David Lawrence Anderson
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David Lawrence Anderson (4 February 1850 - 16 March 1911) was an
Episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United States ...
minister and
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 ...
to China. Anderson served as the first president of
Soochow University Soochow University or Suzhou University may refer to: *Soochow University (1900–1952) (), a university in Suzhou (Soochow), Jiangsu, China *Soochow University (Taiwan) (, 1951–present), a university in Taipei, Taiwan, founded by faculty from th ...
as well as a founding member of their board of trustees. He spent one year in
Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...
,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
and 26 years in
Suzhou Suzhou is a major prefecture-level city in southern Jiangsu province, China. As part of the Yangtze Delta megalopolis, it is a major economic center and focal point of trade and commerce. Founded in 514 BC, Suzhou rapidly grew in size by the ...
, China originally as a religious missionary then mainly in education. He was involved in the formation and solidification of Southern Methodist missionary universities in China.


Early life and family

David Lawrence Anderson was born on February 4, 1850, in Summerhill,
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to James Harkins Anderson and Mary Margaret Adams, who were a part of a larger merchant family. On December 31, 1879, he married Mary Garland Thomson, a musician and church worker, of
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,
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. Together, they had five children.


Education

Anderson attended
Washington and Lee University Washington and Lee University (Washington and Lee or W&L) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States. Established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, it is among ...
in Lexington,
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. He studied for two years before abandoning his studies. Much later, he received an honorary
Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (DD or DDiv; ) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity (academic discipline), divinity (i.e., Christian theology and Christian ministry, ministry or other theologies. The term is more common in the Englis ...
degree from the school. Anderson worked briefly as a bookkeeper for the
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, which was his father’s newspaper. He then became a minister for the North Georgia Conference of the Southern Methodist Church.  


Missionary work

Anderson was sent by the American Methodist Episcopal Church, South to China. Anderson arrived by boat in China in 1882. Originally, he preached the gospel at a chapel in
Jiading Jiading is a suburban district of Shanghai. As of the 2020 Chinese census, it had a population of 1,834,258. History Jiading was historically a separate polity from Shanghai until it came under the administration of Shanghai in 1958. In 1993, ...
, a suburban district of Shanghai. After one year there, he transferred to Suzhou to preach in the Kung Hang Chapel. He remained in Suzhou for the rest of his life. Five years later, the Lequn Social Church was established in Gongxiang Alley in Central Suzhou with Anderson as the first pastor. Many young people attended Anderson’s chapel, asking him to teach them English afterwards, so they could receive a western education. This led to the formation of an informal school, known as the Kung Hang School (later known as Kung-hsiang Academy), where Anderson and three members of his family taught courses in math, science, and English. The first year, there were 25 students at the school, which grew to 40 in year two and 109 in year three. Anderson,
Young John Allen Young John Allen (January 3, 1836 – May 30, 1907) or Young J. Allen, was an American Methodist missionary in late Qing dynasty China with the American Southern Methodist Episcopal Mission. He is best known in China by his local name Lin Lezhi ( ...
, and other missionaries in the region began seeking funding for a university. However, the
Boxer Rebellion The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, was an anti-foreign, anti-imperialist, and anti-Christian uprising in North China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by the Society of Righteous and Harmonious F ...
created unrest in China, closing the Kung Hang School and halting any plans for a university. After China stabilized again, Anderson restarted his attempt to establish a university in Suzhou. He spent 1900 in the US raising funds for the university, where he raised over $100,000 in gold. On May 13, 1900, Anderson was one of the seven members of the board of trustees for the proposed university at a Board of Missions meeting in
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,
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. On December 15, 1900, the board of trustees met and selected Anderson as the founding president of the university. In March 1901, Central University of China was founded (later renamed Soochow University during the Republic of China period). Most of the students at this school went to the accompanying day school for the first years. The university followed the example of an American university. There were three departments: theology, liberal arts, and science.


Educational philosophy

Anderson's approach to Christian education influenced the future of university teaching in China. He originally presented his plan at the Conference of the Christian Educational Association in China in Shanghai in 1902. He opposed a large amount of time devoted to bible study, rather opting for the teaching of Christian values through other courses, such as Western history. Additionally, he implemented intellectual elements from western civilization, but opposed calling science and technology “western culture”. He also worked to maintain elements of traditional Chinese education within the curriculum. He established Chinese courses for the benefit of his students, despite never learning how to speak Chinese. A large portion of the curriculum involved the implementation of “
junzi The word junzi ( or "Son of the Vassal, or Monarch") is a Chinese philosophical term often translated as "gentleman", "superior person",Sometimes "exemplary person". Paul R. Goldin translates it "noble man" in an attempt to capture both its earl ...
”, an aspect of Confucianism that emphasized acting as a gentleman. This created goals such as "high ethical standards, polite behaviors, and obedient character" for his students.


Death and legacy

On March 16, 1911, Anderson died in his family’s home with
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. His body was buried in the now defunct Pashinjiao Cemetery in the mission lot. On campus, there is both a large bronze statue of Anderson and a building named after him. The day of his death, March 16, is University Day. The school credits Anderson with creating the university in the style of Western universities and for establishing entrepreneurship as a central tenet of the school.


References

{{reflist Anglican missionaries in China American missionary educators Washington and Lee University alumni