Background
Mr. Chang was born in Tientsin, Zhili, China in 1892.
Mr. Chang was born in Tientsin, Zhili, China in 1892.
Chang Peng-chun graduated from Nankai Middle School in 1908. Then he studied in America and received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Clark University in 1914 and Master of Arts degree from Columbia University in 1916. He received his Doctor of Philosophy degree from Columbia University in 1923.
Mr. Chang was an acting principal of Nankai between 1916 and 1919. He worked as a secretary to the Chinese Education Commission on its trip to the United States in 1919. Chang Peng-chun represented Tientsin at the Washington Conference, 1921. He was a dean of Tsing Hua College from 1923 till 1926.
Chang Peng-chun served as a dean of Nankai Middle School and professor of Nankai University between 1926 to 1929. He made his third trip to America in 1930 on behalf of Nankai University and at the same time acted as director of Mei Lan-fang's troupe on its American tour.
Chang has been described as a renaissance man. He was a playwright, musician, diplomat; a lover of traditional Chinese literature and music and someone who knew both Western and Islamic culture. His philosophy was strongly based on the teachings of Confucius. At the first meeting of United Nations Economic and Social Council he quoted Mencius stating that ECOSOC's highest aim should be to "subdue people with goodness."
He also argued that many influential western thinkers on rights were guided by Chinese ideas. "In the 18th century, when progressive ideas with respect to human rights had been first put forward in Europe, translations of Chinese philosophers had been known to, and had inspired, such thinkers as Voltaire, Quesnay and Diderot in their humanistic revolt against feudalism," he told the UN General Assembly in 1948.
