Background
Anna Chen Chennault was born on June 23, 1925 in Peking, China. Daughter of Philisophy Y. and Isabel (Liao) Chen.
lecturer author Aviation executive
Anna Chen Chennault was born on June 23, 1925 in Peking, China. Daughter of Philisophy Y. and Isabel (Liao) Chen.
Bachelor in Journalism, Lingnan University, Hong Kong, 1944.
Doctor of Letters, Chungang, Seoul, Korea, 1967.
Doctor of Laws (honorary), Lincoln University, 1970.
HHD (honorary), Manahath Educational Center, 1970.
HHD (honorary), St. Johns University, 1982.
HHD (honorary), American University of Caribbean, 1982.
Doctor Business Administrator (honorary), John Dewey University Consortium, Educational Affiliations, 1983.
She had personal ties with Asian leaders including Mme Chiang Kai-shek and was a reporter for The China Central News Agency (1944-48) when she came to know the general in Kunming. They were married in 1947. After Chennault’s death in JI 1958 “the Dragon Lady” (so called, inevitably, by the press) was active in Washington. In addition to being a power in the China Lobby, she was a language researcher at Georgetown University, broadcaster for Voice of America, lecturer, writer, fashion designer, and key executive of the Flying Tiger (air freight) Line.
Advisor National League Families of America Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia. Honorary chairman Chinese-American National Federation, since 1974. Chairman National Republican Heritage Council, 1987.
President's advisory committee arts John F. Kennedy Center Performing Arts, since 1970. Member women's advisory committee on aviation to secretary transp. Vice president Air and Space Bicentennial Organizing Committee.
Special assistant to chairman Asian-Pacific council AmChams. Member special committee transportation to secretary transportation activities, 1972. Member United States national committee for United Nations Educational, 1970.
Member advisory council American Revolution Bicentennial Administration, 1975—1977. Member ethnic racial council. Presidential appointee President's Export Council, 1981, vice chairman, 1981—1985.
Consultant heritage groups. Appointee Take Pride in American Advisory Board, since 1991. Trustee Center Study Presidency, Library Presidential Papers, since 1970, Helping Hand Foundation.
Presidential appointee Presidential Scholars Commission, since 1985. President Chinese Refugee Relief, 1962—1970. President Nixon's special rep Philippine Aviation Week Celebration, 1973.
President General Claire Chennault Found, since 1960. Committeewoman Washington Republican Party, 1960. Member National Republican Finance Committee, since 1969.
Nationalites division Asian affairs Republican National Committee, since 1969. Chairman National Republican Heritage Council, 1979. Founder, chairman National Republican Asian Assembly.
International finance chairman Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Commission, since 1993. Board governors American Academy Achievement, Dallas. Board visitors Civil Air Patrol.
Board directors People to People International. Fellow: Aerospace Medical Association (honorary). Member: National Military Families Association, United States Chamber of Commerce (council on trends and perspective), 14th Air Force Association, Free China Writers Association, Writers Association, Poets, Playwrights, Editors, Essayists and Novelists association Women, National League American, National Aeronautical Association, American Newspaper Women's Club Washington, Flying Tiger Association, Army-Navy (Washington), Aero, National Press, 1925 F Street, Overseas Press (New York City), United States Air Force Wives Club, Pisces, Capitol Hill, George Town, Theta Sigma Phi.
Chen Xiangmei and Chennault, who was more than 30 years her senior, married in 1947. In 1946, Chennault had divorced his first wife, the former Nell Thompson, whom he had wed in 1911 in Winnsboro, Louisiana, and the mother of his eight children, the youngest of whom, Rosemary Chennault Simrall, died in August 2013. Anna Chennault has two children, Claire Anna (born in 1949) and Cynthia Louise (born in 1950). After the war her husband was somewhat of a celebrity. A heavy smoker, he died in 1958 of lung cancer. The Chennaults divided their time between Taipei and Monroe, Louisiana, where Anna Chennault became the first non-white person to settle into a previously all-white neighborhood, General Chennault's status as a war hero silenced any objections to his Chinese-born wife. At the time, there was a law forbidding non-whites to settle in the particular Monroe neighborhood that General Chennault had bought his house, but no-one was willing to prosecute him for bringing Anna with him into the neighborhood.