1. Tsien Tsuen-hsuin is known for studies of the history of the Chinese book, Chinese bibliography, paleography, and science and technology, especially the history of paper and printing in China, notably Paper and Printing, Volume 5 Pt 1 of British biochemist and sinologist Joseph Needham's Science and Civilisation in China.
Tsien Tsuen-hsuin is known for risking his life to smuggle tens of thousands of rare books outside of Japanese-occupied China during World War II.
Tsien Tsuen-hsuin was born on January 11,1910 in Taixian, Jiangsu Province, to a prominent family that descended from King Qian Liu, founder of the Wuyue kingdom.
Tsien Tsuen-hsuin began his education with a private tutor in 1916, and then entered Taixian No 2 Senior Elementary School.
Tsien Tsuen-hsuin became active in political agitation when he was a student at Huaidong High School.
Tsien Tsuen-hsuin's family managed to secure his release, but the principal of Huaidong High School was executed.
Tsien Tsuen-hsuin entered University of Nanking in 1928 and graduated in 1932 with a degree in history and a minor in library science.
Tsien Tsuen-hsuin went on to the Jiaotong University Library in Shanghai.
Tsien Tsuen-hsuin then worked at the Nanking branch of the National Library.
Tsien Tsuen-hsuin packed some 30,000 of them for shipment to the United States for safekeeping.
At Creel's suggestion, Tsien Tsuen-hsuin enrolled in the University of Chicago Graduate Library School, and soon was curator of the Far Eastern Library and professorial lecturer in Chinese literature in the Department of Oriental Languages and Literature.
Tsien Tsuen-hsuin earned Masters and Doctoral degrees in the Library School.
Tsien Tsuen-hsuin was especially concerned to build relations of cooperation between China and other countries.
Tsien Tsuen-hsuin died on April 9,2015, in Chicago, at the age of 105.
Tsien Tsuen-hsuin's wife, Wen-ching Hsu, was one of the earliest teachers of Chinese at University of Chicago.
Tsien Tsuen-hsuin's nephew, Xiaowen Qian, is an assistant to the curator for the East Asian Collection of University of Chicago.
Tsien Tsuen-hsuin received a Distinguished Alumni Award from University of Chicago and from Nanjing University.
Tsien Tsuen-hsuin donated thousands of books from his own collection to the library.