Han Ho & His Family
View a complete biography of Han Ho on the website "China Comes to MIT" > Profiles > Han Ho Huang.
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Upon their return to Shanghai from Hong Kong around 1939, Han Ho's family moved into an apartment at 321 Avenue Pétain (now 衡山路 Hengshan Lu).
Their two daughters, Mary and Lulu, were eight years apart in age. They were only a short walk from the American Community Church, as well as the Shanghai American School that Peter and Helen would attend. |
Furnishings appear basic but include all the middle class accessories: radio, electric fan and piano
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Han Ho and Mary on a President line trip to Japan, around the time that Lulu was born
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Building in 2012 (own photo)
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Lulu in the unexpectedly spacious rear garden of their apartment building
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MARY
Han Ho’s elder daughter Mary completed her secondary schooling at the Shanghai Municipal Girls’ Middle School in the International Concession and at the Convent of the Sacred Heart on Avenue Joffre. She changed schools when it was no longer safe to cross town each day. In 1947, she graduated from St. John’s University.
On January 3, 1948, Mary left Shanghai for the US and one year later earned a MA in home economics. En route back to China, her parents advised her to delay her return. She ended up enrolling at the University of Washington in Seattle, where a former Shanghai neighbor had settled with his family. She went on to do an internship in dietetics at Stanford Hospital, became an instructor at the school of nursing affiliated with Temple University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, and two years later joined the nursing faculty at the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, the first medical school for women in the US.
Han Ho’s elder daughter Mary completed her secondary schooling at the Shanghai Municipal Girls’ Middle School in the International Concession and at the Convent of the Sacred Heart on Avenue Joffre. She changed schools when it was no longer safe to cross town each day. In 1947, she graduated from St. John’s University.
On January 3, 1948, Mary left Shanghai for the US and one year later earned a MA in home economics. En route back to China, her parents advised her to delay her return. She ended up enrolling at the University of Washington in Seattle, where a former Shanghai neighbor had settled with his family. She went on to do an internship in dietetics at Stanford Hospital, became an instructor at the school of nursing affiliated with Temple University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, and two years later joined the nursing faculty at the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, the first medical school for women in the US.
On May 14, 1955, Mary married Henry Gee, a civil engineer originally from Nanking. Their wedding took place in Philadelphia. Han Liang is pictured at the ceremony, along with Ruth How, Mary’s mentor and also Han Liang’s former sister-in-law. Ruth attended with her husband Ping-Wen Kuo (郭秉文 Guo Bingwen), former president of National Southeast University in Nanking (Guoli Dongnan Daxue 國立東南大學), later renamed National Central University (Guoli Zhongyang Daxue 國立中央大學).
Mary and Henry moved to Ames, Iowa. They had two children: Carol Sheau-Huei (Qi Xiao-hui), born May 7, 1956, and Stephen Sheau-Yang (Qi Xiao-yang), born June 25, 1957. Henry worked for many years as an engineer for the state highway commission, while Mary taught periodically and volunteered at the local library.
Henry died in May 2010. Mary still lives in Ames. Carol lives in Pacific Palisades, where she was a radiologist doctor. Stephen, an ophthalmologist, lives in Honololu. His children, Isabella and Alexander, attended the University of Hawaii.
Henry's father had been facilities manager for the campus of Ginling College in Nanking, the first degree-granting US tertiary institution for women in China. Henry's brother is architect Qi Kang (齐康), who in recent years designed the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall, commemorating the atrocities committed by the Japanese during their invasion in 1937.
Henry died in May 2010. Mary still lives in Ames. Carol lives in Pacific Palisades, where she was a radiologist doctor. Stephen, an ophthalmologist, lives in Honololu. His children, Isabella and Alexander, attended the University of Hawaii.
Henry's father had been facilities manager for the campus of Ginling College in Nanking, the first degree-granting US tertiary institution for women in China. Henry's brother is architect Qi Kang (齐康), who in recent years designed the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall, commemorating the atrocities committed by the Japanese during their invasion in 1937.
1960s (courtesy of S Gee)
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c. 2010 (courtesy of M Gee)
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LULU
Because of the age gap between Lulu and her older sister, history swept them along different courses.
