Dean Lung was born in 1857 in Guangdong Province. He was illiterate, and at 18, while looking for a job, someone deceived him into going overseas. He was consequently sold as a laborer to work on the railroads in America. Despite this, he worked hard and was always found to be reliable. Around 1890, he finally left the railroad job and became a servant to an American tycoon.
The tycoon, Horace Carpenter, was a legendary businessman who graduated from Columbia University. He switched careers from being a lawyer to prospecting for gold in California, which led to his founding of the California Bank. Later, he single-handedly established a new city on virgin land and named it Oakland. Horace then became the city’s mayor.
Although Dean Lung was uneducated and illiterate, Carpenter considered him a sincere, competent, and dependable servant, placing great trust in him to manage his daily meals and living arrangements.
Living with such a prominent figure, Dean Lung’s life was naturally better than before. However, he found his boss had a volatile temper that many servants couldn’t tolerate. Once, when Carpenter was in a drunken stupor, he lost his temper, and in a rage, he fired all his servants, including his loyal servant Dean Lung.
The next morning, realizing his mistake, Horace became deeply dejected as he faced a large, empty house with no servants for his needs. At that moment, unexpectedly, his loyal servant appeared with his breakfast. To his surprise, Carpenter asked why he hadn’t left. Lung stated that despite his boss’s bad temper, he was a good person, a response that deeply moved Carpenter. He further explained how he followed his ancient Chinese teachings; since he had committed to serve someone, he must fulfill his duty and not leave arbitrarily.
For an uneducated man, his remarkable wisdom piqued Carpenter’s interest in Chinese culture.
Over the next decade, Lung remained by Carpenter’s side, transitioning from a servant to a dedicated butler. The servants around him changed constantly, but he remained steadfast, diligent, and uncomplaining. To thank him for his loyalty, Carpenter wanted to fulfill Lungs’s wish. This wish, which once again surprised Carpenter, was to establish a sinology department at the world’s best Columbia University. Lung believed there was a need to spread a better understanding of China and promote Chinese culture worldwide.
Columbia University establishes the first Department of Sinology
In 1901, Lung donated his life savings of US$12,000 to Columbia University, hoping that they would establish a center for studying sinology. Fortunately, Carpenter fully supported him. He donated US$100,000 and added Dean Lung’s US$12,000 to his contribution. Later, he added another US$275,000, insisting it was to be named the “Dean Lung Professorship.” Ultimately, in 1902, through the efforts of Dean Lung and his employer, Columbia University established its first Department of Sinology.
The Chinese envoy Wu Tingfang reported this endeavor back to China. Empress Dowager Cixi, moved by Dean Lung’s patriotic act, donated 5,000 valuable books to Columbia University. Many other dignitaries, including Li Hongzhang, also contributed.
Dean Lung, a humble Chinese laborer, performed a noble deed during domestic strife and foreign threats in China.
He was sold into servitude in America; as an illiterate man, he managed to make a name for himself at one of the world’s leading universities — Columbia University. Instigating the establishment of the first Department of Sinology in the United States earned him widespread, truly deserving admiration and future historical recognition.
Translated by Katy Liu and edited by Maria
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