Haag, Howard Lee, 1893-

(Retired General Secretary, Y.M.C.A. of Bridgeport, Conn.)

Born: Rockford, Michigan

Father and mother (Laura Ester Stoddard) were children of most early settlers of Michigan. Childhood was spent in a log cabin built by his grandfather.

Education: Early grades in little one room school; High school, Rockford, Michigan. Entered University of Michigan, graduated in 1917 having majored in psychology and minored in English and public speaking and drama. Post graduate work 1929 and 1930 to complete Masters degree in educational psychology; thesis: "The Measurements of Racial Prejudice in High School Children". Elected to Honorary Educational Fraternity, Phi Delta Kappa.

Married: 1916 to Florence Adella Haines of Muskegon, Michigan, a student of the University.

• 1917: Accepted position as instructor of English, high school, Battle Creek, Mich.
• 1918: Accepted position as Membership Secretary of the Y.M.C.A. of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
• 1919: Promoted to Executive Secretary of East Grand Rapids Branch Y.M.C.A.
• 1920: Asked to prepare for foreign work of the Y.M.C.A. and was sent to Cleveland, Ohio to study the Russian language.
• 1921: Was assigned to the General Secretaryship of the Harbin, Manchuria Y.M.C.A. to work with Russian refugees who had fled from Communistic Russia into Manchuria.
• 1921: Service in Harbin continued through 1935. During these years (15 in all) established a grade school, a high school, an English speaking Junior College and a Technical Institute. Became the Principal of the grade and high schools and the President of the colleges.
• 1921: Became proficient in the use of the Russian language, and lectured in the Teachers Training School in Russian on the subject of educational psychology.
• 1935: Was requested to accept the position of Associate National General Secretary for the Y.M.C.A. of the Philippines, Served there until 1941. War broke out while home on furlough so could not return as had planned.
• 1942: Accepted the position of General Secretary of the Y.M.C.A. of Bridgeport, Conn. This position held until 1950. In 1946 was loaned to the International Committee of the Y.M.C.A. to help organize the World Youth Fund on the Pacific Coast. Returned to Bridgeport after nine months.
• 1950: Resigned from the Bridgeport Y.M.C.A. to accept the call of the International Committee to become the Senior Fraternal Secretary of the Y.M.C.A.s of Japan for a period of three years. Remained in that position until 1954.
• 1954: Again called to the General Secretaryship of the Bridgeport Y.M.C.A., a position which he held until retirement in April 1961.
• 1961: Upon retirement from Bridgeport was asked by the International Committee to take temporary interim assignment to the Y.M.C.A.s of Korea. When that assignment was finished in February 1962, retired for the second time to return to home at 18 Placid Street, Trumbull, Conn.

• 1930: During this winter in Manchuria worked with the American Red Cross and other relief organizations to recover over 1000 refugees who had fled across the Siberian-Manchurian border and bring them back to Harbin and through the Nansen Commission of the League of Nations, send them to South America for settlement there.
• 1933: Participated in the First Asian Conference of the Y.M.C.A. as a delegate from Manchuria to the Philippines.
• 1932 - 1933 : Reconstructed the building of the Harbin Y.M.C.A. to house the growing schools of the Association. Established the first Boys Camp for Russian boys in Manchuria.
• 1923 - 1935 : Aided over 1500 Russian refugee students to take examinations for entrance into universities in the U.S.A., Canada, and Europe. Arranged for scholarships for them and aided them in getting to these universities.
• 1952: Organized the Institute for Training and Research of the National Y.M.C.A.s of Japan. Purpose - to train secretaries for Y.M.C.A. work in Japan and Korea.
• 1950 - 1954 : Consultant for the reconstruction program of buildings of the Y.M.C.A. destroyed by the war.

Membership in Organizations:

In the University of Michigan - President of Student Christian Association; Assistant Pastor of the First M. E. Church of Ann Arbor with special attention to Student Work; Glee Club; Choral Union; Varsity Male Quartet; Phi Kappa Alpha Fraternity; and others.

F. & A. M. - St. John's, No. 9, Manila; Tokyo Lodge No. 2, Japan

F. & A. M. - St. John's, No. 9, Manila; Tokyo Lodge No. 2, Japan; Scottish Rite - Tokyo Bodies

F. & A. M. - St. John's, No. 9, Manila; Tokyo Lodge No. 2, Japan; Shrine - Nile Temple

Rotary Club-Harbin, Manila, Tokyo, Bridgeport (Past President)

Chamber of Commerce; Tokyo and Bridgeport

Sons of American Revolution (Past President)

Board of Directors, Inter-Church Residences, Inc.

International Committee Y.M.C.A.s of U.S.A. and Canada

Phi Delta Kappa, Honorary Educational Fraternity.

Church Affiliations

United Congregational Church, Bridgeport (Senior Deacon) Past: Manila Union Church

United Congregational Church, Bridgeport (Senior Deacon) Past:Tokyo Union Church

United Congregational Church, Bridgeport (Senior Deacon) Past:Seoul, Korea Union Church

General

Spent 44 years as Secretary of the Y.M.C.A. Twenty-five years have been spent in the Associations of the Far East.

Have traveled extensively in the Far East. Recent trip took to Japan, Philippines Hong Kong, Bangkok, Malaya, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji Islands, Tahiti, Studied the social and political problems of these countries.

Hunting and fishing have been the major past time. Manchuria provided great opportunities for both. Spent many days in the Hingan Mountains and in Mongolia.

From the guide to the Howard Lee Haag papers, 1916-1967, (Manuscripts and Archives)