Recalling "Northwest Associated University": The whole story of Li Shutian, a great educator in the Republic of China, being appointed to run Hanzhong (V)

Due to the uneven quality of running a school and the lack of leadership core, Xigong University did have problems in the process of running a school-this is the so-called "expulsion of Li".

"They are like three people wearing two pairs of trousers, involved in each other, and no one can leave." Jiang Menglin commented in his letters to Hu Shi on April 2 1 and 1939: "Northwest United University is at odds with each other, making a mess. National Southwest Associated University should treat each other with courtesy, but because of politeness, it is inevitable that there will be consequences of "abandoning discipline". Mutual accommodation is a virtue, but if it goes too far, it will become mutual dislike. This line is difficult to draw. I am not afraid of being responsible, but I will bear it when I see the disadvantages of the Northwest Competition. "

According to Jiang Menglin's point of view, the dispute of Northwest United University is because everyone is "impolite" to each other.

That's true. Shortly after the establishment of Northwest Institute of Technology, there were some words circulating in the school that were not conducive to unity. For example, it is said that some teachers in Jiaozuo Institute of Technology smoke cigarettes, and some people have joined the Green Red Gang. The teachers in Northeast Institute of Technology are relatively young and have no teaching experience. The academic level of teachers in Beiyang Institute of Technology is high, and the level of Beiyang students is also high.

As the head of the Preparatory Committee, Li Shutian graduated from Beiyang University with westernization education in his early years, and then studied in the United States at public expense. After graduation, he returned to China at the age of 30 and became the president of Tangshan Institute of Technology (1930), and later took charge of Beiyang Institute of Technology (1932). For teachers, he only pays attention to teaching standards; For students, he only recognizes academic performance. Doing things is a bit arbitrary. He did not consult with the Preparatory Committee, and unconsciously showed contempt for the teaching staff and teachers and students of Donggong. In addition, Beiyang students are also arrogant, which affects unity. This gradually formed the situation that the teachers and students of the three schools opposed Beiyang.

Li Shutian was kindly reminded, but he didn't listen, so the opposition was growing.

When Li Shutian decided to put forward Beiyang's "family law" without fully consulting other members of the Preparatory Committee, the conflict broke out: anyone who failed two courses in the exam must repeat the grade. Students from the other three schools opposed it, while Beiyang students agreed.

Many years later, Chen, a famous professor at Hong Kong University (then a student at Xigong University), joked about it-

It is interesting for Li Shutian to be the president of Northwestern Polytechnical University. He must have his own charter. At that time, he proposed that the merger of the four schools was possible, but there were exams. Evaluate the qualifications of professors according to the examination results. Results After the examination, the professors in the other three schools became associate professors, associate professors became lecturers, and lecturers became teaching assistants. As for Beiyang, Beiyang did well in the exam, and both kept the original level. As a result, everyone who was demoted discussed how to deal with him, and they couldn't think of any way, so they had to beat him out. In the evening, everyone went to the kitchen and got a handful of firewood. Everyone ran to Li Shutian's dormitory and shouted, "Li Shutian, come out!"

As soon as Li Shutian appeared, everyone went up and got beat up. In this way, beat Li Shutian.

The historical fact is that one morning in the middle of 1939 1 month, the courtyard of the office building was suddenly crowded with people and was in a mess. At that time, Beiyang students had not got up. When they got up, they saw that the courtyard was crowded with students from Beiping Research Institute, some of whom were holding guys. Beiyang students are very dissatisfied with the cancellation of Northwest United University and Beiyang Institute of Technology by the Ministry of Education. This time, the teachers and students of his school came to make trouble again, trying to drive Dean Li Shutian away. They were angry and beat him with sticks everywhere. When the students clashed, it happened that Li Shutian was not there. When Pan, a teacher from Beiyang, heard about this matter, he consulted with Zhou Zeshu (Pan and He are both members of the Academic Affairs Office of Xigong) and hurried to the scene to dissuade him.

Pan went to Ping college students, and Zhou went to Beiyang students to persuade them to go back to the dormitory. At the time of persuasion, students from Northeast Institute of Technology entered the scene in droves, when they were in Qi Fei. Beiyang students are few in number and weak in strength. Under the leadership of Zhou Pan, they hurriedly withdrew, thus avoiding a shooting tragedy. Li Shutian flew into a rage when he came back. That night, all Beiyang students moved to Zuojiawan, about four miles from the headquarters of Xigong University, and also moved to Zuojiawan for office. At the same time, the school was ordered to suspend classes and expel three student representatives.

This caused a great stir. Liu Xiying and Pan, the old professors of Beiyang, set out from the overall situation and advised to calm down. However, he insisted on expelling the student representatives, but the students disagreed and were deadlocked for some time. Then, a scene described by Chen happened.

"The wind and the water are easy to plug, and the strong soil is gone forever." 1March, 939, Li Shutian led Beiyang students south and threatened to establish Beiyang Institute of Technology in Sichuan, but few Beiyang teachers accompanied him. A group of people went south to Guangyuan, Sichuan, and the Ministry of Education ordered them to cut off their land and water traffic and stop their progress. Soon, Lai Lian and Zeng Yangfu (Minister of Communications) came to Guangyuan to "negotiate" and persuade students to return to classes in southern Shaanxi.

