by Johanna Russ, Class of 2003

John Gowdy was born December 7, 1869, in Glasgow, Scotland. He was orphaned at the age of sixteen, and, soon after, he moved to America. He graduated from Wesleyan University in 1897 with honors. Gowdy was a member of Psi Upsilon fraternity, and also of Phi Beta Kappa. He received a Bachelor's of Divinity degree from Drew University in 1902, honorary doctorates of Divinity from Baker University (1909) and Wesleyan University (1914), and a Masters degree from Columbia in 1915.

On July 1, 1902, he married Elizabeth Thompson, who had graduated from Wesleyan in 1898. Elizabeth was born on May 15, 1874, in West Pittston, Pennsylvania. She was a member of Phi Sigma sorority and also of Phi Beta Kappa. She and her husband departed for China in 1902.

John Gowdy taught at the Anglo-Chinese College in Foochow, China, from 1902 to 1904. He became president of this institution in 1904 and continued in this office until 1923. He then served as president of the Fukien Christian University from 1923 to 1927. From 1927 to 1930, he took up teaching again at the Anglo-Chinese College. In 1930, he was elected Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church by the Central Conference of East Asia. He was the first person to hold this position.

Elizabeth Thompson Gowdy taught alongside her husband. From 1902 to 1903, she taught English at the Anglo-Chinese College. She taught at Fukien Christian University from 1923 to 1927, and again at the Anglo-Chinese College from 1929 to 1930. She was a joint author of an extremely successful English textbook for Chinese students.

The couple eventually retired to Winter Park, Florida. John Gowdy died September 11, 1963; Elizabeth Thompson Gowdy died May 7, 1965.

 

biographies
collections | about the project | colleges | links
home | search

The American Context of China's Christian Colleges project is based at Wesleyan University.
For more information, please contact the Project Director or Website Coordinator.
http://www.library.yale.edu/div/colleges/
Last updated:

design by reedsparrow.com