The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence (1917-43) from Miss Cox to her mother, Mrs. B. T. Cox. In her letters Miss Cox vividly describes the trials and pleasures of her years spent among the Chinese people. Her descriptions of the people, their land, religions, economy, and politics provide valuable insight into the turbulent environment from which Chinese communism emerged.

Correspondence (1917-23) deals with the difficulties of adjusting to the Chinese language and customs and reveals the Chinese as a people unable "to cope" (4/27/19) with the chronic medieval status of their country, a country forever being wracked by flooding, famine and disease. Numerous accounts are offered which portray the wretched condition of the populace and its consequence, the heavy toll on human life. The subservient role of the Chinese woman is also frequently noted. Unwilling to break with the past, the Chinese continue the crippling practice of foot-binding, which is graphically described by Miss Cox (11/18/17, 10/19/19), and continue the inhuman traditions of either drowning or selling girl babies, who are regarded as "worthless" (7/7/18). "If Christianity never did anything," she says, "it is unbinding the feet of Chinese women . . ." (12/29/18). Miss Cox's observations on religion run throughout, describing the "ignorant" practices of Buddhism, contrasting American missionaries to those of other nationalities (1/16/18), and relating the efforts of the National Christian Council to unify Christianity in China under a National Christian Church (11/5/22). Split between North and South China's unstable political condition is depicted, with descriptions of student unrest (1919-20), civil strife (1920-23) and banditry (1922-23) included. American military presence in China is also mentioned, specifically the presence of five American destroyers in port at Chin Wang Tao and a "large camp of American soldiers" also located there (8/2/23).

Correspondence (1924-32) deals primarily with the flooding of Hankow, which "looks like Venice" (8/10/31), and the efforts by the missionaries to relieve flood victims. Also depicted is an event that took place in Shanghai, where police used force against student protestors and martial law was declared during this "crisis." (6/6/1925)

The remainder of the correspondence (1933-43) recounts the invasion of China by the Japanese and Miss Cox's migration to escape the onslaught. Some of the observations made during her journeys include descriptions of the Chinese method for growing tobacco (9/25/40), her travels down the historic Burma Road (7/27/41), and a visit by an American aviator in his P-38 (10/13/42). Also cited are numerous examples of the horrendous inflation which gripped the Chinese economy during the war (6/25/43).

There are four diaries in the collection. The first diary (1908) recounts Cox's time at The State Normal and Industrial School in Greensboro, North Carolina. Entries include her remembrance of learning how to "talk, walk, and sit" (9/23/08); thoughts on attending different Christian churches (10/4/08); and a meeting she attended where a missionary came to speak on the work that must be done in China. Cox soon felt that it was her "duty to go and teach all nations" (11/12/08). The second diary (1910) documents her activities while a junior at Salem Academy and College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Entries include her description of music recitals she participated in accompanied by copies of her programs; numerous parties she hosted accompanied by newspaper clippings depicting the events; and her feelings of being "frightened" when nominated librarian (Saturday, 1910).

The third (1917-20), which contains photographs, provides an account of Miss Cox's visit to the Presidential Palace in the Forbidden City and a meeting with President Hsu Shih-Chang (11/21/17). Additional entries include a revealing conversation with a young Chinese student about his country's negative characteristics (12/14/17) and a fascinating description of the "heathen temples" and religious ceremonies of Buddhism (1/19/18). The fourth diary (1939-40) entitled "A Never-to-be-forgotten Journey" narrates her travels from Winterville, N.C., where she had returned on furlough, to Chennan, a small town in western China. Contained are accounts of her ocean voyage aboard the "Empress of Japan"; her visits to Tokyo, Kobe and Yokohama, Japan; and her rigorous train trip from Hanoi, Vietnam, to Yunnan Province in China.

