Historical Note

The Oberlin Shansi Memorial Association (OSMA), founded in 1908, is a private foundation housed on the Oberlin College campus. It is governed by a board of trustees, administered by an executive director, and has a student committee. OSMA’s purpose is to foster international respect and understanding through educational exchange with Asia.

Scope and Content

The architectural records of the Oberlin Shansi Memorial Association contain a collection of blueprints, drawings, and rubbings of both the school and mission compound at Taiku and Fen Chow-fu, Tunghai University, and the proposed Shansi building that was to be built on the Oberlin campus. There are four architectural records for the Fen Chow-fu Mission compound, ranging in size from 22" x 16 ¾" to 44" x 16 ½" and including an undated sketch on tissue paper; a sketch of the West City Wall on tissue paper, dated July 1, 1910; an undated layout of the grounds showing City Walls; and another undated layout plan showing the West City Walls. The four architectural records for the Taiku campus range from 8 ½" x 20" to 20" x 28" and include a positive photostat of the general plans designed by architect Henry Killam Murphy, October 8, 1929; four copies of rubbings of revised general plans also by Murphy and dated March 21, 1931; the blueprint of the proposed Hawley Administration Building, designed by architect J. Van Wie Bergamini, October 27, 1917; and two tissue paper sketches of the compound, one undated and the other ca. 1910. The architectural plans for a student union at Tunghai University, Taiwan, were designed by architects at the firm I.M. Pei and Associates, July 10, 1958. Also included in the Shansi Memorial architectural records is an elevation plan for the proposed Shansi Building at Oberlin done by Murphy in December, 1930. Important related materials are to be found in the President Ernest H. Wilkins papers, box 109, in folder labeled, “Chinese Building”; the Autograph File, folder 2 for a sketch of the floor plan for proposed Shansi Building; and a Spring, 1991 Oberlin Alumni Magazine article on the Shansi Memorial Association and the Memorial Arch.