Four people, among others, played vital role in initiating Chinese studies at Columbia. William Barclay Parsons, Columbia professor and trustee who published An American Engineer in China based on his own Chinese experience, proposed to establish "Chinese Department" at Columbia in about 1900. Dean Lung, a Chinese manservant of General Carpentier, donated $12,000 to President Low  in 1901 "as a contribution to the fund for Chinese learning". General Horace Walpole Carpentier, the employer of Dean Lung and Columbia trustee, then contributed nearly a quarter million dollars to set up the endowment of "Dean Lung Professor of Chinese Studies." And President Seth Low, whose family made fortunes from China-trading business, embraced Chinese studies and planned to found Chinese Department, Chinese Library and Chinese Museum at Columbia. Learn more.