Other items in the collection include three yearbooks (1909-11) from Salem Academy and College titled "Sights and Insights"; a book (1911) titled "The Girl Graduate: Her Own Book" which describes her school year in 1911; a typed account (1938) by Miss Cox of the transference of her school from Wuchang to Chuan Hsien; a bulletin (1919) entitled "Students' Strike," which presents grievances directed at the Peking government by rebellious Chinese students; newsletters (1920-36) from the District of Hankow; a manuscript (1958) entitled "A Report of the Experiences of the Rev. Nelson E. P. Liu and Wife," which describes the reindoctrination techniques by Chinese communists; a cyclical chart giving the (12) animal signs for each Chinese year; a list of Yen proverbs translated from Chinese into English; a Chinese music book written by Cox; photographs; clippings; and a memorial (1907) of Cox's grandmother, Mrs. Mary Smith, one of Winterville's leading citizens.

Oversized materials include an entire issue of The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, NC) Vol. 4, No. 5 (12/3/1889) and a clipping entitled "Covenant of the League of Nations" from the Central China Post (2/17/1919).

Personal/Family Names

• Cox, Venetia

Corporate Names

• National Christian Council of China
• North Carolina State Normal and Industrial School--Alumni and alumnae
• Salem Academy and College (Winston-Salem, N.C.)--Alumni and alumnae

Topical Terms

• Women missionaries--China
• Music teachers--China
• Footbinding--China
• China--Description and travel
• Floods--Hankou (Wuhan, China)

Geographic Names

• China--Economic conditions--1912-1949
• China--Politics and government--20th century
• Xu, Shichang, 1855-1939

Accessions Information

June 15, 1974, 1 item; Diary (1939). Gift of Mrs. A. T. St. Amand, Winterville, N.C.

January 16, 1975, 10 items; Consisting of songbook, typescript travel accounts, photographs, clippings, and memorial.

December 8, 1976, 185 items; Correspondence (1917-1943) and a diary (1917-1920). Gifts of Mrs. Olivera Rouse, Greenville N.C.

March 7, 2001, 3 Containers, 259 items, 1.3 cubic feet; Papers, 1889-1935 [Bulk: 1922-33], including Salem Academy & College (Winston-Salem, NC) scrapbook ("The Girl Graduate") of photographs, letters & notes, clippings, memorabilia & printed materials, etc. (1909-11) & Yearbook (1911); correspondence with her mother, Mrs. B.T. Cox (1922-35, undated) dated American Mission School, Hankow, China; and printed materials relating to missionary activities in China (1924-29, undated) and music copyrights, also oversized materials including an entire issue of The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, NC) Vol. 4, No. 5 (12/3/1889) and a clipping entitled Covenant of the League of Nations, "Central China Post" (2/17/1919). Donor: Kelly L. Adams.

October 26, 2005, 650 items, 0.450 cubic feet; Papers (1908-1910, 1931-1938) compiled by music teacher and missionary at St. Hilda's School, in Wuchang, China, including letters, clippings, and reports sent to her mother, Mrs. B. T. Cox, Winterville, NC, 1931-1938; diary notebooks and yearbooks from her years at Salem Academy and College, Winston-Salem, NC, 1908-1910. Rec'd 10/26/2005. Donor: Ms. Kelly L. Adams.

May 11, 2016, (unprocessed addition #5), 2.0 cubic feet; Material found at 126 N. Harding Street in Greenville, North Carolina, the former home of Protestant Episcopal music missionary to China Venetia Cox. Includes letters and school materials related to Lo-I (or Louis) Yin who attended Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, from 1949 to 1951. Yin apparently played the violin and came to the United States to attend the college on a scholarship related to Venetia Cox's music missionary work with Huachung University, Wuchang, Hupeh, China. Donor: Zachary Perkinson.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Mrs. A. T. St. Amand
Gift of Mrs. Olivera Rouse
Gift of Kelly L. Adams
Gift of Zachary Perkinson

Access Restrictions

No restrictions

Copyright Notice

Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.

Preferred Citation

Venetia Cox Papers (#263), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.