Lulu completed her schooling at the Sacred Heart Convent schools in both Shanghai and Hong Kong. She was a talented musician, who as a child performed on the radio and as an adult taught piano, as well as playing the organ at church.
Because of the age gap between Lulu and her older sister, history swept them along different courses.
Lulu completed her schooling at the Sacred Heart Convent schools in both Shanghai and Hong Kong. She was a talented musician, who as a child performed on the radio and as an adult taught piano, as well as playing the organ at church.
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Lulu with some of her students
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In the late 1950s, Lulu fled to Hong Kong, paying to be smuggled by boat from Macau. A maternal relative helped her gain permission to stay in Hong Kong. There Lulu helped support herself by giving lessons in piano and the electric organ.
Eventually Lulu earned a scholarship to study music in Massachusetts. She arrived in the US in the summer of 1961 and enrolled in Berklee College of Music's summer school. At Han Liang’s suggestion, she pursued her studies in musicology at Berkeley, where the weather was milder and there were more Chinese students, rather than stay on the East coast.
The sisters reunited in Iowa, c. 1961
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Lulu with her niece and nephew, c. 1961
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Lulu married Francis Chang and had one son, Francis, Jr., a lawyer. For many years they split their time between Vancouver and La Jolla. Her book From Confucius to Kublai Khan: Music and Poetics Through the Centuries was published in 1993. Francis, Sr., died in 2014.
Francis, Jr., and his wife Tina, both lawyers, are based in Vancouver. They have also lived in Hong Kong where their three children, Joshua, Veronica and Audrey, were born.
HAN HO & PEGGY
At some point, Peggy suffered a stroke, so family photos frequently show her looking unwell.
Around the same time, Han Ho also became a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. Quite a few photos show Han Ho and Lulu on group trips around Zhejiang province, which appear like they may have made been made under government auspices and presumably without Peggy due to her ill-health.
At some point, Peggy suffered a stroke, so family photos frequently show her looking unwell.
Around the same time, Han Ho also became a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. Quite a few photos show Han Ho and Lulu on group trips around Zhejiang province, which appear like they may have made been made under government auspices and presumably without Peggy due to her ill-health.
Han Ho and his wife, Peggy Chiu, attempted to follow their daughters to the US around 1963.
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In the early 1960s, discouraged by the inability to secure appropriate medical care for Peggy’s declining health, Han Ho made plans for them to leave China, as their daughters had already done. To disguise their plans, he and Peggy walked out of their apartment on Avenue Pétain as though only on a short errand. They left behind most of their belongings, including the near life-size portrait of Han Ho and Han Liang’s mother, painted by one of Peggy’s cousins who had trained as an artist in France. However, before departing, the smaller portrait of Mary was conveyed to her. Han Ho also made arrangements for his mother's grave to be refurbished. It's also said that he was anxious that the Huang genealogy not be lost. During these years, Heling, cousin Han Yang's son, was a periodic point of contact to help manage the family's affairs, including the Yuyuen Road house and other family assets.
Han Ho and Peggy traveled first to Hong Kong. Unfortunately Peggy died there.
Han Ho and Peggy traveled first to Hong Kong. Unfortunately Peggy died there.
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Han Ho moved on to the US. He lived for a time in Iowa with or near his elder daughter Mary and applied for a green card in 1966.
Father and daughter reunited after a separation of about 15 years, c. 1965. Mary never saw her mother again after 1947 (courtesy of S Gee)
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Han Ho and his grandchildren outside the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines, c. 1965 (courtesy of S Gee)
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Eventually Han Ho settled in Palo Alto, where Han Liang and Zing Wei lived. He is believed to have lived in the Lytton Garden apartments, which his brother Han Liang may have had a hand in building. He was said to have an active social life.
Han Ho survived his brother by twenty years, living until his 100th year in January 1993. In this scroll, dedicated to an unknown Mme. Chong Hu (崇祜), we discover Han Ho's abilities as a calligrapher and his outlook on the world, blending the Confucian, patriotic and Christian sensibilities that marked his life and times: For family and nation, a life of toil |
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All photos on this page courtesy of M Gee and S Gee, unless otherwise noted.