William Hung (sinologist)

William Hung
洪業
Born	(1893-10-27)October 27, 1893 Fuzhou, Fujian, Qing Empire
Died	December 22, 1980(1980-12-22) (aged 87) Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Nationality	Chinese
Alma mater	Ohio Wesleyan University
Known for	Harvard Yenching Index Series; Tu Fu: China's Greatest Poet
Spouse	Rhoda Kong
Children	3
Awards	Prix Stanislas Julien
Scientific career
Fields	Classical Chinese, Chinese literature, Sinology
Institutions	Yenching University Harvard University
Notable students	David Nivison, Teng Ssu-yu, Francis Cleaves
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	洪業
Simplified Chinese	洪业
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Hóng Yè Wade–Giles Hung Yeh Southern Min Tâi-lô Âng Gia̍p

William Hung (Chinese: 洪業; October 27, 1893 – December 22, 1980), was a Chinese historian and sinologist who taught for many years at Yenching University, Peking, which was China's leading Christian university, and at Harvard University. He is known for bringing modern standards of scholarship to the study of Chinese classical writings, for editing the Harvard-Yenching Index Series, and for his biography of Du Fu, Tu Fu: China's Greatest Poet, which is considered a classic in the English world on the studies of Du Fu.^[1] He became a Christian while a student at the Anglo-Chinese College in Fuzhou, then went to Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, Columbia University, and Union Theological Seminary. On his return to China, he became Professor and Dean of Yenching University, where he was instrumental in establishing the Harvard-Yenching Institute.^[2] He came to Harvard in 1946 and spent the rest of his life in Cambridge, Massachusetts, teaching and mentoring students.

William Hung was the oldest of six children. His father gave him the "school name" Hong Ye ("Great Enterprise"), and then when he left for the United States he took the given name William. He married Rhoda Kong in 1919, and the couple had three children, Ruth, Gertrude, and Agnes.