Mills, Emma, 1894-1987

Emma DeLong Mills (1894-1987) was an American philanthropist and activist for the Chinese Nationalist cause. Mills graduated from Wellesley College in 1917. At Wellesley, Mills became friends with May-ling Soong, who would later become Madame Chiang Kai-shek. Mills further developed her interest in China and Chinese Nationalist causes while living in China in the early 1920s, teaching English. Over the course of her life, she was active in several Chinese or Chinese-American oranizations, including the American Bureau for Medical Aid to China (ABMAC), the True Light Foundation, and the Chinatown Planning Council of New York City, of which she was one of the founding members. Mills corresponded heavily with friends, family, and associates throughout her life. She also wrote prolifically in personal journals, and had several articles published during her lifetime.