Ko K’un-hua (1838-1882) was the first Chinese language instructor at Harvard University. He was hired in 1879 after increasing demand for Chinese classes prompted the search for a qualified teacher. Ko, who was recommended after working with a Harvard alum at the Imperial Maritime Customs Service, was not legitimately credentialed, but had purchased his scholarly title from the Chinese government. This caused a bit of a stir around his hiring but by the time the news had become known, he was already en route to Boston.

His first student was Latin professor George Martin Lane, who in turn gave him English lessons. He was described as having a good sense of humor and the ability to always remember a face. As seen in the present photograph, Ko was known to wear the embroidered and high necked garments traditionally worn by Qing Dynasty scholar-officials. His tenure, though brief (he died of pneumonia three years into his appointment), has had long lasting impacts on Chinese studies at Harvard. The books he brought with him from China became the first acquisitions of Harvard Yenching’s Library, which is now the largest collection of East Asian related works outside of Asia. When he died, even though he had only instructed a handful of students, he was lauded for his teaching skills, as his students could speak conversationally and conduct business in Mandarin. It wasn’t until forty years after his death that Chinese was reintroduced as a subject at Harvard.