Phyllis Yung-huo Liu (1913-1998), a native of Fuzhou, graduated from Hwa Nan College Middle School in 1932, from Hwa Nan College in 1936 with a B.A, from Mills College in 1938 with a A.M in psychology and then spent one year at Duke University doing post graduate work in Psychology. During the War of Resistance against Japanese, she came back to teach in Hwa Nan and later taught at West China University, Chengdu. She attended University of Michigan from September 1952 to June 1958 and received a Ph.D in Psychology. Around 1960, she taught in Psychology Department of Amherst College, USA. From mid 1960s to 1976, she worked in UCLA as Lecturer in Psychology Dept., Clinical Psychologist, Senior Staff Psychologist and Associate Director of the Marriage Counseling Program at Student Counseling Center. Liu Yunghuo Bei Qui Memorial Fellowship was established to award female Psychology graduate students in UCLA. In 1970，Dr. Liu together with Dr. G.M. Meredith revised and published the Instruction Manual of the Cattell 16-PF Questionnaire for Chinese users. In 1973, she founded a non-profit, state licensed OPICA (Older Person’s Information and Counseling Associates) Adult Day Care Center, which is a significant resource in West Los Angles helping memory impaired adults and their families. She was the Clinical psychologist and director of the center. In the States, she actively involved herself in civil service and academic activities. She was appointed Commissioner of Human Relations Commission by City of Los Angeles from Aug 30, 1973 to Feb 04, 1976. From 1984 to 1986, she served at APA (American Psychology Association) Committee on International Relations in Psychology (CIRP).Since 1981, Dr. Liu started to work in China, dedicating her time to training young psychologists and laying foundations for sino western cultural exchange by introducing western psychological theories and research methods to China so as to solve social and individual psychological problems in China. She was frequently invited by prestigious universities and hospitals in China to give lectures and to open training classes. Her lectures were recorded and printed and widely spread and used by psychologists in China. She also published academic journals, translated psychology books, and instructed young psychologists to revise questionnaire and use psychological measurement tools.
When Fujian Hwa Nan Women’s College resumed in 1984, Dr. Liu actively participated and committed herself wholeheartedly to Hwa Nan’s development, making outstanding contribution in laying solid foundation for Hwa Nan’s international exchanges and creating credential and fame for newly established Hwa Nan. Before 1987, she represented Hwa Nan outside the mainland of China, traveling home and abroad to champion for Hwa Nan and seeking extensive support from governments, non-governmental organizations, institutions, universities, media and individuals including Fukien Benevolent Association Of America, Embassy Of PRC in US, World Bank, UB, UNDP, United Methodist Church, United Nations Volunteers, Peace Corps. Due to her efforts, Los Angeles Professional support for Hwa Nan was established in Los Angeles, inviting former vice president of University of South California Rosalind Loring as the Chair. She initiated and helped organize Hwa Nan North American Alumnae Association and Hong Kong Board of trustees, which are still the two most important supporting resources for Hwa Nan outside the mainland of China. She sees the importance of fund raising in the college’s development, and she donated her personal savings, raised scholarship fund from North American alumnae, and boldly launched a Chinese painting and calligraphy art sale in U.S for HN.
Dr. Liu planned and envisioned Hwa Nan to be a four year college offering cutting edge practical arts and science majors recruiting students from China and South East Aisa. She is fully prepared for the difficulties and encouraged co-founders to unite under the same meaningful and valuable mission, to face problems and tackle difficulties by complementing each other, to systematically plan for the future, to work solidly and to expand the vision. She said future of Hwa Nan lies upon the founders’ innovative and pioneering spirit to open up new arena. She insisted Hwa Nan shall be run in a unique and creative way by developing majors according to social needs and future development and training creative professionals and entrepreneurs. She advocated independent, autonomous, innovative and pioneering spirit of women. She highlighted and carried out the principle of combining theory with practice, enriching students’ professional knowledge and abilities by building many types of labs, professional experimental workshops and making students to participate in work-study programs.
From 1985, she served as Honorary President of Fujian Hwa Nan Women’s College and Chair in the Department of Childhood Education and Counseling. She brought in courses and faculty from abroad, introduced new professional knowledge and taught several courses. She took students to poor rural areas, children’s hospitals and women’s federation to practice what they learned in class and to help needy children. In 1988, she opened up a Psychological Treatment and Care Center with West Lake Hospital and established Hwa Nan Children’s Psychological Treatment Center doing prospective research. Between 1987 and 1988, she initiated to set up a rural experimental kindergarten with Shou Shan Village to open up a new frontier for the Department of Childhood Education and Counseling and to make contributions to healthy birth and child care in rural areas. After 1989, Dr. Liu visited the college for short period of time each year giving lectures or training child care providers. In 1993, she donated Beiqiu Building to the college and moved to Norway. She passed away on Nov. 26, 1998.
