John Leighton Stuart

John Leighton Stuart
司徒雷登
Stuart in 1948
4th United States Ambassador to the Republic of China
In office
July 10, 1946 – November 28, 1952
Appointed byHarry S. Truman
Preceded byPatrick J. Hurley
Succeeded byKarl L. Rankin
1st President of Yenching University
In office
January 1919 – 1945
Succeeded byWu Leichuan (acting)
Personal details
Born(1876-06-24)June 24, 1876
Christ's Church, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
DiedSeptember 19, 1962(1962-09-19) (aged 86)
Washington D.C., United States
Resting placeAnxianyuan Cemetery, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
30°23′35″N 120°12′29″E / 30.393194°N 120.207990°E / 30.393194; 120.207990
CitizenshipUnited States
Education (DD)
Occupation
  • Missionary
  • Educator
  • Diplomat
AwardsDoctor of Humane Letters by Princeton (1933)
Honorary Citizen of Hangzhou (1946)

John Leighton Stuart (Chinese: 司徒雷登; pinyin: Sītú Léidēng; June 24, 1876 – September 19, 1962)[1] was a missionary educator, the first President of Yenching University and later United States ambassador to China. He was a towering figure in U.S.-China relations in the first half of the 20th century,[2] a man TIME magazine described as "perhaps the most respected American in China."[3] According to one Chinese historian, "there was no other American of his ilk in the 20th century, one who was as deeply involved in Chinese politics, culture, and education and had such an incredible influence in China."[4]

  1. ^ The Indiana Gazette, September 20, 1962
  2. ^ "Ashes of the American Raj in China: John Leighton Stuart, Pearl S. Buck, and Edgar Snow," by Charles W. Hayford, The Asia-Pacific Journal, December 1, 2008.
  3. ^ "Education: Stuart of Yenching," TIME, 1 October 1945
  4. ^ Lin Mengxi, "How U.S. Ambassadors Influence China," by Zheng Wang, The Diplomat, 27 February 2014.