Letter from Dr Alfred E. Stearns to Mr. H.K. Tu, April 17, 1928
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Dr Alfred E. Stearns to Mr. H.K. Tu, April 17, 1928
Subject
Letter from Dr Alfred E. Stearns to Mr. H.K. Tu, April 17, 1928
Description
Typed note sent from Dr. Alfred E. Stearns to H.K. Tu. States he advised Kong to focus on schoolwork and studies, rather than earn expenses. Directed Kong to contact Stearns for money. Hopes H.K. Tu approves of this course of action. Hopes Kong can make progress with his studies. Does not believe Kong is falling in the wrong crowd.
Transcription
April 17, 1928
Mr. H. K. Tu
C/o H. K. Tong
Chihli River Commission
Tientsin, China
My dear Mr. Tu:
I have your interesting letter of March 17 witii the accompanying copy of your letter of the. same date to your hoy. Both have been read with keen and deep interest.
I have tried to keep in as close touch as possible with Kong, even though he is not here in school, and he has been very responsive in telling me of his work and plans and hopes. When I found how much time he was devoting to outside work by which to earn his expenses, I felt that it would be utterly impossible for the boy, to whom studies come hard at best, to take all this time from his school work and hope to make any progress at all. Under the circumstances, and in view of the suggestions in your earlier letter, I advised Kong to give up this outside work at once, to devote all of his time to his studies, and to count on me to supply from the funds which you have furnished sufficient money to meet his actual needs. It was my idea that if the boy were to have this last chance to go ahead with his American education, he should have it free from all possible handicaps in order that we should be in a proper position to determine as a result of the year’s work what to plan for the future.
I hope you will approve of this decision of mine and the action prompted by it. In the meantime I am, of course, urging Kong to give himself heart and soul to his studies and to do his best to prove to us that he is going to be able to make real progress and eventually attain the goal you have set him and on the basis of which his school courses are now arranged. I do hope that we may be able to report real progress.
So far as I can Judge, Kong has not been disposed to make friends with boys who are not actuated by high purposes. I have constantly warned him of this very point, and, from what he tells me of the friends with whom he is most intimately thrown in contact, I am led to believe that they are boys of good character and serious purpose.
With kindest personal regards and the earnest hope that I may be able to be of some real and further assistance to you and to your boy, believe me
Very sincerely yours,
Mr. H. K. Tu
C/o H. K. Tong
Chihli River Commission
Tientsin, China
My dear Mr. Tu:
I have your interesting letter of March 17 witii the accompanying copy of your letter of the. same date to your hoy. Both have been read with keen and deep interest.
I have tried to keep in as close touch as possible with Kong, even though he is not here in school, and he has been very responsive in telling me of his work and plans and hopes. When I found how much time he was devoting to outside work by which to earn his expenses, I felt that it would be utterly impossible for the boy, to whom studies come hard at best, to take all this time from his school work and hope to make any progress at all. Under the circumstances, and in view of the suggestions in your earlier letter, I advised Kong to give up this outside work at once, to devote all of his time to his studies, and to count on me to supply from the funds which you have furnished sufficient money to meet his actual needs. It was my idea that if the boy were to have this last chance to go ahead with his American education, he should have it free from all possible handicaps in order that we should be in a proper position to determine as a result of the year’s work what to plan for the future.
I hope you will approve of this decision of mine and the action prompted by it. In the meantime I am, of course, urging Kong to give himself heart and soul to his studies and to do his best to prove to us that he is going to be able to make real progress and eventually attain the goal you have set him and on the basis of which his school courses are now arranged. I do hope that we may be able to report real progress.
So far as I can Judge, Kong has not been disposed to make friends with boys who are not actuated by high purposes. I have constantly warned him of this very point, and, from what he tells me of the friends with whom he is most intimately thrown in contact, I am led to believe that they are boys of good character and serious purpose.
With kindest personal regards and the earnest hope that I may be able to be of some real and further assistance to you and to your boy, believe me
Very sincerely yours,
Creator
Dr. Alfred E. Stearns
Publisher
Phillips Academy
Date
April 17, 1928
Rights
All Rights Reserved By Phillips Academy
Language
English
Type
Correspondence