First Public Release of V. K. Wellington Koo’s Archive of Personal Papers: Exhibition and Symposium Held at CGC丨Beijing

On July 14, Columbia Global Centers | Beijing and the Institute of Modern History of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences jointly hosted the exhibition and symposium: First Public Release of V. K. Wellington Koo's Archive of Personal Papers. The event is aimed to retrospect V. K. Wellington Koo and his legendary life and to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the July 7th incident.

July 14, 2017

On July 14, Columbia Global Centers | Beijing and the Institute of Modern History of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences jointly hosted the exhibition and symposium: First Public Release of V. K. Wellington Koo's Archive of Personal Papers. The event is aimed to retrospect V. K. Wellington Koo and his legendary life and to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the July 7th incident.

"Today is the culmination of the first phase of this journey to make this archive available in China," said Shirley Young, Chair at US-China Cultural Institute, Cultural Associate of the Committee of 100 and V. K. Wellington Koo’s step-daughter. "I hope that the availability of the Koo archive in China will serve as inspiration to future representative of China to the world."

V. K. Wellington Koo's six-million-words spoken memoir is now treasured at the Rare Book & Manuscript Library of Columbia University. The memoir contains Koo’s letters, diaries, memos, manuscripts, notes, printed documents, and photos. There are nearly 300 boxes of archives covering all of Koo's professional life. 

In early 2014, the Institute of Modern History of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Wellington Koo’s family members worked with Columbia University to copy Koo's archives. Columbia University Libraries have scanned the first batch of more than 250 boxes of files donated by Koo's family. Researchers from IMH have compiled the materials. For the first time, these materials will be accessible to scholars in Beijing and Shanghai.

"For the more than 250 years since its foundation, Columbia University in the City of New York has been evolving, yet always ensuring that its students, faculty, researchers, and librarians contribute to advances in knowledge and innovation and help solve some of the world’s most difficult challenges," said Ann Thornton, Vice Provost and University Librarian of Columbia University. "All of us at Columbia University Libraries are honored to be entrusted with the responsibility for the Wellington Koo archive. Koo’s archive can now inspire each successive generation of students, scholars, and citizens all across the world."

From July 17th to Aug. 20, the V. K. Wellington Koo's exhibition will be free to public every Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Columbia Global Centers | Beijing.

First Public Release of V. K. Wellington Koo’s Archive of Personal Papers: Exhibition and Symposium