Harding, Alfred

Alfred Harding received a B.A. from Cornell in 1948. He joined the U.S. Army Service in China during World War II and became a member of the Yennan Observer Group in 1945. He became acquainted with Mao Zedong, Zhu De and other CCP leaders and was given the honorary rank of lieutenant colonel in the Eighth Route Army. From 1948 to 1949, Mr. Harding became one of the first Fulbright Scholars to study at Beijing University. After 1949, he was stationed in Hong Kong, Taipei, Warsaw, and Jakarta in the diplomatic service, primarily dealing with Chinese issues. He was the chief interpreter at the Warsaw Talks between the U.S. and China from 1962 to 1966. Mr. Harding died in 2006.