Wei Zhuomin［韦卓民 （1888-1976）］—also known as C.M.Wei or Francis Cho-min Wei — dedicated his life to bridging East and West.As the first Chinese president of Huazhong （Huachung） University，one of China’s thirteen Christian colleges，he worked tirelessly for more than two decades to bring together the best elements of the Chinese and Christian traditions through education.He was deeply informed about both Chinese and Western philosophy and religion，and moved easily between these two worlds.Wei perceived no contradiction between his identity as a patriotic Chinese and a devout Christian.10920552

Wei Zhuomin，who led Huazhong from 1929 to 1951，developed the ability to shift in and out of Chinese，American，and British societies early in his life.He did not grow up in a Christian family，but became a Christian in 1911 at the age of 23，the same year that he graduated from Boone College，an Episcopalian mission school in Wuchang.His father，a tea merchant from Zhuhai，sent him to Boone “because of that institution’s wide reputation for western learning，because of a decree of the late Empress ordering all candidates for government positions to pass examinations in western science.”10920553 Wei stayed on at Boone to teach mathematics and Chinese while doing graduate studies and wrote an M.A.thesis on “The Political Principles of Mencius”，one of China’s most prominent early philosophers.

Wei went to the U.S.in 1918 to study philosophy at Harvard University，where he received a second Masters Degree，and he also took courses at the Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge，Massachusetts.In 1927，he traveled to England and received a doctorate from the University of London in 1929.He returned to the United States in 1934 and again to the U.K.and U.S.in 1937-38，when he was a visiting professor of ethics at Yale University.In 1945，he gave a series of lectures in America and served as the first Henry W.Luce Visiting Professor of World Christianity at Union Theological Seminary in New York.In China he was a highly articulate and respected spokesman for higher education.

An American covering Wei’s 1935 visit to the United States wrote，“In loyalty to his nation…he wears Chinese dress，the simple blue gown of the scholar.” A professor who hosted his lectures at Yale described him as a “short，bespectacled，serious looking scholar dressed in Chinese garb，ready at any time to discuss questions wise and otherwise，whose face lighted up with a charming smile at the slightest provocation，and who made us all feel that here was a profound scholar and a Christian gentleman.”10920554 William Hocking，one of Wei Zhuomin’s professors at Harvard，recalled，“Dr.Wei is not a person whom one is likely to forget，having once known him…He is impressive in his personality，grave in speech，quiet，deeply conscious of the difficulties of the time both in China and elsewhere.In person，he is slender and graceful and gives the impression of being tall…His personal appearance is attractive and the charm of his character speaks through his face and manner.”10920555

Even during the difficult days of war with Japan and civil war in China，Wei was consistently positive，optimistic，and confident about the future.As a philosopher and mathematician，his mind was logical and disciplined，and he took a patient and long-term approach to education.He was a stalwart advocate for the faculty，staff，and students of Huazhong University，demanding much of himself and others.Francis C.M.Wei was especially remarkable as an intermediary between China and the West，negotiating the distance between the two worlds with skill，grace，and intelligence.