Letter from Arthur Sun to Mr. Stearns June 1, 1926
Letter from Charlie Sun, Amherst, Mass., to Dr. Stearns May 31, 1926
Letter from Alfred E. Stearns to Charles Sun, Amherst, Mass. June 2, 1926
June 2, 1926 Mr. Charles Sun 35 Woodside Ave. Amherst. Mass. Dear Charlie: Thank you for your good letter received this morning. I am returning the list of studies, etc., as requested, and am prepared to endorse generally your selection of studies for the coming college year. If I were to raise any question, it would be in the matter of the Greek, for, while I am a keen believer in the value of Greek to the average student. I am not so sure that the investment of time and effort required of a foreigner, who must necessarily work with two foreign languages instead of one. is worth the struggle. Of course if you like the Greek and find it not too difficult, I am sure you will profit by it. I don't quite understand what you mean by your note "required of me". If you have to take it, that is another matter, but unless there are some very unusual conditions involved. I can't for the life of me understand why Amherst College should make Greek a requirement for a foreigner. Frankly, I am inclined to raise a row at the College Office if this is a fact. I also agree with you in your preference for Philosophy over the other two subjects mentioned under No. 3; but the value of a course in Philosophy depends more than anything else upon the character and point of flow of the instructor. With some instructors you would be far better off to leave the subject ahbieoly alone; with others, if they are men of high ideals and spiritual as well as intellectual power, Philosophy becomes perhaps the most stimulating subject in the whole list. It was a certainly that and more in my day in Amherst College under Professor Garman. The above are only suggestions, of course, add shall be ready to accept your final judgment, for I know that your judgment is regularly sound. If I can help you further, however, do not hesitate to let me know. I am still a bit upset about Mary’s surfer plans. Mr. Sze suggests that she go to Ithaca, N.Y., and live in a woman’s dormitory there while tutoring. At first this seemed to be the best thing in sight, but I must frankly admit that I do not quite like the idea of It, especially in view of the floating population and somewhat easy-going ways that are regularly associated with college summer schools. For the moment I have arranged for her to go to the Sea Pines School at Brewster, Mass, down on Cape Cod. This is an unusually nice place, and the women in charge are exceptionally high grade people. Very possibly, if things work out well for the rest of the month, it may best to have Mary stay right there for the summer. I can’t help feeling that it would be a much more stimulating place for her, physically. Intellectually, and spiritually. I have written Mr. Sze this morning and shall await further suggestions from him before settling things definitely. Arthur is coming up to see me to-morrow, and I shall talk with him along the lives you mentioned. If Mary were at Sea Pines, there would very probably be some good place down on the Cape where you and Arthur could stay and yet not be too far away. Do run out and see me when you can. Ever sincerely yours
Letter from Alfred E. Stearns to Sao-Ke Alfred Sze, Chinese Legation, Washington, D.C. June 5, 1926
June 5. 1936 Hon. Sao-Ke Alfred Sze Chinese Legation Washington. D. C. My dear Dr. Sze: Again my thanks for your prompt reply to my recent communication. Miss Bickford tells me that applications for the summer session at Sea Pines threaten to overcrowd them already and she is anxious to have me decide definitely within the next few days whether I wish to enter Mary for that session or not. Of course in sending Mary down there at this time I had in mind providing for the interim period between the closing of her last school and the opening of the Cornell session. At the same time, I recognized that, if the arrangement should prove satisfactory to all concerned. it might seem from all points of view wise to continue it through the summer. Naturally I should not have thought of this, had the original plan of having Mary live and tutor with a member of the Elmira faculty proved workable. Unless, therefore, you feel that there are reasons why Mary ought to go to Ithaca. I shall feel disposed to tell Miss Bickford that I am inclined to favor the Sea Pines arrangement for the summer and am ready to make a tentative application for Mary’s enrollment there, subject to cancellation in case to find that Mary is not going to be happy under this scheme. When Miss Clemons met Mary in Boston Thursday and turned her over to Miss Bickford. Mary made many inquiries about the school. Then she found that it was on the shore, that there would be a large group of girls there for the summer, and that tennis courts and other facilities were provided for a wholesome and active life, she seemed quite enthusiastic over the plan, and said she liked the idea of it very much. If her hopes are realized, therefore, I am inclined to think that she will take kindly to the suggestion of making that her summer home, and I am very sure that she could not be under better influences. A note from the Registrar of Elmira College received yesterday tells me so that the college will allow Mary 14 1/2 credits towards her admission on the basis of the work she has already covered to date and suggests that an additional half point in Algebra be worked off during the summer. While this becomes the technical requirement for admission, I feel sure that Mary should do some further work in English and perhaps French in order that she may not find the demands of the college curriculum too severe when she actually enters upon her work at Elmira. I am sorry that Mr.Robinson has delayed his visit until so late in the year. Tom Sun tells me that he had word from his mother that Mr. Robinson will not reach Andover until July. If that is the case, I may find it a bit difficult to make a personal contact with him, though as my daughter will probably sail for Europe about the last of July, I shall be in this part of the world, at least, at that time. With renewed assurances of esteem and appreciation of your more than friendly help, believe me Very sincerely yours.
