Joseph Beech facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Joseph Beech |
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|---|---|
 |
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| Religion | Methodism |
| Denomination | Methodist Episcopal Church |
| Founder of | West China Union University |
| Alma mater |
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| Other names | Joe Beech |
| Personal | |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | October 3, 1867 Newbold, Derbyshire, England, United Kingdom |
| Died | February 25, 1954 (aged 86) Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Spouse |
Mary Josephine Harvey
(m. 1888; died 1890)Nellie Miriam Decker
(m. 1904) |
Joseph Beech, also known as Joe Beech (born October 3, 1867 – died February 25, 1954), was an American Methodist missionary and educator. He is famous for founding the West China Union University. He also received a special award called the Order of Brilliant Jade.
Contents
Joseph Beech: A Life of Service
Early Life and Education
Joseph Beech was born in Newbold, England, on October 3, 1867. He later moved to the United States. He went to Centenary Collegiate Institute in New Jersey. After that, he studied at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, graduating in 1899. While in college, he was the president of his class during his junior year. He also led the YMCA group at his university.
Building a University in China
After finishing college, Joseph Beech traveled to Sichuan (Szechwan), a region in western China. He went there as a missionary for the American Methodist Episcopal Mission. Missionaries are people who travel to other countries to share their religious beliefs and often help communities by building schools or hospitals.
From 1901 to 1904, Beech worked as the principal of the Chungking Wesleyan Mission School in Chongqing (Chungking). In 1905, he moved to Chengdu (Chengtu), the capital city of the province. There, he became the first president of the West China Union University. This university officially opened in 1910. It was started by four different Protestant mission groups from America, Canada, and Britain.
Starting the University
Creating a university takes a lot of planning. Joseph Beech started working on this big project in 1905. He was part of a special group called the Temporary Board of Management for the West China Union University. This group helped prepare everything needed for the new university.
In 1909, two important people from the University of Chicago, Ernest DeWitt Burton and Thomas Chrowder Chamberlin, visited West China. They were part of a project to explore places in the Eastern world for new humanitarian projects. This project was supported by John D. Rockefeller, who later started the famous Rockefeller Foundation. The Board, including Beech, prepared a report for their visit.
Getting Support and Making it Grow
Joseph Beech worked hard to get support for the new university. He reached out to students, teachers, and former students from his old university, Wesleyan. Thanks to his efforts, the Wesleyan community gave a lot of money to help the West China Union University succeed.
Besides being the founding president, Beech also designed many of the university's buildings. He even taught classes there himself. A Canadian missionary named H. D. Robertson described Beech as someone who could "smile his way through all sorts of difficulties." He also said that Beech was great at turning ideas into real plans. Robertson noted that Beech traveled widely, sharing the university's story and opportunities, which encouraged people to donate money with confidence.
Later Years and Special Honors
Joseph Beech served as the university's chancellor (a top leader) from 1931 to 1940. After that, he retired and moved back to the United States. He passed away in 1954 in Chicago.
The Chinese government recognized his important work in higher education in Republican China. When he left China in 1940, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek gave him a special farewell. Beech was also awarded the Diploma of the First Class and the Order of Brilliant Jade, which is a very high honor.
His Family Life
Joseph Beech married Mary Josephine Harvey in 1888. Sadly, she died just two years later in 1890. They had one son named Elliot. In 1904, Joseph Beech married Nellie Miriam Decker in Chongqing. Together, they had six children: three boys and three girls.
See also
- Omar Leslie Kilborn
- Methodism in Sichuan
- The West China Missionary News
- Journal of the West China Border Research Society
