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Snow, Edgar, 1905-1972

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: 1905 - 1972

Biography

Edgar Snow (1905-1972) was a journalist and foreign correspondent in China.

Edgar Snow was born on July 10, 1905 in Kansas City, Missouri. Snow moved to China as a correspondent for the Consolidated Press Association. Edgar met Helen Foster Snow when she came to China. The two were married on December 25, 1933 in Tokyo, Japan. They moved to Peking, where Edgar taught at Yanjing University. At the University, Edgar and Helen sympathized with the students protesting the government’s allowance of Japanese invasion. The two helped organize movements like the December 9th movement of 1935, and provided press coverage of events censored by Chinese papers.

In June of 1936 Edgar left Peking for Xian, and into the communist camp as the first foreign journalist in that territory. He composed the first biographical account of Mao during this time. Mao asked Ed to set peace terms between the Nationalists and the Chinese Government. An interview with Mao published in Life magazine in 1936 gained a great amount of attention. Edgar Snow became the editor to his new magazine Democracy. Red Star Over China, Edgar’s book on his time with the communists was published in 1938. Edgar Snow died on February 15, 1972 in Eysins Switzerland.

Citation:
Helen Foster Snow: An American Woman in Revolutionary China, 2006: p. 32 (b. July 19, 1905; Kansas City, Missouri; Shanghai correspondent for Consolidated Press Association); p. 39 (m. Helen Foster Snow 1933); p. 42 (m. Dec. 25, Tokyo); p. 41 (honeymoon in Formosa, the Philippines, Borneo, the Dutch Indies, and Bali); p. 45 (move to Peking); p. 49 (move to Manchuria to investigate, 1933); p. 50 (job teaching at Yanjing University); p. 55 (helped plan December 1935 movements); p. 58 (moved to more neutral area; p. 62 (press coverage of events censored by Chinese papers); p. 64 (December 16th movement); p. 67 (June 1936 Xian then Baoan to communist camp); p. 70 (worked with artists); p. 71 (short stories published to West); p. 73 (published Living china); p. 79 (October 1936, interview with Mao Zedong; published in Life, journal Democracy, editor); p. 87 (controversial exposure of communist ideas); p. 109 (Red Star Over China, 1938); p. 110 (long march reports; first foreign journalist in communist territory); p. 111 (left Peking June 1936, Xian; 92 day tour, Zhou Enlai); p. 113 (first biographical account of Mao; set terms for peace between CCP and GMD); p. 114 (return to Peking Oct. 1936, write book); p. 117 (Shanghai)

FamilySearch, July 12, 2018 (d. February 15, 1972; Eysins, Switzerland)

Found in 8 Collections and/or Records:

Biographical material about and by Helen Foster Snow, 1935-1987

 Sub-Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 2219 Series 8 Sub-Series 1
Scope and Contents

Contains papers and articles written by and about Helen Foster Snow, including autobiographical pieces by Snow; articles about her pseudonym by June Rice, and other papers by Kelly Ann Long and Lora Sabin. Also included are articles about Helen's 80th birthday celebration and exhibition, the Helen Foster Snow Institute at Utah State University, and correspondence.

Dates: 1935-1987

Helen Foster Snow chronologically-arranged correspondence, 1940-1997

 Sub-Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 2219 Series 4 Sub-Series 1
Scope and Contents

Includes at least one 'undated' (sometimes also an 'incomplete') folder for each decade, as well as general undated and incomplete folders. Folders contain various correspondence between Helen Foster Snow and others between 1940 and 1997.

Dates: 1940-1997

Helen Foster Snow correspondence, 1940s-1990s

 Series
Identifier: MSS 2219 Series 4
Scope and Contents

Contains letters and other correspondence between Helen Foster Snow and others throughout her life, from the 1940's to the 1990's. Correspondence concerns both her career and her personal life. Materials span her time in the United States as well as her time abroad.

Dates: 1940s-1990s

Helen Foster Snow legal and personal papers, 1941-1983

 Sub-Series — Box 171: Series 8 [Barcode: 31197227638225]
Identifier: MSS 2219 Series 8 Sub-Series 3
Scope and Contents

Contains marriage certificate and documents, correspondence between Helen and Edgar, separation agreement and divorce papers, Helen's writings about the marriage, alimony papers, last will and testament, warranty and mortgage deeds, notes and correspondence on finances, information on Helen's literary trust fund and properties.

Dates: 1941-1983

Helen Foster Snow miscellaneous papers, 1880-1997

 Sub-Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 2219 Series 8 Sub-Series 5
Scope and Contents

Contains scrapbooks, awards, and memorial service materials. Also included are papers relating to Snow's story and movie contracts (notebooks, journals, maps, contracts, art, Chinese currency, correspondence, report cards, silks and woodcuts, Indusco materials, passports, war ration books, and postcards). Additionally, Snow's official 1934 transcript from the University of Utah prior to her departure to China. Materials date from 1880-1997.

Dates: 1880-1997

Helen Foster Snow papers on women's issues, approximately 1726-2000

 Sub-Series — Box 172: Series 8 [Barcode: 31197227638563]
Identifier: MSS 2219 Series 8 Sub-Series 4
Scope and Contents

Contains undated and untitled essays, material on Chinese and general women's issues, topical correspondence, and material relating to the Seneca Falls Convention.

Dates: approximately 1726-2000

Helen Foster Snow topically-arranged correspondence, 1940s-1990s

 Sub-Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 2219 Series 4 Sub-Series 2
Scope and Contents

Contains letters and other correspondence spanning from the 1940's to the 1990's, both career-related and personal. During this period of time, Helen lived in the United States, but travelled abroad several times.

Dates: 1940s-1990s

Helen Foster Snow papers

 Collection
Identifier: MSS 2219
Scope and Contents Contains materials pertaining to the life and career of Helen Foster Snow. Includes interviews, correspondence, articles, essays, reviews, drafts, photographs, negatives, artifacts, audiovisual recordings, and other materials concerning the political climate in China during the Japanese invasion, the lives of Communist leaders and followers, and the Chinese Cooperative movements. Although materials were mainly created during the course of Helen Foster Snow's time as a foreign correspondent...
Dates: 1726-2000; Majority of material found within 1930-1980

Filtered By

  • Subject: Letters X
  • Subject: International Relations X

Additional filters:

Type
Archival Object 7
Collection 1
 
Subject
Articles 2
Essays 2
Beijing (China) 1
Contracts 1
Drafts (Documents) 1