Background
Mr. Chen was born in Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China in 1890.
Mr. Chen was born in Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China in 1890.
Chen Jian H. graduated from St. John's University in 1917 with the degree of Bachelor of Science, after which he went to the United States and entered Ohio University. He received his Master of Arts degree in 1918, and later made a special study of banking at Columbia University for two years. At the same time he joined the American Foreign Banking Corporation to obtain practical experience.
When he returned to China in the spring of 1921 on accepting an offer from the Chinese-American Bank of Commerce and began his service as the head of the banking department in the Shanghai branch. In the summer of 1922 Chen Jian H. was made Hankou (Hankow) branch manager and the same year was elected a director of the Hankou Bankers Association. In 1925 Mr. Chen was elected a director of the Hankou Chamber of Commerce.
After the Nationalist Government took over the Wu-Han cities in 1926 Chen Jian H. was appointed manager of the Central Bank of China, Hankou and in the spring of 1927 he acted concurrently as director of the Wuchang mint. Upon the political split between Nanking and Hankou in April, 1927 Chen Jian H. retired from all activities and went to Shanghai. In the winter of 1927, when T. V. Soong resumed his office as Minister of Finance, he was appointed as comptroller of currency and concurrently acting manager of the Central Bank of China in Shanghai. Upon reorganization of the Bank Mr. Chen was appointed its Deputy Governor. He occupied position of director of the Central Mint in Shanghai.