Yenching Institute Obtains Font Of Rare Japanese And Chinese Type

The Harvard-Yenching Institute for Chinese Studies, located at Harvard University, in the course of the past year has obtained from the Tsukiji Type Foundry Company of Tokyo a font of Chinese and Japanese type containing 10,500 individual characters. The choice of the font is such that any ordinary expression is contained therein and they will be used in the publications of the Institute dealing with the history, literature, art and languages of China and Japan.

It is the intention of the Institute to supplement this font with a rarer and aberrant from of characters as time goes on and the need arises.

The total number of characters met with in the literature of the two countries amounts to some 25,000, but the great majority of these are only rarely met with. About 6,000 characters are really in common use. The quantity of individual characters in the font vary from 500 to 5, the average being about 10.

No other university in the country possesses a font of this type. By arrangement with the American Council of Learned Societies, which combined with the Institute to purchase this font, the characters from it may be employed in the publications of that body.

The Harvard-Yenching Institute was founded in 1928 by a large grant from the estate of Mr. Charles M. Hall, of Niagara Fall, N. Y. Its purpose is twofold: To give instruction in the language, literature and history of China, Japan and contiguous countries, and to carry on research work in China through grants in financial aid to six of the universities which have been established by Americans in that country: Yenching University, Shantung Christian University, Fukien Christian University, West China Union University, Lingnan University and the University of Nanking.

Its affairs are conducted by a board of nine trustees, nominated, in the first instance, by the President of Harvard College, the Board of Trustees of Yenching University, and the Trustees under the will of Mr. Hall.

The Institute carries on, for properly prepared Chinese and Occidental scholars, research and educational work of the type appropriate to a graduate school of arts and sciences, and in so far as it may appear expedient in order to prepare scholars for admission to the work of the Institute, to develop through other institutions undergraduate work in China, to explore, discover, collect, and preserve objects of culture and antiquities, or to aid museums or others to do so.

In accordance with these purposes, the Institutes contributes annually to the support of several institutions in China and allots to Harvard University such sums as the Trustees deem advisable for the development of teaching and research in the language, literature, history, and art of China and Japan. The Institute also provides some fellowships for Chinese and Occidental students for story in the Orient or at Harvard.