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Thomas La Fargue Papers, 1872-1954

Overview of the Collection

Creator
La Fargue, Thomas E. (Thomas Edward), 1900-
Title
Thomas La Fargue Papers
Dates
1872-1954 (inclusive)
Quantity
1 Linear Feet of Shelf Space, (2 Boxes)
Collection Number
Cage 255 (collection)
Summary
Thomas La Fargue was a history professor at the State College of Washington, circa 1940-1945. During that time he continued his research into the Chinese Educational Mission (中國留美幼童 Zhongguo liumei you tong), 1872-1881, which lead to his book China's First Hundred, published by the State College of Washington in 1942. This collection contains biographical information and letters of individual Chinese Educational Mission (中國留美幼童 Zhongguo liumei you tong) students; correspondence, photographs, notes, clippings, and printed materials related to the Chinese Educational Mission (中國留美幼童 Zhongguo liumei you tong) and the writing of China's First Hundred; and a draft manuscript typescript of China's First Hundred.
Repository
Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Terrell Library Suite 12
Pullman, WA
99164-5610
Telephone: 509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu
Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research use.

Languages
English, Chinese, and German., ,
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Biographical Note

Thomas La Fargue (born 1900) earned a B.A. and M.A. from the University of California and a Ph.D. from Stanford University. He was a history professor at the State College of Washington, circa 1940-1945. During that time he continued his research into the Chinese Educational Mission (中國留美幼童 Zhongguo liumei you tong), 1872-1881. His research lead to his book China's First Hundred (1942).

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Historical Note

In 1871, Yung Wing (容閎 Rong Hong), the first Chinese graduate of Yale University, persuaded the Chinese government to send supervised groups of young Chinese to the United States to study Western science and engineering. With the government's approval, he organized what came to be known as the Chinese Educational Mission (中國留美幼童 Zhongguo liumei you tong), which, in total, sent 120 boys to study in the United States. The boys arrived in four detachments between 1872-1875, and lived with American families in Hartford, Connecticut, and other New England towns. Due to internal and external pressures caused by a change in government in China, the mission was ended early in 1881.

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Content Description

The Thomas La Fargue papers are made up of materials collected by Thomas La Fargue, many through Arthur G. Robinson, regarding the Chinese Educational Mission (中國留美幼童 Zhongguo liumei you tong), 1872-1881, for his book China's First Hundred (1942). And can be divided into two major subjects, source materials and La Fargue's correspondences and writings.

The source material includes original and typescript copies of letters to and from Chinese Educational Mission (中國留美幼童 Zhongguo liumei you tong) students; biographical information on the students, much written by the students or their friends and families; a collection of photographs of the students, from when they were studying in the United States and after they returned to China; and clippings, speech transcripts, and various printed materials related to the Chinese Educational Mission (中國留美幼童 Zhongguo liumei you tong).

La Fargue's writings are comprised of correspondence to and from La Fargue regarding materials for his book, La Fargue's trip to China in the summer of 1940, and the book itself. Also included are La Fargue's notecards, a typescript draft manuscript of China's First Hundred, and some miscellaneous materials.

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Other Descriptive Information

Wade-Giles was the prominent Romanization system for Chinese during the period that this collection covers. Variations in the Romanization, nicknames, and accuracy of sources, lead to a wide variety in the Chinese names within La Fargue’s research. The Romanization spellings found in the “List of the Students of the Chinese Educational Mission”, pages 173-176, La Fargue, Thomas E., and State College of Washington. China's First Hundred. State College of Washington, 1942, are used for identified Chinese Educational Mission (中國留美幼童 Zhongguo liumei you tong) students. To assist in searching and identification, following each name, in parentheses, is the name in traditional Chinese and the Hanyu Pinyin Romanization. These names are taken from “Table 2.1 CEM students (by detachment)”, pages 14-17, Rhoads, Edward J. M.. Stepping Forth into the World : The Chinese Educational Mission to the United States, 1872-81, Hong Kong University Press, 2011.

The names of unidentified individuals and those who are known not to be Chinese Educational Mission students, are given in the Wade-Giles Romanization used by La Fargue, with the Chinese and Hanyu Pinyin Romanization following in parentheses, if known.

