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by | Mar 19, 2018 | Rose

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Yi Yun Chen (Chinese: 陳逸雲, 1910 – 29 June 1969) was a Chinese civil servant, army general and politician. She was among the first group of women elected to the Legislative Yuan in 1948.

Biography

Chen was born in Guangdong.[1] She became interested in politics at the age of 12 after hearing about the work of Sun Yat-sen.[1] Having completed the four-year high school programme in a single year, she entered Sun Yat-sen University at the age of 16.[1] She subsequently earned as master's degree in municipal government at the University of Michigan in the United States.[1] Returning to China, Chen worked as a secretary in the national government, for Nanjing municipality and in the Ministry of Railways.[2] She also taught in a police academy.[2] A close associate of Soong Mei-ling, the wife of President Chiang Kai-Shek,[3] during the Second Sino-Japanese War she served as a general, the only woman to hold the position on the front line.[4] In 1944 she was a founder member of the National Women's Constitutional Society and served as its first head.[3] In the 1948 parliamentary elections she was elected to the Legislative Yuan from a reserved seat for women in Guangdong.

After fleeing to Taiwan with the Republic of China government, Chen became president of the Chinese Women's Association.[1] Around 1960, she returned to the United States,[5] where she worked in Washington, D.C. and she met Chin Joe Lee. The couple married and moved to Seattle, where Chen ran the Mongolian Steak House restaurant.[4] She was murdered on 29 July 1969 after leaving work with around $1,000 of takings.[4] Attacked while walking between the restaurant and her car, she was killed by blow to the head and her body was discovered in a park several miles from the restaurant.[6] Despite rewards of $2,000 and $10,000 being offered for information,[7][8] no arrests were ever made.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Chinese Woman Senator Here on Good Will Tour Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 1 August 1955
  2. ^ a b 陳逸雲 Legislative Yuan
  3. ^ a b Chinese women organize for postwar plans The Hobart Democrat-Chief, 12 April 1944
  4. ^ a b c d Of The Crimes -- Memories Of Murder And Mayhem: Investigator Windsor Olson's `Private Eye On Seattle' Tour Is A Journey Back Into Some Of This City's Grimmer Moments The Seattle Times, 18 May 1997
  5. ^ Reward Offered On Murder Guam Daily News, 25 July 1969
  6. ^ Data Lacking in Seattle Slaying Case The Spokesman-Review, 5 July 1969
  7. ^ Reward Guam Daily News, 23 July 1969
  8. ^ Slayer Offered $10,000 Spokane Chronicle, 30 June 1970
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