Miss Mary Chen, Of China, Is To Speak In Wanganui Tonight

Wanganui Chronicle, 25 February 1948, Page 7

Miss Mary Chen, Of China, Is To Speak In Wanganui Tonight

Miss Maty Chen, of China, who is to speak at a public meeting in Wanganui tonight, is an interesting personality. She was born in Whuhu, Central China, and was educated in Nanking at the Methodist Girls’ School, and obtained her B.A. degree from Ginling College in that city. For one year she was the inspector of all Methodist district schools in Nanking. In 1922 she went to Singapore as head teacher of an outstanding Chinese school, occupying this position for seven years. In 1929 she joined the staff of the Y.W.C.A., Singapore, as the Chinese secretary, remaining with the Y.W.C.A. until the fall of Singapore in the recent war.

In 1932 Miss Chen went to England, where she studied psychology, religious education and social work at the Y.W.C.A. International Centre, Birmingham. At the conclusion of her course she travelled in Germany, France, Switzerland, Holland, Italy, Egypt and Palestine. At the request of the Malayan Y.W.C.A. committee, Miss Chen represented Malaya at the World Y.W.C.A. Council meeting in Muskoka, Canada, in 1938, when she also visited America.

In 1939 she visited Australia for several months. After the declaration of peace she came to New Zealand to recuperate after the years of living in occupied Malaya, and to join the Auckland staff as the international secretary for one year.