DeForest, Charlotte B., 1879-

Missionary, author, and educator.

From the description of Charlotte B. DeForest papers, 1944-1945. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 79423886

American missionary at Kobe College, Japan, 1903-1940 and 1947-1950.

From the description of Charlotte B. DeForest papers, 1909-1971. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 754869979

Charlotte DeForest was the daughter of ABCFM missionaries in Japan who returned to Japan as a missionary educator and became president of Kobe College. She also collaborated with a Japanese author to publish a book of Japanese nursery rhymes in English, and worked with Japanese-Americans during World War II.

From the description of Charlotte DeForest Papers, 1879-1967 (inclusive). (Yale University). WorldCat record id: 702165021

DeForest was the daughter of pioneer missionary, John H. DeForest, of the American Board Mission; after graduation from Smith College, she returned to Japan and worked as a missionary educator; was president of Kobe College for women, Japan; author of The woman and the leaven in Japan (1923); worked as a Junior counselor at the Manzanar War Relocation Center, CA.

From the description of Papers, 1942-1945. (University of California, Los Angeles). WorldCat record id: 41538927

Missionary teacher; Poet; Author; President, Kobe College.

From the description of Papers 1903-1960. (Smith College). WorldCat record id: 46714419

Charlotte B. DeForest at the Manzanar War Relocation Center, California, Dec. 1945

Charlotte Burgis DeForest was born in Osaka, Japan, in 1879. Her parents were pioneer missionaries and her father, John Hyde Deforest was decorated by Emperor Meiji for efforts to promote international friendship and for relief work during the 1906 famine. Charlotte earned an A.B. (1901) and A.M. (1907) from Smith College, and received an honorary degree from Smith in 1921. In 1903, she volunteered for service with the American Board of commissioners for Foreign Missions to work in Japan . She spent ten years on the faculty at Kobe College in Nishinomya, originally a missionary school and now the oldest Christian College in Japan. In 1915 she became President of the college, a position she retained until 1940. She was awarded the Sacred Cross by Emperor Hirohito in 1940. During World War II, DeForest returned to the United States and taught Japanese at Pomona College. She was also a counselor at the Manzanar Relocation Center, a Japanese internment camp in California, 1941-45. In 1950, DeForest was decorated by the Japanese government for "services in the education of Japanese women." After her retirement in 1950, she resided in Claremont, California. She published several books, including Evolution of a Missionary (1914), a biography of her father; Poems Down the Years; The Prancing Pony (1968), a book of Japanese nursery rhymes translated to English that won the Chicago Tribune book award; and History of Kobe College, compiled for the 75th anniversary, 1950. Charlotte DeForest died in 1973.

From the guide to the Charlotte Burgis DeForest Papers MS 44., 1903-1960, (Sophia Smith Collection)

Biography

DeForest was the daughter of pioneer missionary, John H. DeForest, of the American Board Mission; after graduation from Smith College, she returned to Japan and worked as a missionary educator; was president of Kobe College for women, Japan; author of The Woman and the Leaven in Japan (1923); worked as a Junior counselor at the Manzanar War Relocation Center, California.

From the guide to the Charlotte B. DeForest Papers, 1942-1945, (University of California, Los Angeles. Library. Department of Special Collections.)

Biographical Note

• 1879 February 23: Born, Foreign Concession, Osaka, Japan
• 1901: B.A., Smith College
• 1903 - 1940 : 1947 - 1950 : Missionary of American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions to Japan, Assigned to Kobe College
• 1914: Author, The Evolution of a Missionary: John Hyde DeForest
• 1950: Author, History of Kobe College
• 1960: Author, Poems Down the Years
• 1967: Author, The Prancing Pony: Nursery Rhymes from Japan

From the guide to the Charlotte Burgis DeForest Papers, 1909-1971, (Hoover Institution Archives)

• 1879 Feb 23: Charlotte Burgis DeForest was born in Osaka, Japan, daughter of ABCFM missionaries Elizabeth Starr and John Hyde DeForest, who served in Japan from 1874 to their respective deaths in 1915 and ca. 1910. Charlotte's sister Lydia and her husband William B. Pettus were missionaries to China serving under the YMCA.
• 1882 - 1883 : In America on furlough with parents
• 1894 Feb - 1894 May : In private boarding school in Hanover, Germany
• 1894 - 1897 : Attended, graduated from Newton High School, Newtonville, MA
• 1897 - 1901 : B.A., Smith College
• 1902 Sep - 1903 Aug : Assistant superintendent of Missionary Home, Auburndale, MA
• 1903 Dec: Returned to Japan as missionary serving under American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions
• 1904: Language study in Sendai
• 1905: Taught English at Kobe College, with time for language study
• 1906 Apr-1907 Mar: Traveling to visit schools; language study
• 1907 Apr: Returned to Kobe College: In charge of Sunday School work and later appointed as head of the Bible Department
• 1907: M.A., Smith College
• 1910 - 1911 Oct : Acting Principal of Kobe College during absence of Miss Searle
• 1911 Nov -1913: On leave of absence
• 1912 Mar-May: Studied at Hartford School of Missions
• 1913: Returned to teaching at Kobe: English, Bible, Music
• 1915: Appointed President of Kobe by Woman's Board of Missions of the Interior
• 1920: Studied at University of Chicago
• 1921: L.H.D. degree from Smith College
• 1921 - 1925 : At Kobe
• 1925 Dec - 1926 Dec : Business trip and health leave in U.S.
• 1929 - 1934 : On Doshisha University Board of Trustees
• 1935Jun - 1936: On furlough in U.S. and Europe
• 1939: Received medal from Hyogo Prefectural Education Association
• 1940: Resigned presidency of Kobe; named "Honorary President"; received various citations and medals from Japanese government
• 1941 - 1943 : Worked part time in American Board Library
• 1942 - 1943 : Volunteer work for Japanese detainees at Boston Immigration Station
• 1943 - 1944 : Taught nine month course in Japanese language to Army Student Training Unit at Pomona College, Claremont, CA
• 1944 Jun - 1945 Dec : Worked as "junior counselor" in Social Welfare Department of the U.S. government at Manzanar, CA Relocation Center for Japanese evacuees from West Coast (e.g., for military hearings)
• 1947: Returned to Kobe College to teach and help rally alumnae
• 1950: On leaving Japan, receive Fourth Grade of the Order of the Sacred Treasure
• 1951: Retired at Pilgrim Place, Claremont, CA
• 1960: Invited by alumnae to attend 85th anniversary of Kobe College

From the guide to the Charlotte DeForest Papers, 1879-1967, (Yale University Divinity School Library)