Luh, Chih Wei 陸志韋 (1894-1970)

Part 1: Education Overseas

Vanderbilt University established its Psychology Department between 1910-1920. It was significantly impacted by the works of contemporary psychologists such as Sigmund Freud and James Watson. From 1916-1918, Luh Chih Wei studied in the Biblical Department at Vanderbilt University, during which time he had his first encounter with the world of psychology, an encounter that later paved the way for his future studies at the University of Chicago and his career as the president of Yenching University. [17]

After attending Vanderbilt University for two years, Luh Chih Wei transferred to the University of Chicago to study in the Department of Psychology. In 1920, he received his PhD in Psychology and published his dissertation on "The Conditions of Retention," in which he explored how the retention curve is altered under certain variable conditions and found that the amount of retention for most intervals increases with the degree of learning. This dissertation, along with his other works, played a considerable role in his becoming one of the pioneers of psychology in China. In addition, Luh Chih Wei introduced to China many psychological concepts, including Freudian theories and the findings of behavioral psychologists, such as B. F. Skinner and John B. Watson. [22]

Part 2: Return to the Homeland: The Start of an Influential Career

From Luh Chih Wei's encounter with religious psychology at Vanderbilt to his advanced research at the University of Chicago, his contributions to psychology were groundbreaking and enduring. Throughout his career, he focused on experimental explorations of Western theories and pushed for refinement in China's contemporary psychology studies. [10] During his overseas years, Luh encountered many pioneers, such as John Dewey, John B. Watson and Harvey Carr. [6] He released his influential dissertation to rave reviews. It received positive feedback and sparked conversations with other scholars. The professors he had met also contributed to his later works on memory; he perfected the work on H. Ebbinghaus's Forgetting Curve and developed his own research on memory recovery in children. He also contributed significantly to the development of the Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale, refining it and establishing it as China's first-ever standardized intelligence test. Luh Chih Wei also delved into the discipline of social psychology, primarily how society affects students' mental health. [1] His findings were later published as China's first professional text on social psychology. He and his colleagues also published several trailblazing papers, including "The Pride of Chinese Students," which focused on Chinese students' academic pressure and mental well-being. [7]

As mentioned earlier, Luh Chih Wei's passion for a career in education can be seen as early as his years as a university student trying to sustain himself. After his return to China in 1920 with a doctoral degree from the University of Chicago, he was invited to teach at Nanjing University. That same year, he, along with his colleague Y.Q Chen (陈鹤琴), founded China's first psychology major program. Luh taught courses such as biological psychology, comparative psychology, history of psychology, and his previous concentration at Vanderbilt, religious psychology. [7] In 1927, Luh Chih Wei was invited by the then-president of Yenching University to become a professor and the DUS of psychology at that institution. There, he devoted a lifetime to the establishment of the Department of Psychology, growing it from a few classrooms in a single building to a department with its own library, two professional labs, an animal nursing room, several different experimental facilities - a scale that was unmatched at that time. In 1933, internal conflicts began surfacing in Yenching University's community. In this chaotic environment, Luh was named as the university's acting president. [1] In this role, Luh Chih Wei was responsible for and devoted to his students. [19]He bravely supported students in their anti-war movements and led several protests against hate crimes committed against his colleagues. After the Sino-Japanese War, he was appointed as the official president of Yenching University at a time when it became affiliated with the government of the People's Republic of China. Before Luh's ultimate persecution, he led many acts of reconstruction until his resignation in 1952, when Yenching University was disenfranchised and integrated into various parts of different universities. [6] [11]

Part 3: Later Years: Literature, War, and Persecution.

The story of Luh Chih Wei is one with an ordinary silhouette but an out-of-the-ordinary core. As we had the opportunity to explore his life, the name Luh Chih Wei slowly transitioned from three terms on a research page to a vivid figure with whom we felt a connection. For the past two months, we have seen a world through his eyes: we witnessed changes, breakthroughs, and resistance in an unfamiliar time. We walked, leaped, and lingered in harmony with him. To the world, we put out a message that he was once a very influential educator, but to us, he was a student who wanted to learn for a lifetime. His profound contributions are reflected in his customary actions that were aligned with his values of spreading knowledge and protecting learners. [8] Greatness is often examined through its altitudes. We sometimes let our appreciation for tenacity in everyday life rust. Luh Chih Wei was once an ordinary student like all of us, but he was also extraordinary like all of us. Thus, our intent for this page was not to highlight his distinction in a specific discipline, but to tell the story of his life, his heart, his tenacity, and his reasons for learning. It was bitter to see how he was prohibited from being a student and forced to seize his devotion to learning, and even more disappointing to learn that the opposition came from his government, community members and his own daughter. As Asian American students and future Vanderbilt alums ourselves, we are driven to think about our privilege to learn and our freedom to continue learning in the future. It is grounding to think about the individuals who came before us and the way their lives impact ours. People like Luh Chih Wei raced ahead, their earnest footsteps lighting the path, so we could journey forth with greater grace, humbled by their legacy and inspired by their zeal. We encourage current scholars and viewers to amplify this part of Vanderbilt's history by reading about these past students and uncovering more alongside us. With all that being said, as we conclude our part of this project, we are thankful for the time spent, and we can only imagine what discoveries and insights await us in the years to come.

