Walter Tong was born in New Haven, Connecticut, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Charles Tong. He received a B.S. degree from the Connecticut Agricultural College in 1928 and a B.D. from Yale Divinity School in 1931. Margaret (Peg) Whitfield Tong was born in Knowlton, New Jersey, the daughter of Mrs. and Mrs. Richard Whitfield. She graduated from Drexel Institute in Philadelphia, where she majored in home economics.
The Tongs served under the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions in Davao, Mindanao, Philippine Islands from 1931 to 1947. Walter had oversight of ABCFM work in Mindanao, including the Davao Mission Hospital. In 1941, the Tongs were interned by the Japanese in separate camps - Walter alone, and Margaret with their three children, Eloise, Curtis,and Annarae. They were reunited in 1944 but remained interned until American forces liberated them in 1945. After the War, Walter returned to Davao to help in relief and reconstruction work.
In 1948, Walter was appointed Candidate Secretary for the ABCFM, a position he held until joining Church World Service in 1956 as a representative of the Congregational Christian Churches in Taiwan. In Taiwan, Margaret taught English and cultural skills to Chinese students recommended for study in the United States. Following their return from Taiwan, Walter returned to administrative work with the United Church Board for World Ministries (former ABCFM).
From the guide to the Walter and Margaret Tong Papers, 1923-1972, (Yale University Divinity School Library)
