Claire Kyi Hyun Kim Donates USD 100,000 for the Ewha West Campus Consturction Fund
- Date2025.12.04
- 1492
Ewha Womans University (President Hyang-Sook Lee) has received a donation of USD 100,000 (approximately KRW 140 million) from alumna Claire Kyi Hyun Kim (B.A. in English, Class of ’56) designated for the construction of the Ewha West Campus. This major development project aims to transform the west gate area of the Ewha campus—including the redevelopment of the Student Union Building and the Alumnae Memorial Hall—into a future-oriented hub for global convergence research, industry–academia collaboration, and entrepreneurship.
(From left) Dr. Michelle Leff Kim, daughter of alumna Claire Kyi Hyun Kim; alumna Claire Kyi Hyun Kim; Ewha President Hyang-Sook Lee;
Yun Jung Choi, Vice President for University Relations and Development
After graduating from Ewha’s Department of English in 1956, Ms. Kim dedicated herself to promoting Montessori education in both the United States and Korea. She has also contributed to the advancement of her alma mater through consistent support for Ewha Womans University and the Ewha International Foundation.
Ms. Kim stated that her recent gift was made in honor of her former professor, Ms. Kathleen Crane, who taught her during her college years. Ms. Crane, a missionary of the Women’s Division of the Methodist Board of Missions, came to Korea in 1952 and served as a professor in Ewha’s Department of English for 35 years. In 1954, she founded Ewha Voice, the first English-language college newspaper in Korea, where Ms. Kim served as its inaugural editor-in-chief.
Reflecting on her memories as a student journalist, Ms. Kim shared that she vividly remembers Professor Crane personally accompanying her by bus to the printing press to support the production of the newspaper. She added, “I also recall how she would have simple meals, such as bibimbap mixed with water. As the years pass, I feel an even deeper gratitude for her lifelong dedication to Ewha while living in a foreign land and culture.”
(왼쪽 사진) Ms. Kathleen Crane 교수
Ewha Womans University plans to install a commemorative plaque honoring Ms. Kim’s dedication and philanthropic intent. Ms. Kim remarked, “Although I may not be able to see the completion of the Ewha West Campus in my lifetime, it is deeply meaningful to know that future generations—my fellow Ewha alumnae as well as my children and grandchildren—will continue their studies there and carry forward the values it represents.”
Ms. Kim’s three children, who are actively contributing to American society as a physician, an attorney, and an IT professional, have also maintained a close connection to Ewha. In 2023, they visited their mother’s alma mater, toured the campus, and were deeply moved by its long and distinguished history.
President Hyang-Sook Lee personally thanked Ms. Kim during the 2025 North America Ewha Alumnae Association Convention held in Washington, D.C., last October. President Lee stated, “The heartfelt appreciation Ms. Kim expressed toward her teacher will be further amplified through her act of giving,” and added, “We will carry forward the construction of the Ewha West Campus with sincerity and dedication, honoring the significance of this meaningful contribution.”