Letter from Alfred E. Stearns to Arthur Sun, MIT June 5, 1926
June 5, 1926 Mr. Arthur Sun '93 Technology Dormitory Cambridge, Mass. Dear Arthur: I am sorry that we have not been able to get together, as planned. four telephone message the other night came after I had gone to bed; so that it was not possible for me to talk things over with you. Mary left for the Sea Pines School at Brewster, Mass., last Thursday. Hiss Bickford, the principal, and her sister, who acts as assistant principal, arc exceptionally fine people and are anxious to do their best for Mary. When Mary found that there was to be a large group of girls there for the summer and that facilities for tennis, bathing, etc, were provided, she became, apparently, quite enthusiastic over the prospect. I had planned to have her there only during the period intervening between the close of her school year at Merrimac and the opening of the Cornell summer session. I can’t help feeling, though, that if Mary finds the surroundings down there congenial, it would be much letter for her to stay there throughout the summer rather than to go to Cornell. She can get at Sea Pines all of the tutoring she will need and, at the same time, enjoy with plenty of girls of her own age the wholesome and invigorating life with all that the seashore offers. I have written to Mr. Sze, explaining matters in full, and I am inclined to believe that he will fully approve of this plan; indeed he has said as much in the letter received from him this morning. I should like, of course, to have Mary present at your graduation, but I do not quite see how I could fairly keep her over for nearly a week for this event with not even the assurance that you were to get your degree. My impression is that the school authorities at Sea Pines would hesitate to encourage her to make the trip back to Boston so soon after starting her work with them, unless we all felt that the occasion was of sufficient significance to justify another exceptional measures. I feel sure that will concur in this opinion. Trusting most earnestly that you are going to be able to clean up all your work at Tech and secure the coveted degree which I know is going to mean so much to your farther as well as to you, believe me with best wishes Ever sincerely yours
Letter from Carlie Mallett, Elmira College, to Alfred E. Stearns June 1, 1926
Mr Alfred E. Stearns Principal, Phillips Academy Andover, Massachusetts Dear Mr Stearns, According to the papers that you sent us in your letter of May twenty-fifth. Miss Sun will have 14 1/2 units to offer entrance. If she can make up one-half unit of intermediate algebra she should have sufficient units and the required subjects for admission. Sincerely, Carlie Mallet Registrar
Letter from Mary Sun, Sea Pines School, Brewster, Mass., to Mr. Stearns June 4, 1926
Letter from Alfred E. Stearns to Mary Sun, Sea Pines School, Brewster, Mass. June 7, 1926
June 7, 1926 Miss Mary Sun Sea Pines School Brewster, Mass. My dear Mary Thanks for your note received this morning. Of course I know only too veil that you are bound to be a bit lonesome at the start with new surroundings, new faces, and new contacts. All of us have to through that. What I do feel is that, with such surroundings and facilities as you have there at Sea Pines, you ought in a short time to be happier than in any other piece I can think of. Anyway, don’t pass judgment too soon, for we must plan something for the summer and the summer work, and I don’t know where we could do better than at Sea Pines. The Elmira authorities have written me that they will give you almost enough credits on your work to date to assure your admission to the college in the fall. They will require you, however, to do some more Algebra during the summer and strongly advise further work in English and possibly one or two more subjects. Algebra first and English second, however, seem to be the prime requisites. By all means get the blanket if that is necessary, though, unless you are to be there during the summer, it would seem to be rather heavy expense for a month only and it is just possible that Miss Bickford may be able to arrange for you to rent for the time being certain bedding you require. Ask her direct what you ought to do, and tell her that I will gladly meet the expense of the blanket if she says it is the proper thing to do and will kindly order one for you at once. Of course the same thing applies to the jacket. Ask Miss Bickford to authorise in writing, so that I can have the record of the purchase of those articles, and then I will, of course, pay for them. I have just this morning received a note from the secretary of Boston Tech, telling me that Arthur will not secure his degree this year. I haven’t heard this from Arthur yet, as he told me only last week that he still hoped that he would graduate. This is altogether too bad, and I hardly know what to think or do about it and I am afraid your father will be bitterly disappointed. No doubt Arthur will come out here soon to talk matters over with me. If so, I am going to suggest that he run down to Brewster and have a little visit with you there, since the Technology graduation is not to be. I am signing and returning the correspondence list, as requested, though I must warn you again not to spend too much time in writing letters to your friends. I mean by that that you must not allow correspondence of this kind to interfere with your regular work. By all means keep in touch with your good friends, but don’t feel that you have got to write them every two or three days. Very few people do that even to the best friends they have in the world, and if they are good friends, they, themselves, would be the first to object if they felt that the correspondence was interfering with the best progress of those they liked so much. With all good wishes, believe me Faithfully yours.