During the processing of this collection, a spreadsheet was created, by Suzanne James-Bacon, to help identify and track the variations in Romanization, forms, nicknames, and spellings of names found within La Fargue’s papers, Rhoads’ book, and other sources: such as the Chinese Educational Mission Connections 1872-1881 website, the Library of Congress Name Authority File, and Wikipedia. Because this spreadsheet may be of use to researchers, it is available in the Washington State University Research Exchange, Name variations within the Thomas La Fargue Papers.

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Use of the Collection

Alternative Forms Available

This collection has been digitized and can be found in the online Thomas La Fargue Collection.

Preferred Citation

[Item Description] Thomas La Fargue Papers, 1872-1954 (Cage 255)

Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The papers are arranged into three series plus administrative materials:

Administrative and Reference Materials. Includes information regarding the processing of the collection and related materials given to MASC by subsequent researchers.

Series 1: Chinese Educational Mission (中國留美幼童 Zhongguo liumei you tong) Students Papers

Subseries 1.1: Group Biographical Information. Includes general or group biographical information about the Chinese Educational Mission (中國留美幼童 Zhongguo liumei you tong) students, such as lists of names, newspaper or magazine group photos, personal accounts, addresses and birth dates. Roughly arranged by subject.

Subseries 1.2: Individual Biographical Information. Includes information on individual Chinese Educational Mission (中國留美幼童 Zhongguo liumei you tong) students. Arranged alphabetically by student's name (Wade-Giles Romanization used by La Fargue in his book) and then chronologically within.

Subseries 1.3: Commemorations. Includes transcripts of speeches, published photos, newspaper articles, and related material concerning commemorative events for the students. Arranged chronologically.

Subseries 1.4: Correspondence. Includes letters to and from various Chinese Educational Mission students. Arranged alphabetically by student's name (Wade-Giles Romanization used by La Fargue in his book) and then chronologically within.

Subseries 1.5: Published Writings. Includes pamphlets and articles on the Chinese Educational Mission or Chinese history. Arranged chronologically.

Series 2: Thomas La Fargue Papers

Subseries 2.1: Correspondence. Divided into two groups, both arranged chronologically.

China's First Hundred. Includes letters to and from La Fargue regarding his book and materials for his book.

State College of Washington. Mostly comprised of letters to and from La Fargue regarding funding for his 1940 trip to China.

Subseries 2.2: Writings. Divided into three groups.

Manuscript. A draft typescript manuscript of China’s First Hundred Manuscript.

Notecards. La Fargue's notecards containing notes and information on the individual Chinese Educational Mission students, arranged by La Fargue's assigned student numbers.

Miscellaneous writings, arranged chronologically.

Series 3: Chinese Educational Mission (中國留美幼童 Zhongguo liumei you tong) Students Photographs

Subseries 3.1: Group. Includes group photographs of the Chinese Educational Mission (中國留美幼童 Zhongguo liumei you tong) students, as well as their families and friends, throughout their lives.

Subseries 3.2: Individuals – Youths. Primarily comprised of studio portrait photographs of the Chinese Educational Mission (中國留美幼童 Zhongguo liumei you tong) students taken while they were in the United States.

Subseries 3.3: Individuals – Adults. Primarily comprised of photographs of the former Chinese Education Mission students later in their lives.

LOCATION NOTE (MASC STAFF USE)

Some items in Series 1.1 and 1.2, marked (OS), are oversized (map case).

Acquisition Information

Thomas La Fargue donated his papers to the Washington State University Libraries in the 1940s. In 2025, the Boston Book Company returned three documents that had been removed from the collection at an indeterminate date.

Processing Note

The papers were re-processed and digitized by Suzanne James-Bacon in 2018 July-2019 May. Chenhao Yu and Clara Mui provided transliteration and translation of some of the materials in traditional Chinese. The Chinese and Pinyin translations for CEM student names were taken from: Rhoads, Edward J. M., Stepping Forth into the World: The Chinese Educational Mission to the United States, 1872-1881, Hong Kong University Press, 2011. Most other Chinese/Pinyin names were sourced from Wikipedia.

Bibliography

La Fargue, Thomas E., and State College of Washington. China's First Hundred. Pullman, WA: State College of Washington, 1942.

Rhoads, Edward J. M.. Stepping Forth into the World: The Chinese Educational Mission to the United States, 1872-81. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2011.

Chinese Educational Mission Connections 1872-1881.

Wikipedia.

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Detailed Description of the Collection


2019

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