On a rainy Friday in Secor, Illinois, the quiet town of 300 just west of El Paso welcomed a rare diplomatic visit from the Chinese Consulate in Chicago. Consul General Wang Baodong, joined by four consulate officials, gathered with members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), directors of the Illinois State Historical Society (ISHS), and local historians to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, and to celebrate the life of Wilhelmina “Minnie” Vautrin, who was born in Secor.
The ceremony was held July 25 in Secor City Park, at the Minnie Vautrin historical marker, which was officially unveiled in April 2023 by the ISHS and Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Chicago. The crowd listened as Consul General Wang Baodong, ISHS executive director William Furry and Secor’s mayor, Jerry Bagby, reflected on Vautrin’s bravery and sacrifice for both China and the people of Nanjing.
Born in Secor in 1886, Vautrin sought out education, taking degrees at today’s Illinois State University and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign before traveling to China in 1912 as a missionary with the Disciples of Christ. After six years, she returned to the United States and attended Columbia University, receiving her master’s degree in education in 1919. In that same year she returned to China and was asked to become the president of Ginling College in Nanjing. There, at the onset of the Sino-Japanese War, she remained unwavering as Japanese troops entered the capital city in December 1937. Even after hearing the evacuation order for Americans to leave the city, Vautrin stood resolute, opening the doors to Ginling College as a sanctuary for the women and children, saving an estimated 10,000 lives, earning her the title “Goddess of Mercy” among survivors.
During the ceremony in Secor, Consul General Wang Baodong praised her legacy.
“During the dark days of Japanese militarist forces’ atrocities, she opened the gate of Nanjing Ginling College, with the strength of an ordinary woman, steadfastly protected the college and safeguarded the lives of over tens of thousands innocent women and children.”
Dr. Peter Shapinsky, who specializes in East Asian Studies at University of Illinois Springfield, observed that,
“Vautrin’s remarkable accomplishments in Nanjing are a testament to her tenacity, compassion and intellect honed across her life. From the small town of Secor she took degrees from Illinois State University in Normal, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Columbia before becoming the president of Ginling College in China.”
Chinese Consul General Wang Baodong delivering remarks July 25 at the Minnie Vautrin historical marker in Secor, Illinois, with William Furry, executive director of the Illinois State Historical Society. COURTESY ISHS.
Following the commemoration at the marker, guests attended a brief reception at Secor’s St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, where more words were spoken honoring Vautrin.
Ninety minutes later, approximately 50 invited guests gathered to attend a luncheon hosted by the consulate and the ISHS at Illini Country Club in Springfield. Consul General Wang Baodong read prepared remarks in English and invited every guest to visit China, as well as the Consulate of the People’s Republic of China in Chicago. He said that, although the Chinese cuisine prepared by the country club was excellent, his Chinese chef in Chicago is the best in the U.S.
The consul’s office brought to Springfield more than 40 panels of historic photographs documenting the horrors of the war in China, telling stories that brought home the tragedy of the “Rape of Nanking.”
According to The Genocide Project, “the Japanese Imperial Army marched into China’s capital city of Nanking [from August through December 1937] and murdered 300,000 out of the 600,000 civilians and soldiers in the city. After just four days of fighting, the Japanese troops smashed into the city with orders issued to ‘kill all captives.’ The terrible violence – citywide burnings, stabbings, drownings, rapes and thefts – did not cease for about six weeks. It is for the crimes against the women of Nanking that this tragedy is most notorious. The Japanese troops raped over 20,000 women, most of whom were murdered thereafter so they could never bear witness.”
In his remarks, Consul General Wang Baodong said, “Over the past 80 years, the great victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War has inspired people around the world to keep moving forward. The tragedies of history must never be repeated, and the value of peace must be firmly upheld. Given the growing complexity and frequent regional conflicts in today’s world, the preciousness of peace and the responsibility to maintain peace are particularly significant. … We commemorate the victory of the War of Resistance – not to perpetuate hatred – but to remember history and cherish peace. We honor Ms. Vautrin – not to dwell on pains, but to promote conscience and convey hope.
Minnie Vautrin of Illinois, Nanjing’s “Goddess of Mercy,” circa 1918
“Let us inherit and carry forward the great spirit of the War of Resistance by overcoming division through unity, resolving confrontation through cooperation and replacing zero-sum competition with win-win outcomes. Together, we will safeguard the hard-earned achievements of peace and development and work hand in hand to create a brighter and more glorious future for the people of China and the U.S., and all the humankinds.”
Vautrin died May 14, 1941. Having witnessed the horrors of Nanjing, her spirit was broken and she committed suicide, believing she had not done enough to protect the women and children she had sworn to protect.
Miranda Bailey-Peetz is the communications director, and Ben Agard is a student intern for the Illinois State Historical Society.
This article appears in REGEN Fall 2025.