Letter from A.L. Merrell, MIT, to Dr. A.E. Stearns June 4, 1926
Dr. A.E. Stearns, Dear Sir: I regret to write you that, in view of the unsatisfactory record of your ward, A.K. Sun, he is not recommended for the degree of Bachelor of Science. The Faculty will, on petition from him, inform him of the further requirements for his graduation. Secretary. June 7 1926 Mr. A. L. Merrill, Secretary Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, Mass. My dear Mr. Merrill, I am sorry indeed to learn that Arthur Sun has again failed to meet the requirements of the Institute for his degree. I shall, of course, be glad to learn what will still be required of the boy to permit him to obtain this goal, which I happen to know his father very earnestly cherishes for him. Frankly, I have never quite been able to decide whether Sun’s failure to make a better record with you is due to lack of ability or lack of the earnest effort that should have characterized his work. Very sincerely yours
Letter from Alfred E. Stearns to Faith Bickford, Sea Pines School, Brewster, Mass. June 7, 1926
June 7, 1926 Miss Faith Bickford Sea Pines School Brewster, Mass. My dear Miss Bickford: I have just received a note from the Register of Elmira College relating to the admission of Mary Sun. and it reads as follows: "According to the papers that you sent us in your letter of May twenty-fifth, Miss Sun have 14 1/2 units to offer for entrance. If she can make up one-half unit of intermediate algebra she should have sufficient units and the required subjects for admission.” This gives us a good idea. I think, of what Mary will have to do in the way of tutoring this summer, but as her school work to date has been more or less broken and not regularly along college preparatory lines, I am sure that she should continue work this summer in English, at least, and possibly in French or History. The stress, it seems to me, should fall on the Algebra first and English second. Possibly this will be enough. It is never possible for me to tell exactly from Mary’s letters what her inner feelings are. A letter received from her this morning: conveys the news that she is more lonesome than ever before, but whether that is a fact or not, I can’t say. In any case, I am confident that within a few days her tone will change and her reaction be more normal. Further, from a letter I have just recently from her father in which he expresses the earnest hope that Mary can be located for the summer in a Christian home and under Christian influences, I am sure that he would be better satisfied to have Mary stay through the summer with you than to attempt the suggested contact with the Cornell Summer School at Ithaca. For that reason I am very hopeful that you will find a wholesome and friendly reaction on Mary’s part, if indeed such is not already in evidence. I think I can pretty safely promise you that Mary will stay with you through the summer. The moment I have more definite word from the Chinese Minister at Washington, I will wire you. In the meantime, I appreciate your forbearance and cooperation in this somewhat complicated case. Mary has written me that she needs a blanket and a jacket of some kind. If this is the case, I shall, of course, be glad to authorize the purchase of these articles and will send a check for the same the moment the bill is received. Mary has also submitted her proposed correspondence list, a rather long one, and yet perhaps not unnaturally so. In the cases of one or two of the Andover girls named I hardly know what to say. If I decline to include them on the list, I am afraid there will be added cause for talk; on the other hand, they represent sources from which some of my troubles in the past have come. On the whole, I imagine it will probably be better to approve the list tentatively and reserve tire right to reduce it later. I have written to Mary, but if you think my position is not correct, please tell me so very frankly Very sincerely yours,