigious university in China in spite of political turmoil and war.; Within its 27 years of existence, Fu Ren University went through four different governments: Warlord, Nationalist, Japanese and Communist. It developed from a small preparatory academy to a university with six colleges and many graduate programs. The expansion of the campus materially showed the cultural duality through modern technologies that were at home in Chinese classical architecture. The dual nature of Fu Ren University as Catholic and Chinese demonstrated in the conclusion's analysis of (1) The petition and mission of the university, (2) Rome and Benedictine's interests, (3) Curriculum development, (4) Faculty, (5) Political entanglements. Fu Ren University indeed marked a new beginning for the Catholic Church mission in China.