William Campbell—A Pioneer in Educating the Visually Impaired Who Won the Heart of the People Through His Appetite

 

After taking up theological studies in Glasgow, Scotland, where he was born, William Campbell (1841-1921) was instructed by the Presbyterian Church of England to undertake missionary work in Taiwan. At that time, understanding of the Christian faith in Taiwan was limited, which posed many obstacles for the dissemination of sermons by the missionaries. In the Bai-shui River Episode (1875), the church in which Campbell resided was set fire to and severely damaged. A monument in remembrance of the incident was erected outside the Bai-shui Church in Chiayi.

 

In spite of this, Campbell embraced warmth and enthusiasm rather than violence towards Formosa. He overturned expectations towards foreigners who were new to Taiwan, and showcased his high acceptance of local food. Therefore, it came as no surprise that after years of interacting with the local people, Campbell was well received by society. In order to establish the Hall for Training the Blind (now the Affiliated School for Students with Hearing Impairments of National University of Tainan) in Honggong Temple, Tainan, Campbell travelled back to Glasgow to raise funds. He successfully raised an amount of five hundred pounds. After the Hall for Training the Blind was founded, Campbell employed Taiwanese teachers to lecture on the Four Books and Five Classics (the Four Books include Great Learning, Doctrine of the Mean, The Analects, and Mencius; the Five Classics refer to Classic of Poetry, Classic of History, Classic of Rites, Classic of Changes, and Spring and Autumn Annals), and he also taught the Bible to the students and even offered courses on creating embossed letters and massage skills.

 

As a pioneer in providing education for visually impaired children, Campbell spent over forty years in Taiwan. His unremitting efforts can be observed through not only his missionary work, but also his many publications, such as An Account of Missionary Success in the Island of Formosa, and Sketches from Formosa. He also compiled A Dictionary of the Amoy Vernacular Spoken throughout the Prefectures of Chin-Chiu, Chiang-Chiu and Formosa, which is still in use today.

 

 

 

Dr. George Mackay’s diary recounts Campbell’s upset stomach after consuming Oxford sausages. (Source: Dr. George Mackay and Oxford College, Aletheia University)