[1] Bergère, Marie-Claire. Yenching University: A Pioneer in Modern China (1916-1952). Paris: École des hautes études en sciences sociales, 1999.  https://archive.org/details/yenchinguniversi0000west . 

[2] Chang Gao. Lu Zhi Wei Senior life [Photograph]. Retrieved from  https://www.sohu.com/a/481875297_99992021  

[3] Chen, Hongyan. "A Study of the Language Acquisition of Chinese Learners of English: A Corpus-based Approach." Journal of Chinese Linguistics 41, no. 2 (2013): 247-271.  http://www.linguistics.org.cn/jufayuyi/lsapp/view.php?aid=28 . 

[4] Chih Wei, Luh. (1923). Crossing the River book cover [Scanned Photograph]. Yadong Publications.

[5] "Chih Wei Luh, World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917," National Archives and Records Administration. Accessed April, 2023.  https://www.ancestry.com . 

[6] Ding, Panshi. "Ding Panshi: Recalling Lu Zhiwei, President of Yenching University." Chinese Psychological Society. October 13, 2017.  http://www.personpsy.org/Info/Details/1521  

[7] Institute of Psychology. "Lu Zhiwei--The youthful years of the older generation of psychologists." Promote the spirit of scientists, Chinese Academy of Sciences (2022).  http://www.psych.cas.cn/news/djdt2022/ztlm/hykxjjs/202206/t20220628_6467001.html .

[8] Liu, Jin, et al. "Mental Health System in China: History, Recent Service Reform and Future Challenges." World Psychiatry 10, no. 3 (2011): 210-216. doi:10.1002/j.2051-5545.2011.tb00059.x.

[9] Liu, Shaoxia. Research on Poet Lu Zhiwei and Textual Research of His Poetry (Chinese Edition). Beijing: Science Press, 2014.

[10] Nanjing Alumni Association of Central University and the Anthology Compilation Committee of Central University Alumni : " The Continuation of the Biography of the Famous Teachers of Nanyong Lizhu Central University'' , Nanjing University Press , 2010, pp. 276-281.  https://history.seu.edu.cn/2018/0330/c18669a211677/page.htm 

[11] Pan, Shu. “The Complete Works of Pan Shu (Volume I).” Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Psychological Society. Beijing: People's Education Press, 2007. 

[12] Patrick, Zachmann. (1991). Zhejiang, China. [Photography] Retrieved from:   https://www.magnumphotos.com  

[13] Schoenhals, M. Political Movements, Change and Stability: The Chinese Communist Party in Power. The China Quarterly, (1999) (no. 159), 595-605.  http://www.jstor.org/stable/655754  

[14] Sina History News. (Date unknown). Lu Zhi Wei [Photograph]. Retrieved from  https://blog.sina.com.cn/lm/history/  

[15] Soochow University. (2022). Soochow Campus [edited photograph] Retrieved from:   https://www-ch.scu.edu.tw/october/news/17514  

[16] Southeast University. "History Department - Luh Chih Wei." Accessed April, 2023.  https://history.seu.edu.cn/ . 

[17] Vanderbilt Department of Psychology. “1911-1942 The Sanborn Era.”   http://www.psy.vanderbilt.edu/history/1911.html . 

[18] Unknown Photographer. (1928). Members of Pekin Yenching Academic Association [Photograph]. Retrieved from  www.aboluowang.com  

[19] Wang, Kaizeng. "What Lu Zhiwei Left Us." In Yenching University Historical Materials, vol. 7, edited by Peking University Press, 41-50. Beijing: Peking University Press, 1993. 

[20] Xinghua. Yenching Univeristy [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.xinhuanet.com  

[22] Xiong, Frederick. The Untold Stories: The University of Chicago-educated Chinese PhDs of 1915-1960 (2020).

[23] Yenching University - President Luh Editor Group (2006). Luh Chih Wei's Funeral. [Photograph] Retrieved from  https://www.lib.pku.edu.cn/  

[24] Yenching University - President Luh Editor Group (2006). Luh leading a scientific lab for psychology undergrad. [Photograph] Retrieved from  https://www.lib.pku.edu.cn/    

[25] Yenching University - President Luh Editor Group (2006). President Mao's letter of employment confirmation letter for Luh.[Photograph] Retrieved from  https://www.lib.pku.edu.cn/   

[26] Yenching University. (1926). Yenching University campus [Photograph]. Retrieved from WikiMedia Commons

[27] Yu, Yue. "Hubei Psychologist Lu Zhiwei Passes Away in Beijing." Sound of Hope. March 11, 2014.  https://www.soundofhope.org/post/236252 . 

[28] Zhao Siyun. "Lu Zhiwei's Christian Spirit and Its Externalization——Also on Lu Zhiwei's Poetry Collection ‘Crossing the River’." Journal of Hangzhou Dianzi University (2013)