W. A. P. (William Alexander Parsons) Martin

Born in Livonia, Indiana, in 1827, Martin studied at Indiana University and then trained for the Presbyterian ministry before leaving for China in 1850. He first worked in Ningbo, and over time became known not only as a missionary but also as a gifted linguist and interpreter.

His lasting importance comes from the way he translated major Western works into Chinese, especially texts on international law. He also served as an interpreter in treaty negotiations, advised Qing officials, and later led the Tongwenguan in Beijing, a key school for foreign languages and Western learning.

In 1898, he was appointed the first president of the Imperial University of Peking, the institution that became Peking University. He died in Beijing in 1916, remembered as a complicated but influential figure in the meeting of China and the West.