OLD MR, BUM YOONG' LEE
Presidential Bifeoy
President of Comrades Society
Bum Younq Lee was born at Kimpo, Kyongkido as an oly son to his fatter
Byung Dae Lee and mother Chung on May 23, 1892. His father owned large
farm land and known as a rich man, but died in 1895 when the whole oountry
was invaded by cholera, ELs mother also died the sai% year*
He then was moved to his uncle1 s house, where he started studying Chinese
literature,
nI was quite qreedy for knowledge, I studied day and night* Seeing this,
W uncle, Byung Chon Lee, brought me a prcminent sctolar as my tutoe,"
When he was 12, he moved'to Ihchon to live with his grand-father. When his
uncle was admitted in the former Korean Military Academy and had to move
to Seoul and live at cf relative's house, known as the House of Eight Great
Gates, Bum Young enrolled in the National Enjlish Institute (later became
Foreign Language Institute) ,
The House of Eight Greate Gates produced three filial sons. Even kings
in those day used keep their heads lowr when they had to pass by,
I remember seeing the father of Dr, Seung Man Rhee cone to the house and
play chess, I heard him brag about his son,
I was onoe invited to a celebration held at Shin Hung Sah. TJsnple in honor
of Dr, Seung Man Rhee, who graduated from Harvard and was awarded a doctorate
degree by Princeton University.
Young Bum Young lee proved himself superior at the National English
Institute. He went to the institute for four jrears. Among the other
students were JUnq Kyun Shin and Kee Boong Lee, but they all left this
world.
He then started tutoring. One of this students, Sun Joong Lim, became
minister of Heme Affairs of Kbrea. He also taught Biglish at Jin Myung
Girls1 Middle School, He also taught at Joong Hwa Institute in Dichan
City, for a short v*iile.
"On December 23, 1912 I delivered a lecture at a church in Seoul.
I must teve been pretty good, because the people who were at the church
collected $100,00 and gave it to me, saying, fA brilliant youngnan like
you should go to America and study there and ccme back to contribute to
educating the people,"
When he was 20 he made up his mind to go to America, the New land, far
study. He went to Bang Kong by way of An Ttong City and hoBU&3ed S/S
Mongolia boia for the United States of America.
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