Background
Mr. Y. S. Tsao was born in Nanziang, Jiangsu province, China (Nanjing, Jiangsu, China) in 1881.
Mr. Y. S. Tsao was born in Nanziang, Jiangsu province, China (Nanjing, Jiangsu, China) in 1881.
Mr. Tsao studied at St. John’s University, Shanghai graduating from it in 1900.
In September 1907 he was sent to the United States on government support and began his studies in liberal arts at Yale University. In 1911 he received the degree of A. B. His college life was full of interesting incidents. He was elected to the Yale Debating Association in 1909-1911, awarded first prize for the best oration in the Sophomore Lincoln Oratorical Contest in February in 1909, the Junior Exhibition Oratorical Contest in 1910 and in the De Forest Oratorical Contest in 1911.
Besides his oratorical activities, Mr. Tsao was also chairman of the Yale Cosmopolitan Club in 1909-1911, president of the Chinese Students’ Club 1910-1911, member of the class debating team in 1910-1911 and editor in chief of the Chinese Students Monthly, the organ of the Chinese students in North America.
Mr. Tsao was assistant instructor in the University in 1900-1903, Dean of Fu Yang Middle School, Changchow in 1904-1905, editor of the Nan-Fang-Pao, Shanghai, China in 1906.
Mr. Tsao got married in 1914 and immediately plunged into official life when he was appointed second secretary of the Chinese Legation in London, which post he held until March 1919. In 1917 he was given the post of officiating Consul-General for China at London. During his London sojourn he was elected a member of the China Society, honorary member of the British Foreign Bible Society and honorary foreign correspondent of the Royal Society of Literature.
In the Summer of 1919 Mr. Tsao returned to China for the first time in 12 years. He wasted no time in organizing the Western Returned Students Union, traveling throughout the Republic to link together the local organizations to form a national federation. His efforts were successful and in August the Union was formally organized with Mr. Tsao as its first general secretary.
In November 1919 he was appointed First Secretary of the Chinese Legation in Copenhagen. In January 1921 he was awarded the Third Class Chiaho Decoration. In July 1921. Mr. Tsao was recalled by the Peking government from Copenhagen. In August 1921 he was appointed Councillor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In October 1921 he was detailed to be Deputy Chief Secretary of the Chinese Delegation to the Washington Conference. In March 1922 he was made a director of Tsinghua College. In May 1922 he received the Third Class Paokuang Chiaho. In October 1922 he was appointed Acting President of the Tsinghua College. Later this position was substantiated to him.
He was advisor to the Central Bank of China.