Li Shutian urged the restoration of Beiyang Institute of Technology. Otherwise, we can never go back to Shaanxi. The two men negotiated with the students for a few days and put forward two conditions for returning to Shaanxi, that is, the students should return to Chenggu: first, 1938 graduates of Beiyang Institute of Technology did not issue diplomas in western engineering, but still issued diplomas in Beiyang Institute of Technology; Second, go back to the city for classes, but don't go to the western engineering department in Guruba. Zeng Yangfu accepted the conditions for Beiyang students to return to Shaanxi, and Beiyang students returned to Chenggu. Sure enough, they attended classes in Qixing Temple and were awarded the Beiyang diploma. In fact, since August 1938, although most of the original teachers of Beiyang Institute of Technology stayed in Xigong University to teach, there were no Beiyang students in Guluba.

Li Shutian insisted on not returning to southern Shaanxi. After his wish to establish Beiyang Institute of Technology in Guangyuan, Sichuan failed, he decided to go south to the newly-built Xikang Province. He is willing to follow some Beiyang teachers in Li Shutian and is determined to establish Xikang Technical College (now Xichang College). Later, he went to Guiyang to establish Guizhou A&M College (now Guizhou University). 1944 In May, Li was transferred to the position of vice chairman of the Yellow River Water Conservancy Commission, and also mobilized alumni to organize the Xijing Branch of Beiyang Institute of Technology. 1946, he resolutely came to Tianjin with Xijing students, and ran for election in the name of Beiyang University, and once again became the dean of the Institute of Technology.

A few years ago, I wrote Biography of Li Shutian for Tianjin University (the former student was Beiyang). I have great respect for his personality: this man was born for education, and he can't live without running a school. This person is busy running a school, busy with goals and standards. In his own words, he is "emphasizing quality rather than weight." Strictly speaking, Li presided over Guruba's work in the western regions, which was forced away by his own concept of "emphasizing quality and being light".

Li Shutian left a great regret in Guruba, which is a historical regret and a great misfortune for western workers!

The successor of Xigong University has always insisted on running a school, which naturally contributed. I wonder how many teachers and students have made some internal reviews or published some memories of this strict teacher after the "expulsion of Li"?

Here, I want to disclose a set of data to you: between 1937- 1946, Northwest Associated University and its five separate schools * * * have 505 professors, 1489 faculty and staff, and have trained 9257 graduates. Teachers include,,, Hu Shuhua, Wang Dianji, Ma, Xu Shoushang, Luo Genze, Lu Maode, Huang Wenbi, Luo, Yuan Dunli, Yu Zhenghong, Zhang Bosheng, Lin Rong, Shen Zhiyuan, Wang Yuren, Wei Shoukun, Sheng Tongsheng and Liu Hechen. Xu Shoushang once wrote such a poem: "Wandering life is also self-indulgence, suddenly from northwest to southwest. Chang 'an's solid name is no good, all of them are temporarily left in a hurry. "

Northwest United University and its five independent colleges have trained a large number of outstanding talents, such as Shi Changxu, Zhao Hongzhang, Ye Pei Da, Shi, Wu, Tu Youyou, Hou Guangjiong, Yu Rentian, Wang Guangyuan and Gan Yuping. Give a few examples:

Shi Changxu, 1945 graduated from Northwestern Polytechnical University, one of the pioneers of high-temperature alloys in China, and won the highest national science and technology award on 20 10; 1940 Zhao Hongzhang, who graduated from Northwest Agricultural College, cultivated "Bima 1" with the largest wheat popularization area in China. Mao Zedong praised it in many interviews for "saving New China". 1938 Ye Peida, who graduated from Xigong University (with a diploma from Beiyang Institute of Technology), 1980 was elected as an academician of China Academy of Sciences and was known as "the founder of China information superhighway"; Fu Hengzhi, a famous material metallurgy expert and president of Northwestern Polytechnical University, 1950 graduated from Northwestern University, and 1995 was elected as an academician of China Academy of Engineering. Shi, 1939 graduated from Xigong University with the first place in his class, the founder and pioneer of internal combustion engine specialty in China universities, and the chief scientist of combustion science and technology in China. 1980 was elected as an academician of China Academy of Sciences. Gan Yuping, a student at Xigong University, is one of the few engineering professionals who go into politics. He used to be vice governor of Sichuan Province, vice mayor of Chongqing, and deputy director of the the State Council Three Gorges Project Construction Committee (ministerial level).

20 13 65438+ 10/8, 94-year-old Shi changxu is still worried about his mother-in-law's Northwest Institute of Technology, and personally wrote the words "Guluba: an educational holy land in the bonfire of the Anti-Japanese War".

Oh, what a shame that a master's "holy land" has been ruined like this? I am depressed to occupy a poem, so let's end this article:

It was difficult to run a school then, but it is a pity now.

How many people look back at the history of Northwest Associated University?