Arthur G. Robinson’s January 14, 1946, letter shows his continuing interest in Colby alumni connected to China and missionary work after World War II. Responding to Joseph Coburn Smith’s question about Carl Song (Song Chin Foh), Robinson argues that the Carl Song mentioned in Wayland Academy Principal Clayton’s Heaven Below was likely the Colby alumnus listed as Chin Foh Sung, noting the variation among Song, Sung, and Soong as romanizations of the same surname. He also reports that Song had recently been heard of in Sian, northwest China, in connection with the YMCA, placing him within the broader network of Colby graduates, missionaries, and Christian educational workers in China. The rest of the letter shifts to Robinson’s work with Delta Kappa Epsilon materials.
Transcription
Page 1
[handwritten note, upper right: Song 1921]
January 14, 1946.
Dear Joe:-
Thank you for yours of the 5th about Carl Song and the Deke Centennial. As to his attending Colby, you will notice that the book definitely states that the “Carl Song” mentioned is a Colby man. I recall that there was a Sung – as I would spell it – at Colby during one of my furlough years, probably 1920. With so few Chinese at Colby it ought to be easy to check this. I thought you wanted the item I sent for the Alumnus. I don’t know about any “Olympic angle” and have no other information about him except that I heard he was in Sian – in Northwest China – recently, in connection with the Y M C A.
It is good to have your approval of my idea to collect Deke souvenirs for exhibition at the Centennial and I should like right away to get out an appeal for the material from the whole list of living Xi alumni. Can I count on the Committee’s backing such an appeal and mailing it from Waterville? How would it be for you to take up the matter with Bill Millett and let him give me the green light when a decision is made? It would be my idea for all the material to be sent to me here for inspection and classification preliminary to arrangement in the
exhibition. I should expect that out of it would come some items of use in the compiling of the history.
I shall try to get to you soon certain bits of historical matter which you may find useful. The removal from the old hall on Main St. to the College Ave. House was done in my day and I had something to do with the arrangements of the “new” hall there. By the way, I hope the complete meeting records are now available for your reference. In them is a vast store of pertinent material. I should like some dates checked from them.
Page 2
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Russell H. Stafford, D.D., Pres.
Harold B. Belcher
Enoch F. Bell, D.D.
Arthur H. Bradford, D.D.
Edgar S. Brightman, Ph.D.
Raphael Demos, Ph.D.
Edward D. Eaton, LL.D.
Miss Mabel E. Emerson
Frederick A. Gaskins
John L. Grandin
Ashley D. Leavitt, D.D.
John S. Nollen, Ph.D.
Albert Shaw, LL.D.
Mrs. James Surpless
Arthur H. Wellman
Mrs. George R. Wilson
Richard H. Wright
ANATOLIA COLLEGE
THESSALONIKI, GREECE
ERNEST W. RIGGS, PRESIDENT
GEORGE E. WHITE, D.D., LL.D.
PRESIDENT-EMERITUS, FIELD REPRESENTATIVE
c/o J. W. Goldbury
807 Marquette Avenue
Minneapolis, Minnesota
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
OF THE TRUSTEES
Russell H. Stafford, D.D., Chr.
Miss Mabel E. Emerson, Sec.
Harold B. Belcher, Treas.
Frederick A. Gaskins, Clerk
14 Beacon Street
Boston, Massachusetts
East Northfield, Mass.
November 17, 1945.
Dear Marian:
Do you by any chance have a vacant room into which you could tuck Ruth and myself for a short time? Our sailing has again been postponed, this time to January 1st. And even that date is none too sure.
We plan to spend this waiting time on College business; purchasing supplies, a trip to Chicago, to Washington, and to New York. Northfield is a very poor center for such work. We can purchase nothing here, and train connections are very poor. It seems that it would be much more convenient if we were to make our headquarters in Boston or New York.
If you have no vacancy in the Home, do you happen to know of an available room nearby, or in Newton? We would appreciate it very much if you would tell us knowing what the possibilities are, without definitely engaging a room. By that time our plans should have taken shape so that we could let you know immediately whether or now we wanted the room, and when.
In any case, we’ll hope to get out to see you before long.
Best regards to Robbie.
Sincerely,
[signed: Carl]
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CHAIRMAN
ARTHUR J. SANTRY, EPSILON ’09
VICE-CHAIRMAN
EDWIN D. RYER, SIGMA TAU ’20
SECRETARY
FRANCIS BARNES, XI ’36
TREASURER
RICHARD S. WILLIS, THETA ’23
DELTA KAPPA EPSILON ADVISORY COUNCIL OF NEW ENGLAND
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
AND OFFICERS EX-OFFICIIS
ARTHUR G. ROBINSON, XI ’06, CHAIRMAN
HARRY E. BROWN, ALPHA ALPHA ’22
HERBERT B. MYRON, JR., SIGMA ’27
BUSINESS ADDRESS
144 HANCOCK ST., AUBURNDALE, MASS.
TEL. LASELL 9765
January 14, 1946.
Dear Joe:-
Thank you for yours of the 5th about Carl Song and the Deke Centennial. As to his attending Colby, you will notice that the book definitely states that the “Carl Song” mentioned is a Colby man. I recall that there was a Sung – as I would spell it – at Colby during one of my furlough years, probably 1920. With so few Chinese at Colby it ought to be easy to check this. I thought you wanted the item I sent for the Alumnus. I don’t know about any “Olympic angle” and have no other information about him except that I heard he was in Sian – in Northwest China – recently, in connection with the Y M C A.
It is good to have your approval of my idea to collect Deke souvenirs for exhibition at the Centennial and I should like right away to get out an appeal for the material from the whole list of living Xi alumni. Can I count on the Committee’s backing such an appeal and mailing it from Waterville? How would it be for you to take up the matter with Bill Millett and let him give me the green light when a decision is made? It would be my idea for all the material to be sent to me here for inspection and classification preliminary to arrangement in the exhibition. I should expect that out of it would come some items of use in the compiling of the history.*
I shall try to get to you soon certain bits of historical matter which you may find useful. The removal from the old hall on Main St. to the College Ave. House was done in my day and I had something to do with the arrangements of the “new” hall there. By the way, I hope the complete meeting records are now available for your reference. In them is a vast store of pertinent material. I should like some dates checked from them.
Fraternally,
Arthur G. Robinson
Page 4
[*:] My appeal could probably go out as a part of one of the letters which Bill sends out periodically – just a paragraph.
A.G.R.