Establishing Connections
Louis Razzano, SRU Vice-Provost and Associate Vice President, introduced Nien Cheng to Slippery Rock University. In an interview, Razzano recalled first learning about Cheng when he spotted her book, Life and Death in Shanghai, in a shop window in New York City. Later, he saw an interview with Cheng on 60 Minutes. He felt determined to foster a friendly and academic connection with her after learning about how she survived the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Razzano invited Cheng to attend Slippery Rock University’s Academic Honors Convocation to receive the event’s first Humanitarian Award in 1987. The two maintained a lasting friendship thereafter. Throughout Cheng’s involvement with Slippery Rock University, she interacted with a variety of students, staff, and faculty. Cheng’s impact on campus included giving speeches, connecting with Slippery Rock University community members, attending events, and developing a scholarship for students.
Academic Honors Convocation
Nien Cheng visited Slippery Rock University for the first time to attend the 1987 Academic Honors Convocation. The Academic Honors Convocation is an annual event where Slippery Rock University and its faculty acknowledge and celebrate students who made the Dean’s List for the academic year. The event features a variety of awards and hosts influential speakers to motivate attendees. Before the event started at 7pm, Cheng toured campus to give other speeches, talk to students and faculty, and attend a luncheon. Slippery Rock University awarded Nien Cheng with its first ever Humanitarian Award during this event. Cheng also attended and spoke at the Academic Honors Convocation in 1989 and 1992.
Meetings Ahead
Nien Cheng visited Slippery Rock University’s campus multiple times and continued to meet with Louis Razzano and his wife, Ginny. She left behind a series of detailed calendars documenting her daily routines from 1987 until her death in 2009. A few of the entries show the exact dates and times she visited Slippery Rock University and Louis Razzano.
April 26th, 1987 – Nien Cheng marks the date of her 60 Minutes interview, which inspired Louis Razzano to contact her.
Week of Oct 18th to 24th, 1987 – Nien Cheng writes a note about Dr. Aebersold in preparation for her visit to SRU on October 21st, 1987.
Oct 28th, 1988 – Nien Cheng notes her attendance at the Meiping Memorial Scholarship concert in honor of her daughter.
July 1st, 1990 – Nien Cheng records her dinner plans with Louis and Ginny Razzano.
Oct 27th to 29th, 1992 – Nien Cheng notes her arrival and departure to and from SRU.
Acquiring the Collection
Louis Razzano was passionate about preserving Nien Cheng’s legacy and cultivating her social and cultural impact beyond her lifetime. Cheng bequeathed her library and personal papers to Slippery Rock University. These materials were received in 2010 in 39 boxes, each with brief content descriptions. They are housed in University Archives and Special Collections.
Special Collections
A large portion of Nien Cheng’s collection consists of her personal library. These 379 books are housed in Special Collections and cover a variety of topics, including her book Life and Death in Shanghai translated into more than a dozen languages. Cheng received many of the books in her personal library as gifts from friends and admirers of her memoir, including a book by Richard Nixon that he inscribed to Cheng.
University Archives
The remainder of Nien Cheng’s collection was not fully processed until 2023 and is housed in the University Archives. This portion of the collection includes personal and professional correspondence, newspaper and magazine clippings, personal notes, calendar books, photos, VHS tapes, audio cassettes, and more.
Selected Items from the Archives and Special Collections
Click on the images to see them enlarged.
Reflecting on Nien Cheng’s Impact
In 2024, the University Archives sat down with Bob Watson and members of Cheng’s family to reflect on her legacy. Dr. Watson, an SRU alumnus and retired administrator, noted how he met Cheng after her first visit to campus and that she left a lasting positive impression on him. Watson recalls how he conversed with Cheng about their daughters and exchanged each other’s books. Cheng gave Watson a copy of Life and Death in Shanghai, and Bob Watson gave Cheng a copy of his book Slippery Rock University: The Legend Behind the Name. He also explained how Cheng’s life story valued freedom and a sense of community, both values that are still relevant and inspiring to Slippery Rock University members today. Future plans for the Cheng Collection include connecting historians, scholars, writers, and cultural enthusiasts with her story.