Dr. Virgil Hart: Man on a Mission

Virgil Hart was the Superintendent for the New York Methodist Missions in China and later the Canadian Methodist Missions in Sichuan Province. He built Western hospitals and girls’ schools along the Yangtze and Min Rivers from 1866-1901. He overcame many obstacles the officials from the Imperial Qing Dynasty and local populations. Inspired by his faith, Dr. Hart desired to bring medical care and education to the Chinese masses in cities where the native Chinese gentry denied their own people basic accommodations. His final year in China saw many of his efforts destroyed, due to superstitions the vast majority of Chinese people still hold.