Capping off a yearlong celebration of its 60th anniversary, Pearl S. Buck International hosted an international symposium September 26 – 28 on the grounds of its Bucks County estate. More than 50 Pearl S. Buck researchers, educators, writers, scholars, historians, and enthusiasts gathered at the Pearl S. Buck Estate in Hilltown and Delaware Valley University in Doylestown for presentations, panel discussions, networking, and socializing as they shared knowledge and enthusiasm around the work, legacy, and person of Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, humanitarian, and activist Pearl S. Buck.
Attendees came from around the globe and across the United States for the three-day event. West Virginia University, Delaware Valley University (both of which served as event co-hosts), the Pearl S. Buck Birthplace in West Virginia, Pearl S. Buck Foundation Korea, Pearl S. Buck Foundation Philippines, Pearl S. Buck Memorial Hall in Bucheon, Korea, Pearl S. Buck Research Association and Pearl S. Buck Museum, both of Zhenjiang, China, and the Pearl S. Buck Volunteer Association were all represented at the symposium. In addition to panels and presentations covering a range of Pearl Buck-related topics including Pearl Buck’s legacy of activism, her contributions to cross-cultural education, and current Pearl Buck research trends, attendees were treated to a first look at the new virtual tour of the Pearl S. Buck House Museum, which will launch soon,received a welcome message from Cho Yong-eek, mayor of Bucheon City, Korea who visited the Pearl S. Buck Estate over the summer, and had the opportunity to meet Julie Henning, local author and speaker who was raised as Pearl Buck’s daughter. Guests also enjoyed a social evening at Free Will Brewing in Perkasie.
The symposium wrapped up on Saturday on the campus of Delaware Valley University with a welcome address by the school’s president, Dr. Benjamin Rusiloski, and three keynote addresses by David Crowe, professor emeritus of History & Law, Elon University and Presidential Fellow, Chapman University; Lu Zingping, president of Zhenjiang Pearl S. Buck Research Association and professor at Jiangsu University Library; and Lee Jong Chan, curator of Pearl S. Buck Memorial Hall.
The next Pearl S. Buck International Symposium will take place in Bucheon City, Korea in 2025.