Bill Holland and the Beginning of Publishing Asian Studies
John F. Howes
From left: John Howes and Bill Holland
In 1961 UBC became heir to one of the best English-language collections on contemporary Asia in the world, a collection that under differing circumstances might have become the core of UBC Press’ emphasis on Asia. A good portion of the story had to do with the transfer to Vancouver from New York of a very special man, William (L)ancelot Holland. He was born in New Zealand and grew up there, but had only two jobs in his life: with the Institute of Pacific Relations headquartered in New York city and then with the University of British Columbia. Known simply as Bill, these notes are based for the most part on his recollections told to me.
When Bill finished university in 1927, he was only twenty. At that time, one of Bill’s professors was one of the planners for a Christian student conference to be held in China He entered Bill’s name onto the list of students from New Zealand who would attend the conference. As the date for the conference approached, unstable political conditions led to its cancellation. Bill’s dismay brightened up when the professor then offered him a job with a new organization known as the Institute for Pacific Relations, or more familiarly, the ‘”IPR.’”
The IPR was formed by individuals worried about keeping peace between the nations whose lands bordered the Pacific Ocean. Their major concern was what Japanese expansionism might do to destabilize the region.. The people who formed the IPR took care that it represented individual members and not their governments. They included leaders of Christian denominations and organizations like the YMCA and YWCA, who had regular contact with their followers in Asia. Financial support came from Western businesses with interests in Asia.
