International Institute of Rural Reconstruction records, 1914-2018

Summary Information

Description

Summary

Correspondence, manuscripts, lectures, notes, diaries, notebooks, reports, financial records, blueprints, photographs, and printed materials of Y.C. James Yen and the IIRR concerned with the development, sharing, and financing innovative methods of teaching, improving agriculture, health and family planning, and education in impoverished villages. Among the cataloged correspondents are: Pearl Buck, William O. Douglas, Nelson Rockefeller, and DeWitt Clinton.

The Addition: conprises correspondence, reports, financial records, photographs, slides, negatives, contact sheets, photograph albums, scrapbooks, reel to reel films, videocassettes, reel to reel audio tape, tape cassettes, printed materials, maps, works of art, posters, and Chinese calligraphy of the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction. This collection is an addition to previously donated and processed IIRR materials. This addition focuses heavily on IIRR's outposts in various countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and houses the bulk of IIRR's photographic, audio visual material, and memorabilia including the awards of Dr. Y.C. James Yen.

• Series I Cataloged Correspondence

• Series II Organizations

• Series III Arranged Correspondence

• Series IV Publications

• Series V Proposed Philippines Three-Year Plan

• Series VI Correspondence

• Series VII Y. C. James Yen's Speeches

• Series VIII Y. C. James Yen's Lectures

• Series IX Y. C. James Yen's Notes on Meetings

• Series X Appointment Books & Notebooks, 1949-1990

• Series XI Travels

• Series XII Y.C. James Yen, Personal and Career

  Note: Y. C. James Yen's awards, biographical notes, medical, citizenship, birthday events, memorial services, Y. C. James Yen's will, fellowships Yen established in honor of his teacher Rev. Aldis, and his friend James Stewart, his replies to criticisms, and institutional problems

• Series XIII Biography & Articles

• Series XIV CNAMEM Publications, 1930s

• Series XV IMEM/IIRR Correspondence

• Series XVI IIRR International

  Note: Exploration Files, and Responses to Reader's Digest (Selections) Article on Dr. Yen

• Series XVII IIRR Correspondence with U.S.A.I.D.

• Series XVIII Assessment of IIRR Program, 1977-1989

• Series XIX Printed Materials

  Note: IIRR brochures, annual reports, and other publicity publications

• Series XX Financial Records

  Note: Financial records kept by J.E. Morris, and correspondence, ACCMEM, ICMEM, IMEM

• Series XXI Blueprints of IIRR & PRRM Buildings

• Series XXII Publications re. MEM In China

  Note: Publications on Yen Yangchu and the Mass Education Movement in Chinese

• Series XXIII Blueprints, Maps, Art, Scrapbooks, and Memorabilia

• Series XXIV: Audio Visual Materials, 1926-2002

• Subject Files

• Manuscripts

• Administrative Papers

• Photographs

• Archived Web Site, 2013-present

Arrangement

Selected materials cataloged; remainder arranged. Boxes 167-170: Cataloged correspondence; Boxes 1-161: Arranged correspondence & other records; Boxes 162-166: Printed materials; Oversize box: Blueprints, plans, photographs& maps; Map case 14-M-6: maps Addition, Boxes 1-108.

