Our Society was born out of the desire of the founding directors to inform the public about the important role Connecticut played in Chinese-American relations in the 19th century and the accomplishments of the first students sent to the United States. Sometime in 1996, after two decades of research tracing the available evidence of these students, we decided to establish a formal organization. Through the help and encouragement of others we became chartered and incorporated as a 501[C] [3] Non-profit tax-exempt educational foundation. During the past three years the directors of the Society have been busy organizing and lecturing at various functions in order to disseminate the Society's mission. Some of the more recent efforts were as follows: 1997 Feb. 28: Professor Kao presented a slide lecture at Trinity College under the auspices of The Chinese Cultural Center on Yung Wing and the Chinese Educational Commission, 1872-1881; Apr. 24: Prof. Kao lectured on Yung Wing at Columbia University on the 150th anniversary of Yung's arrival in America in 1847; May: Profs. Kao and DeAngelis provided United technologies with information on Yung Wing and the CEC to assist UT in promoting a program to aid in funding engineering programs in China; June, 9: Prof. Kao was interviewed by the BBC "Mandarin Current Affairs " program about Chinese students in America; Oct, 9: Founding directors Kao, DeAngelis, and Hinze, were joined by Judge Henry Cohn to present a program entitled "Breaking Down Racial Barriers: Connecticut's Early Links With China," at the Connecticut Historical Society; Oct. 17: Prof. Kao lectured at the Society of Chinese Americans at Flushing, New York on "Yung Wing and the Young Chinese Students in America." 1998 Mar. 26: Prof. Kao gave a slide lecture on Yung Wing and the CEC before approximately thirty Chinese students attending Yale University; May 20: Prof. Kao traveled to Taipei, Taiwan, [ROC] to give an address on Yung Wing and the Young Students in America at a meeting of the Phi Lambda fraternity; Sept. 19: Prof. Kao spoke on the subject of Yung Wing and the CEC before assembled members of the New London Historical Society; Sept. 21 - 23: The Society co-sponsored with the Yale University department of History, the Yale-China Association, and the Council of East Asian Studies, a conference entitled "Chinese Pioneer Scholars in the United States in the Nineteenth Century." Participants included about 40 descendants of Yung Wing and several other students of the original CEC. They came from America, Australia, Canada, China (PRC), Japan, and Singapore. They visited historic sites associated with their forebears, and learned about their lives in America. Professor Kao presented a slide lecture , "Letters from Young Pioneer Students," based on the research he conducted with Roger Hinze. The Society arranged to have Dr. Henry Lee, the renowned forensic scientist, speak to the group at a breakfast meeting on the 21st. On the 22nd, the CSMS hosted a reception at the Connecticut Historical Society in Hartford, with the gracious assistance of the CHS, where the descendants could view some Yung Wing memorabilia on display. Among the 120 or so people attending were delegations from both the People's Republic of China and Taiwan [ROC}. A highlight of the evening was the reading of a Declaration by the Honorable Governor John G. Rowland of Connecticut, citing September 22, 1998 as "Yung Wing and The Chinese Educational Commission Day." A full-size facsimile of the Declaration in color was presented to each of the descendants. The evening was capped off with a splendid banquet at a local Chinese restaurant attended by 40 plus people; Nov. 17: Professor DeAngelis gave a lecture on Yung Wing and the CEC to an assembled faculty forum at Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT. He had present several talks on the subject in previous years before local Rotary and other civic organizations; Nov. 27-29: Professor Kao traveled to the PRC at the invitation of the Municipal government of Zhu Hai City, Guangdong Province, to present a talk on Yung Wing and the CEC in America, at Zhu Hai International Cutural Center. Zhu Hai is the birthplace of Yung Wing and his ancestral home has been restored and is now somewhat of an historical site. The program was attended by more than 100 professors and scholars. Dec. 15: Directors Kao and Hinze presented a slide lecture on Yung Wing and the CEC at the HQ of the Aetna Corporation in Hartford, as part of a cultural awareness program titled "Asians in America, From Past to Present." This education for diversity series was attended by 300 people. 1999 Feb. 7: Directors Kao and Hinze represented the Society at the Chinese New Year celebration at Trinity College, Hartford. At the Society table brochures were distributed and the public had an opportunity to learn of the CEC and its role in Chinese-American relations, and the students, many who made significant contributions to China upon their return; April 17: Prof. Kao attended the Annual Conference of the American Association for Chinese Studies, in Arlington, Virginia. He gave a slide talk on "Yung Wing and the Young Chinese Students in America, 1872-1881." About 300 people attended the talk; Much of the summer of 1999 was occupied with research trips and writing and assembling the necessary materials for the United States IRS approval for our 501[c] status as a tax-exempt non-profit educational foundation; Over the recent years Roger Hinze and Tim Kao have been traveling throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts to visit the schools and in search of families that housed and helped to raise the young boys who came her 130 years ago. Slowly, the bits and pieces are assembled to be able to glimpse some of the daily lives of a few students. Some libraries have had news clippings, historical societies have some bits of information, and fortunate contact with people whose families had letters and photos of the boys whom they raised and tutored in preparation for entrance into elementary or secondary schools. Tim and Roger visited the town of Monson in Mass. where the Monson Academy once stood. This is the place where the Rev. S.R. Brown brought Yung Wing and two other students in 1847 to tutor them in preparation for their entrance into university. These trips have yielded important information beyond that contained in Thomas LaFargue's book China's First Hundred, which was written in 1942 as the first attempt to record the CEC. The research of the directors is in support of publishing a fuller account of the students lives in America and the achievements of some who returned to China. Until the work is published, we must refrain from providing details but we wish to thank the many people who have been forthcoming and supportive of our efforts. 2000 Jan. 29: Professor Kao and Associate Mr. Kenneth Pai, attended the Twentieth Anniversary and year 2000 Chinese New Year celebration of the Chinese Culture Center at the Timothy Edwards Middle School in East Windsor, CT. The CSMS had an information desk where the mission of the Society was disseminated through the distribution of our brochure; Feb. 16: Prof. Kao gave a slide lecture on Yung Wing and the CEC Students at Southern California University at Los Angeles. Feb. 21: Prof. Kao was invited by Prof. Chor Swan Ngin to give a slide lecture on Yung Wing and the CEC to interested faculty and students at the California State University at Los Angeles. The lecture was followed by a reception at which many expressed gratitude and support for the CSMS and its work. May 5: President Timothy Kao attended a ceremony unveiling a portrait of Yung Wing at Yale University. Mr. Frank Yung, grandson of Yung Wing and about 100 other guests were present. ********* Printed copies of this newsletter will be mailed to all patrons who have joined the society.