Background
Colonel Wang Ken was born at Wp-hai Hsien, Jiangsu province in 1895.
Colonel Wang Ken was born at Wp-hai Hsien, Jiangsu province in 1895.
Mr. Wang graduated from the Anting High School in 1910. In 1911 by competitive examinations he was admitted to the Tsinghua College, Peking, which sent him to study in the United States in the summer of 1911. Upon his arrival in the United States he entered the University of Michigan.
In his second year of stay in America, he studied at Columbia University and in his third and fourth year studied at Princeton University and received his B. Litt. in 1915. In the summer of the same year he joined Westpoint as a Chinese government student, from where he graduated in 1918.
Colonel Wang graduated from Princeton with honor and at Westpoint his graduation standing ranked the 12th, although there were 140 students in his class most of whom went to France to participate in the war. He was awarded “marks-man” for target shooting and appointed cadet sergeant during his last years of stay at Westpoint. Two other Chinese were graduated from this national military academy of the United States of America before, but Colonel Wang was the first one to get appointment of cadet sergeant on account of his high military efficiency.
Owing to his excellent, command of English Mr. Wang was chosen a member of the staff of the “Howitzer Board,” a class annual. Colonel Wang returned to China in July 1918 and was at once appointed a member of the Ministry of War.
At the beginning of 1919 he was sent to Europe as a member of the Chinese Peace Delegation. He returned to China in the winter of 1919 and was appointed by General M. K. Tina to be a member of the Chinese Aeronautic Department, Peking.
In September 1921 Mr. Wang again joined the Ministry of War. In April 1923 he was awarded the Fourth Class Chiaho. In October 1923 he was appointed as Assistant Commander of the Government Railways Garrison under Director-General Tang Tsai-li, the post that was created as an aftermath of the Lincheng Outrage.