Alice Rebecca Appenzeller (9 November 1885 – 20 February 1950) was the first American and first Caucasian born in Korea. Daughter of the

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...

Rev. Henry Appenzeller who was among the first to introduce

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

to Korea, she spent her early years in

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

until returning to the

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in 1902. There she pursued her education, first at the Shippen School for Girls (what is now Lancaster Country Day School). She later graduated from

Wellesley College Wellesley College is a Private university, private Women's colleges in the United States, historically women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1870 by Henr ...

, after which she returned to the Shippen School to teach. She was appointed by the

Church as a missionary teacher at Ewha College in Seoul in 1915 and became president of the college in October 1922.Alice R. Appenzeller correspondence, Coll 389, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, Eugene, Oregon. She returned to the United States to earn her master's degree from

Teachers College, Columbia University Teachers College, Columbia University (TC) is the graduate school of education affiliated with Columbia University, a private research university in New York City. Founded in 1887, Teachers College has been a part of Columbia University since ...

in 1922. In 1932 she was ordained as a Methodist minister and appointed to the First Methodist Church in Seoul founded by her father. In 1935 she was awarded the Blue Ribbon Medal for meritorious service in education by the Imperial Government of

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. She was the first woman in Korea to receive this award. In 1940 she left Korea, along with many other missionaries after the US government advised US citizens to leave Japanese territory. She served as professor and dean of women at Scarritt College until 1943 and returned to Korea in 1946 where she was made honorary president at Ewha College until her death in 1950. Both the President of Korea,

Syngman Rhee Syngman Rhee (; 26 March 1875 – 19 July 1965), also known by his art name Unam (), was a South Korean politician who served as the first president of South Korea from 1948 to 1960. Rhee was also the first and last president of the Provisiona ...

, and the American ambassador, who was at that time John J. Muccio, spoke at her funeral.Lee, Elizabeth M. “In Memoriam: Alice Rebecca Appenzeller,” A Memorial Address, delivered at First Methodist Church, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, April 23, 1950

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Appenzeller, Alice Rebecca 1885 births 1950 deaths Methodist missionaries in Korea American university and college faculty deans Women deans (academic) Teachers College, Columbia University alumni Wellesley College alumni Academic staff of Ewha Womans University People from Seoul American Methodist missionaries Female Christian missionaries Lancaster Country Day School alumni American Methodist clergy South Korean people of American descent South Korean people of German descent