When her husband immigrated to America to pursue advanced studies, Ruth held down the home front and took care of the family during his absence. After completing his MBA at St. John’s University in New York, he founded Foremost Maritime Corporation in 1964, later expanded to Foremost Group. In 1949, each relocated separately to Taiwan at the culmination of the Chinese Civil War, and they married in 1950.
Elaine Chao, US Department of Transportation Secretary, and her husband Mitch McConnell, Republican Senate Majority Leader, recently attended a ceremony at Harvard Business School. An American of Chinese descent, he studied navigation in China and became one of the youngest Chinese sea captains in modern history. Harvard Business School 15,440 views. Ruth Mulan Chu Chao and her three daughters aboard the cargo ship that brought them to America.In 1949, each separately relocated to Taiwan. She has also established several foundations that provide scores of scholarships annually in her native land of China. James’ search for Ruth took more than a year. By memorizing the elaborate directions, she found the gold and then sewed it into the lining of her jacket, which allowed her to pass undetected. Deep religious faith, family and community were the pillars of her life. Dr. Chao remains as Honorary Chairman of Foremost Group to this day and his daughter, Angela Chao, serves as Chair and C.E.O. The family promoted many progressive ideals that included encouraging their daughters to pursue higher education, which was extraordinary given the times.During the ensuing turmoil that engulfed China, her family fled Anhui.
CHAO--Ruth Mulan Chu 77, wife, mother, Asian scholar, and philanthropist passed away on Thursday, August 2, 2007 at New York Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital after a … Mrs. Ruth Mulan Chu Chao March 19, 1930 – August 2, 2007 Named after the heroine of Chinese folklore Hua Mulan, Mrs. Ruth Mulan Chu Chao lived a life of virtue, compassion and grace, often in conditions of extraordinary adversity. Some examples of his awards and are: The Museum of Chinese in America honored him and his family with its Inaugural Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award; the Chinese American Academic and Professional Society awarded him its Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award. Ruth Mulan Chu Chao, Angela’s mother, was born in Anhui province, to a distinguished and progressive family that believed in the education of women. Selfless, virtuous and devoted to duty, she changed history in her own quiet and dignified way without fanfare but with tremendous impact. A native of Anhui, China, she came to the United States as a young mother with three children in 1961, to join her husband who had arrived three years earlier. This separation lasted a long lonely three years, but they wrote each other letter filled with love and encouragement.In 1961, they could finally reunite as a family. Moreover, she never forgot those less fortunate. A longtime Republicanactivist, Chao is the first Asian-American woman in U.S. history to become a Cabinet member; she was appointed labor secretary by George W. Bush … During the Chinese Civil War, she and her family were forced to evacuate their ancestral home and relocate to Shanghai. But, wartime was not conducive to a courtship. Not sure what to say? He is an active and generous philanthropist, supporting many educational initiatives and scholarships in the U.S. and Asia. Tributes to Ruth Mulan Chu Chao Given by Secretary Elaine Chao on September 20, 2007 at the U.S. Senate My father, Dr. James S. C. Chao; sisters: Jeanette, May, Christine, Grace, Angela; the rest of our family, and I want to thank you so much—especially those who have traveled so far—for coming and helping us celebrate the life and legacy of our beloved mother, Ruth Mulan Chu Chao. He was immediately smitten and fell in love.