Anna Chennault’s diary, 1957

Photos by Kevin Grady/Radcliffe Institute

When Anna Chen (ca. 1923–2018) was a rising young reporter in China, her beat included the US 14th Air Force, where she met and, in 1947, married General Claire Chennault (1893–1958), the former commander of the famed World War II Flying Tigers. The Chennaults divided their time between China and the United States. A decade into their marriage, in November 1957, Anna wrote in her diary about her sense of not belonging anywhere and feeling caught between cultures. After her husband’s death, she became increasingly active in business and politics, and several administrations enlisted her help in facilitating negotiations with China and other Asian countries.

Anna Chennault Papers, Schlesinger Library

Catalog record:

http://id.lib.harvard.edu/aleph/009400814/catalog

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Learn more about Anna Chennault and the collection of her papers at the Library.