Juliana Young Koo

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Juliana Young Koo
Photo of Juliana Young Koo.jpg
Born
Yen Yu-yün

(1905-09-26)September 26, 1905
Tientsin, Qing Dynasty
Died(2017-05-24)May 24, 2017
(aged 111 years, 240 days)
Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States
Resting placeFerncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum
NationalityRepublic of China
Other namesJuliana Young Yen Koo
OccupationDiplomat
Spouse(s)Clarence Kuangson Young (m. 1929–1942; his death)
Wellington Koo (m. 1959–1985; his death)
ChildrenShirley Young, Genevieve Young, Frances Young
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese嚴幼韻
Simplified Chinese严幼韵
In this Chinese name, the family name is Yan.

Juliana Young Koo, born Yen Yu-yun (Chinese: 嚴幼韻; pinyin: Yan Youyun; September 26, 1905 – May 24, 2017), was a Chinese and American diplomat who worked in the UN Protocol Department.[1] Her first husband, Chinese diplomat Clarence Kuangson Young was executed by the Japanese during World War II. After the war, she moved to the United States and married the diplomat and politician V.K. Wellington Koo.

Early life[]

On September 26, 1905, Koo was born into a wealthy family with business and government ties in Tianjin, China as Yen Yu-yün (or Yan Youyun). Her father  [zh] (1872–1931) and her grandfather  [zh] (1838–1907) were both prominent businessmen. She attended Keen School when she was 14.[2]

She was one of the first women to graduate from Fudan University.[citation needed] At university, a special car took her to campus and brought her back, since its number was 84, the male students nicknamed her "Miss 84".[3]

Marriages and career[]

She married Clarence Kuangson Young Chinese: 楊光泩; pinyin: Yáng Guāngshēng; Wade–Giles: Yang Kuang-sheng) on September 6, 1929. Young, who served as the Chinese consul general in Manila from 1938–42, was arrested by the Japanese during World War II and executed on April 17, 1942 together with other consulate staff. After the death of her husband, she took care of more than 26 widows and children of the consulate staff. After the war, she took her three daughters to the U.S. She spent 10 years working at the United Nations in New York.[4] In New York, she met Chinese diplomat V.K. Wellington Koo (Chinese: 顧維鈞) in 1952 and married him in September 1959.[3]

Children[]

Koo had three daughters with Clarence Young: Genevieve, Shirley, and Frances.

Geneviene Young (1930-2020) was a book editor most known for Love Story by Erich Segal. She was married to Cedric Sun and Gordon Parks (from 1973 to 1979). Both marriages ended in divorce, but she and Parks remained close until Parks' death in 2006. She helped establish the Gordon Parks Foundation after Parks' death and continued to oversee the foundation and Parks' estate until her death in February 2020.[5][6]

Shirley Young (1935-2020) was a prominent business executive for Grey Advertising and General Motors. She was married to George Hsieh and Norman Krandall. Both marriages ended in divorce. She died in December 2020 and was survived by three sons (all with Hsieh) and seven grandchildren.[7][8]

Frances Young (1940-1992) was a philanthropist and preservationist.[9] She was married to Oscar Tang (son of Tang Ping-yuan). In 2000, Tang gave $10.2 million for the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Frances' alma mater Skidmore College.[10][11] A gallery at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is also named after her.[12]

Autobiography[]

She released her autobiography titled 109 Springtimes: My Story in 2015.[13] On September 26, 2015, Koo became a supercentenarian, when she reached the age of 110 years.[14]

According to her the secret to her longevity was eating foie gras, beef, pork belly and "as much butter as you like." She also advised against exercise and vegetables. She also suggested regular bouts of mahjong, a game she liked to play.[15]

Personal life[]

On May 24, 2017 (more than 75 years after her first husband's execution), Koo died in Manhattan, New York City, New York. She was 111 years, 240 days old.[1][16]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Barron, James (June 8, 2017). "Juliana Young Koo, Chinese Immigrant Who Published Her Life Story at 104, Dies at 111". The New York Times. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
  2. ^ Wang Ruifeng, Jin Wan Bao (2015-09-21). "The legendary life of Tianjin-born diplomat Juliana Young Koo". investinchina.com. Archived from the original on 2017-06-04. Retrieved 2017-05-12.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Young, Shirley. "名媛严幼韵的109个春天". history.people.com.cn (in Chinese). Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  4. ^ Liu Zhihua (2015-05-20). "Story of a century". China Daily. Archived from the original on 2018-05-29. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
  5. ^ "Genevieve Young, editor who helped shape 'Love Story' and other books, dies at 89". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
  6. ^ News, A. B. C. "Longtime editor Genevieve Young left legacy in publishing". ABC News. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
  7. ^ Risen, Clay (2021-01-03). "Shirley Young, Businesswoman and Cultural Diplomat to China, Dies at 85". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
  8. ^ Hagerty, James R. (2020-12-28). "Shirley Young, Former GM Vice President, Dies at 85". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
  9. ^ Pace, Eric (1992-02-04). "Frances Tang, 53; Was Philanthropist and Preservationist". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
  10. ^ Cotter, Holland (2000-12-22). "ART REVIEW; Party Time: Inside and Out, Playful Wit Reigns at Skidmore's New Museum". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
  11. ^ "Tang honors its namesake with special day". www.skidmore.edu. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
  12. ^ www.metmuseum.org https://www.metmuseum.org/blogs/now-at-the-met/2015/china-looking-glass-spotlight. Retrieved 2021-07-12. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  13. ^ Lun Xiaoxuan (2015-05-18). "顾严幼韵口述自传在京发布 周明伟出席发布会[组图]" (in Chinese). China Network. Retrieved 2017-04-27.
  14. ^ Hong Xiao (2015-09-27). "Author and wife of diplomat celebrates 110th birthday". China Daily. Archived from the original on 2017-04-27. Retrieved 2017-04-27.
  15. ^ Mimi Sheraton (2016-12-10). "111-Year-Old's Secret Foie Gras Diet". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2017-04-27.
  16. ^ "Juliana Young Yen Koo". Find a Grave access date August 19, 2019.
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