American School Kikungshan and American School Kikungshan Association Records

These records document the history of a school established in 1915 for the children of Lutheran missionaries in China and the school's alumni/ae association. Because of civil unrest in China, the school was often evacuated from Jigongshan (Kikungshan), a hill resort situated north of the Yangtze River that was the favored summer resort for the foreign residents of Hankou (Hankow) (now Hankou). These records, along with records held at YDSL of the Shanghai American School and North China American School, provide an excellent picture of the lifelong influence of these schools for missionary children.

Series I includes minutes of the Board of the American School Kikungshan, financial records, and correspondence related to the management of the school.

Series II documents the life of the school through its publications - yearbooks and newsletters, as well as programs from school events and compiled information about the school's history. Of particular interest are a 1946 report by Gertrude Sovik that provides detailed information about the operations of the school and a 1994 report about the childhood experiences and health history of ASK graduates.

Series III includes material by and about the alumni/ae and faculty of ASK, including "The Rooster Crows Again: the Story of the American School Kikungshan" by Charlotte Martinson Gronseth and Gertrude Sovik, which includes a summary of the history of the school and reminiscences of alumni/ae.

Series IV documents the American School Kikungshan Association, an alumni/ae group that has an ongoing newsletter and reunions.

Series V contains Collected Materials that relate to the context of the American School Kikungshan, including Lutheran mission reports and periodicals that provide information about the history of ASK.