• Series I Cataloged Correspondence
• Series II Organizations
• Subseries II.1 Chinese National Association of Mass Education Movement
• Subseries II.2 College of Rural Reconstruction
• Subseries II.3 American Cooperating Committee
• Subseries II.4 American Chinese Committee of Mass Education Movement, 1944-1969
• Subseries II.5 ICEM/IMEM/JYRRM
• Series III Arranged Correspondence
• Subseries III.1 Yen with MEM, 1844-1950
• Subseries III.2 Yen with MEM/CRR, 1948-1952
• Subseries III.3 Yen with Trustees
• Subseries III.4 Yen Correspondence, 1940-1982
• Subseries III.5 Yen Re. JCRR & Philippines
• Arranged Correspondence
• Series IV Publications
• Series V Proposed Philippines Three-Year Plan
• Series VI Correspondence
• Subseries VI.1 Y. C. James Yen Correspondence with Executive Directors of PRRM
• Subseries VI.2 Y. C. James Yen Correspondence with U.S. Office-Ms. Ching-Yi Tang (CYT) and Mrs. Ping-Sheng Yen Chin (PYC)-1946-1970
• Subseries VI.3 Y. C. James Yen and Yen, Alice Huie (Mrs. Y. C. James) Correspondence with U.S. Office
• Subseries VI.4 Y.C. James Yen Correspondence with Juan M. Flavier
• Subseries VI.5 Dr. Flavier's Trip Reports
• Subseries VI.6 Y. C. James Yen Correspondence with Filipino Staff of PRRM/IMEM/IIRR-1954-1989
• Subseries VI.7 Y. C. James Yen Correspondence with Non-Filipino Staff Of IIRR-1963-1988
• Series VII Y. C. James Yen's Speeches
• Series VIII Y. C. James Yen's Lectures
• Series IX Y. C. James Yen's Notes on Meetings
• Subseries IX.1 U.S., China, & the Philippines, 1944-1960
• Subseries IX.2 U.S.A., 1950s-1960s
• Subseries IX.3 Various People
• Subseries IX.4 Notes and Ideas
• Subseries IX.5 Books with Dr. Yen's Personal Notations
• Subseries IX.6 On Proposed People's Film, People's Press, International University, 1940-1950
• Series X Appointment Books & Notebooks, 1949-1990
• Series XI Travels
• Series XII Y.C. James Yen, Personal and Career
• Subseries XII.1 Personal
• Subseries XII.2 Awards & Biography
• Subseries XII.3 Criticism
• Subseries XII.4 Yen's Birthdays
• Subseries XII.5 Death
• Subseries XII.6 Museums
• Subseries XII.7 Yen's 100th Birthday
• Subseries XII.8 Fellowships
• Series XIII Biography & Articles
• Series XIV CNAMEM Publications, 1930s
• Series XV IMEM/IIRR Correspondence
• Series XVI IIRR International
• Subseries XVI.1 International Exploration
• Subseries XVI.2 Response to Article on Yen
• Series XVII IIRR Correspondence with U.S.A.I.D.
• Series XVIII Assessment of IIRR Program, 1977-1989
• Series XIX Printed Materials
• Subseries XIX.1 Brochures
• Subseries XIX.2 Annual Reports
• Subseries XIX.3 IIRR Newsletter
• Subseries XIX.4 IIRR Inauguration & Dedication
• Printed Materials
• Books
• Booklets
• Series XX Financial Records
• Series XXI Blueprints of IIRR & PRRM Buildings
• Series XXII Publications re. MEM In China
• Series XXIII Blueprints, Maps, Art, Scrapbooks, and Memorabilia
• Architectural Renderings and Maps
• Works of Art
• Scrapbooks
• Memorabilia
• Series XXIV: Audio Visual Materials, 1926-2002
• Subseries XXIV.1: Videocassettes
• Subseries XXIV.2: Reel to Reel Film
• Subseries XXIV.3: Reel to Reel Audio
• Subseries XXIV.4: Vinyl Records
• Subseries XXIV.5: Audiocassettes
• Papers related to films
• Subject Files
• Donor Research
• Clippings
• Country Information
• Manuscripts
• Dr. John Kiang Book- Source Material
• Harry B. Price Interviews
• China- The Great Wakes
• UNESCO Feature Service Article
• Administrative Papers
• Reports
• Contracts
• By Laws
• Resolutions
• Certificates
• Personnel Lists
• Meeting Minutes
• Curricula Vitae
• Press Releases
• Memos
• Miscellaneous
• Photographs
• Photographs
• Negatives
• Contact Sheets
• Slides
• Photograph Albums
• Photograph Album Pages
• Educational Photo Booklets
• Archived Web Site, 2013-present

Using the Collection

Restrictions on Access

You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.

