Born in War, Raised in Faith: A Life in Mathematics

Grandpa Huang was born in the 1930s on Gulangyu Island in Xiamen, China, into a relatively affluent and well-educated Christian family. At the time, Gulangyu was one of the most developed areas in China, with numerous foreign consulates established there. Grandpa Huang’s life reflects a microcosm of the collision and blending between Chinese and Western cultures.

In the 19th century, Western Christian missionaries arrived in China to spread their faith. Grandpa Huang’s grandfather became a Christian, and from then on, his father and siblings—as well as Grandpa Huang himself and his own siblings—received advanced Western-style education in Christian schools.

During his youth, China was invaded by Japan. Amid the war, he left Gulangyu with his mother and siblings to escape the chaos. He also experienced the Chinese Civil War; some relatives followed the Nationalist government to Taiwan, but most remained on Gulangyu Island.

As a young man, he participated in the first nationwide unified college entrance examination held by the newly founded People’s Republic of China. He graduated and began his career during a period marked by political movements. Despite the turbulence, he remained committed to education and was repeatedly recognized as an outstanding professor.

In the second half of his life, he witnessed China’s economic boom during the era of reform and opening-up. In his later years, he moved to the United States to reunite with his children and help care for his grandchildren.