Symposium in Memory of Iuming Suez: Modernizing China through Diplomatic and Missionary Pursuits and Overseas Education


Iuming Suez 史悠明 (1881-1940) received missionary education and became a diplomat for the Late Qing and Republican governments. He excelled in diplomatic service in Tibet, New York, and Latin America and played an important role in petroleum exploration in Northwest China. By highlighting Iuming Suez’s unusual legacies and reflecting on modernization of China in the first half of 20th century, the symposium celebrates the inauguration of the Julian Suez Endowment Fund created by his grandson Julian Suez.

Co-sponsors: C.V. Starr East Asian Library; Weatherhead East Asian Institute (WEAI); Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures (EALAC), Columbia University; Winnie and Michael Feng.

Time: Thursday, November 29, 2018, 4:00-7:00pm
Place: Reading Room, C.V. Starr East Asian Library, 300 Kent Hall

Open to public. Registration required. 

Symposium Host: Jim Cheng, C.V. Starr East Asian Library Director

Suez Symposium Poster

Opening Reception Remarks, 4:00-4:30 pm:

Four Speakers, 4:30-6:00 pm (including Q&A):

Refreshments: 6:00-7:00pm


Julian Suez 2

Mr. Julian Suez 史濟良, born in Shanghai, is a grandson of Iuming Suez 史悠明 (1881-1940) as well as Zoen Fong How 夏瑞芳(1871-1914), who founded the Commercial Press in Shanghai in 1897, the first modern publishing house in China.

Mr. Julian Suez's father Albert Suez 史久荣 (1903-1981) was the first son of Iuming Suez; Albert Suez was a graduate of University of Michigan, and a leading automotive engineer in China. Mr. Julian Suez's mother Rhoda How 夏璐雅 (1905-2006) was the fifth daughter of Zoen Fong How, and a graduate of University of Shanghai.

Mr. Julian Suez came to the U.S. in 1958 to pursue higher education. He received his B.S. in mechanical engineering from University of Texas in 1961 and master’s degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1962.

He then developed a five-decade career with IBM in New York, Beijing and Hong Kong. He served as a senior engineer and manager with the IBM Greater China Group for many years since IBM reentered China in the early 1980s.

Mr. Julian Suez continues working for IBM a number of hours every week in his semi-retirement. A friend of the library, he has been greatly supporting the library and helping the library to acquire archival and special collections of significant importance.


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Chengzhi Wang, Ph.D.
Chinese Studies Librarian
307M Kent Hall
(212) 854-3721
cw2165@columbia.edu