Mao Zedong Writings Project records 3319
Diann Benti
USC Libraries East Asian Library
2021 December
Doheny Memorial Library
3550 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles, California 90089-1825
Contributing Institution:
USC Libraries East Asian Library
Title: Mao Zedong Writings Project records
Creator:
Leung, John K.
Creator:
Kau, Michael Y. M., 1934-
Identifier/Call Number: 3319
Physical Description:
42.6 Linear Feet
38 boxes
Date (inclusive): 1949-1993
Abstract: This collection contains the records of the Mao Zedong Writing Project, which aimed to comprehensively translate the writings
of Chinese leader Mao Zedong (1893-1976) into English. The project operated from the 1970s to 1992, first at Brown University
and then at Northern Arizona University. Materials include translations of Mao Zedong's writing and speeches, as well as photocopies
of the original Chinese texts, supporting documentation, project records, and bibliographic files.
Language of Material:
English, Chinese.
Biographical / Historical
The Mao Zedong Writing Project was a project that operated from the 1970s to 1992 to comprehensively translate the writings
of Chinese leader Mao Zedong (1893-1976) into English. The project began at Brown University (1973/4-1989), with co-editors
Professors John K. Leung and Michael Y. M. Kau, before moving to Northern Arizona University under the sole editorship of
Leung. The project received National Endowment for the Humanities funding, awarded in 1975 and renewed in 1977-78 and 1980-82.
A portion of the project's work was published as
The Writings of Mao Zedong, 1949-1976: Volume 1 September 1949-December 1955 and
Volume II January 1956-December 1957 (M.E. Sharpe, 1986, 1992).
Scope and Contents
This collection contains the records of the Mao Zedong Writing Project, which operated from the 1970s to 1992 to comprehensively
translate the writings of Chinese leader Mao Zedong (1893-1976) into English. Materials include translations, at various stages
of completion, of thousands of documents, including essays, speeches, letters, conversations, poems, and official communications,
along with photocopies of the original Chinese texts and supporting documentation. Translations for all items through 1959
are nearly complete, and rough translations of the major documents are available in chronological files through 1976 (Boxes
1-20).
Also included are unsorted project records and bibliographic files (Boxes 21-28, 34-35). These boxes contain various manuscript
drafts, computer printouts, notes and edits, some clippings and photocopies. Among these files, Box 25 contains organized
files primarily with photocopies of published Chinese works and Box 35 includes files proposals, financial information, and
correspondence related to National Endowment for the Humanities funding.
There are four boxes of index cards (Boxes 31-33, 36) that record various information including bibliographic entries, reduced-size
photocopies, entry notes, and, in Box 36, an alphabetical subject file containing core information on subjects referred to
by Mao.
Boxes 29 and 30 contain bound photocopies of published works chiefly in Chinese from the Center for Chinese Research Materials
(Oakton, VA) including published Chinese Writings of Mao-Tse-tung. Box 30 also holds bound copies of works from the Center
for Chinese Studies (Berkeley, CA), including: Studies in Chinese Communist Terminology (Nos. 10, 12), A Glossary of Chinese
Communist Terms and Phrases (1969), Chinese and Foreign Personalities who Attended National Day Celebrations in China: Reference
Aid (October 1, 1969), a draft of the Dictionary of North China Colloquialisms by David E. Collier (1975); and Post Liberation
Works of Mao Zedong: A Bibliography and Index (1976) compiled by John Bryan Starr and Nancy Anne Dyer.
There are also 9 Chairman Mao pin badges as well as 19 small red books containing selected works and quotations of Mao Zedong
in various languages (1966-1972) in Box 38.
Conditions Governing Access
Advance notice required for access.
Rights Statement for Archival Description
Finding aid description and metadata are licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.
Conditions Governing Use
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the East Asian Library at
eal@usc.edu. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the East Asian Library as the owner of the physical items and
is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
Preferred Citation
[Box/folder no. or item name], Mao Zedong Writings Project records, Collection no. 3319, East Asian Library, USC Libraries,
University of Southern California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Professor Kong Cheong John Leung, March 2016.
Processing Information
Some processing by USC students in 2019 as part of the "Piloting a Shared Practice for Accessible Archival Descriptions" Dean's
Challenge Grant. Additional description by Diann Benti in 2021.
Note: portions of this collection are not fully processed.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
China -- Politics and government -- 20th century
Communism -- China
Mao, Zedong, 1893-1976
Leung, John K. -- Archives
Mao, Zedong, 1893-1976 -- Translations
Box 2
1950 September - 1952 June
Box 4
1953 November - 1955 June
Box 7
1956 October - 1957 February
Box 12
1958 October - 1959 February
Box 14
1959 September- 1961 June
Box 16
1963 November - 1964 November
Box 17
1964 December - 1966 July
Box 18
1966 August - 1967 September
Box 19
1967 October -1972 December
Box 20
1973-1977, undated, and English sources
Project records and manuscripts drafts (unsorted)
Box 21, Box 22, Box 23, Box 24, Box 25, Box 26, Box 27a, Box 27b, Box 28, Box 34, Box 35, Box 37, Folder 1
Manuscript drafts, notes, clippings, photocopies, and project files
Box 31, Box 32, Box 33, Box 36
Box 37
Chairman Mao badges (pin badges)
Physical Description: 9 Items
Box 37
Foreign Languages Press books and photograph
Scope and Contents
Nineteen small red books containing selected works and quotations of Mao Zedong in various languages chiefly published by
the Foreign Language Press, Peking, and dating from 1966-1972. The books include 9 in English, 5 in Chinese, and single books
in Arabic, French, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish. There is also a small catalogue of Mao's works and a photograph of Mao
in a 1966 sleeve.
