Haizong Lei

Lei Haizong (June 18, 1902 – December 25, 1962), originally named Lei Deyi, courtesy name Bolun, was a Chinese historian from Yongqing County, Hebei Province. He served as a professor at Nankai University and Tsinghua University.

Lei advocated an approach to historical studies that balanced textual criticism with comprehensive synthesis, and he was regarded as one of the representative figures of the "Zhan Guo Ce School" and the "Tsinghua School." He was also counted among the "Four Great Historians of Nankai," alongside Liang Qichao, Jiang Tingfu, and .

Life In 1902, Lei Haizong was born in Yongqing County, Hebei Province. His father, Lei Mingxia, was a pastor of the local Chung Hua Sheng Kung Hui. In 1910, he entered a church-run elementary school. In August 1917, he enrolled at Chongde Middle School in Beijing. In May 1919, he participated in the May Fourth Movement. In September, with church sponsorship, he transferred to the advanced division of Tsinghua School, entering directly into the second year. After graduating in June 1922, he passed a government-sponsored examination and, in September, entered the Department of History at the University of Chicago, majoring in history with a minor in philosophy. In September 1924, he began doctoral studies under the supervision of James Westfall Thompson. During this period, he associated with Liu Shaoyu, He Yunxuan, Wen Yichuan, and Zhang Jingyue, and took part in the Tsinghua Students Association in Chicago. He advocated democratic politics, opposed foreign intervention, and frequently wrote essays commenting on current affairs. In June 1927, he completed his dissertation The Political Thought of Anne Robert Jacques Turgot, successfully defended it, and obtained his Ph.D. degree.

In August, after returning to China, he was appointed associate professor in the Department of History at National Central University in Nanjing. In August 1929, he became department chair and also taught part-time at Ginling Women's College. In February 1931, he was appointed professor in the Department of History at Ginling Women's College, and in July, concurrently served as a researcher at its Institute of Chinese Culture. In August, he moved to National Wuhan University, where he served as professor in both the Department of History and the Department of Philosophy and Education.

Work 1940, "Chinese Culture and Chinese Soldiers," Commercial Press 1946, co authored by Lin Tongji, "History of Cultural Forms", Dadong Book Company 2001, Outline of Western Cultural History, Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing House 2012, Outline of National History, Wuhan Publishing House