A photograph of John Ma's (Ma Yuehan) family. There are eight children, both boys and girls, standing in two lines. There are two trees behind them. They are not identified and it is not known whether this is a photo of John Ma's eight children. On the back of the photograph is written "John Ma's Family". There was no other documentation with the photograph.
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Publisher:
Springfield College
Notes:
John Ma (1883-1966) was a pioneer in physical education and modern Chinese sports. He graduated with his BA from St. John’s University in 1911 and, three years later, began teaching physical education at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. In 1919, Ma traveled to the United States to earn his BA from Springfield College. He returned to China after graduating the following year and was promoted to director of physical education, a position he held for the next nine years. In 1926, he went on furlough and returned to Springfield College to earn his master’s degree. From 1931 to 1932, Ma was the physical education director at Soochow University, and in 1934 he returned to his old position at Tsinghua College. In 1936, Ma coached the Chinese sports delegation at the 11th Olympic Games. In 1945, he became president of Tsinghua University. Ma taught physical education at Tsinghua University for fifty-two years and once coached their soccer team to victory in the North China Championship.