The collection is located off-site, except for cataloged correspondence, oversize materials and acetate disks. You will need to request this material at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.This collection has no restrictions.

Unique time-based media items have been reformatted and are available onsite via links in the container list. Commercial materials are not routinely digitized.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Reproductions may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish material from the collection must be requested from the Curator of Manuscripts/University Archivist, Rare Book and Manuscript Library (RBML). The RBML approves permission to publish that which it physically owns; the responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.

Preferred Citation

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); International Institute of Rural Reconstruction Records; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

Accruals

Materials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. Contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Records: Source of acquisition--IIRR. Method of acquisition--Gift; Date of acquisition--1993. Accession number--M-1993.

Records: Source of acquisition--IIRR. Method of acquisition--Gift; Date of acquisition--08/25/1994. Accession number--M-94-08-25.

Records: Source of acquisition--IIRR. Method of acquisition--Gift; Date of acquisition--1999 & 2002.

Gift of the IIRR, 1993; 1994; 1999 & 2002.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Processing Information

Records Processed HR 05/12/1998.

Records Processed HR 05/20/1998.

Records Processed by Molly Monosky, Annie Grunow, Alexsander Gelfand, and Rebecca Farber 2005.

Revision Description

2009-07-07 File created.

2018-04-09 XML document instance updated by Catherine C. Ricciardi. Addition of archived web site.

2019-03-25 dsc-level genreform tags moved into scopecontent notes, before AS migration. kws

2019-05-20 EAD was imported spring 2019 as part of the ArchivesSpace Phase II migration.

Biographical / Historical

The International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) was founded in 1960 to combat rural poverty worldwide. Its head and founder was Dr. Y.C. James Yen 晏陽初 (1980-1990). It deals with the problems of poverty, illiteracy, disease, and misgovernment in China, the Philippines, and other third world countries, and promotes American aid programs. Y.C. James Yen was born in 1893 in Sichuan Province, China. He graduated from Yale University in 1918, and later studied at Princeton University. During early experience as a Y.M.C.A. teacher in France among Chinese workers in 1919, Dr. Yen recognized the need for Chinese workers, traditionally a lower and undereducated class in their native country, to have basic reading and writing skills. He set about teaching them basic Chinese characters, enabling them to communicate with family members back home. Inspired by his success, he returned home to China. In 1923, he became the head of the Chinese National Association of the Mass Education Movement (later, the Chinese Mass Education Movement) and its fund raising arm, the American Cooperating Committee. Together these organizations supported the College of Rural Reconstruction in China. During World War II, Yen returned to the US and organized the American-Chinese Cooperating Committee (later the American-Chionese Committee of the Mass Education Movement) to secure American support and funding for his educational efforts in China. His committee was responsible for the China Aid Act of 1948 (otherwise known as the "Jimmy Yen Act") and the creation of the Chinese-American Joint Commission on Rural Reconstruction.

After China turned to communism, Dr. Yen turned his attentions to the Philippines and other, smaller, nations in need. He formed the International Committee of the Mass Education Movement, later known as both the International Mass Education Movement (IMEM) and Jimmy Yen's Rural Reconstruction Movement (JYRRM). These organizations merged into the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction in 1960. The IIRR headquarters in the Philippines acted as the driving force behind a number of smaller movements in other countries. These movements included the Colombia Rural Reconstruction Movement (CRRM, MCRR), the Guatemala Rural Reconstruction Movement (GRRM, MGRR), the Ghana Rural Reconstruction Movement (GhRRM), the Indian Rural Reconstruction Movement (IRRM), the Korean Rural Reconstruction Movement (KRRM), and the Thailand Rural Reconstruction Movement (TRRM) to name a few. Dr. Y.C. James Yen died in 1990. He was survived by his movement, which still has regional centers in Africa, Asia, and Latin America as well as its headquarters in the Philippines.

Subject Headings

The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches for other collections at Columbia University, through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, and through ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.

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