# Andrew Ho Kang B.S. (1957) from Wofford College; M.D. (1962) from Harvard University ![Andrew Kang](/sites/g/files/omnuum10901/files/styles/hwp_4_5__320x400/public/koreanalumnibiographiesproject/files/kang.jpg?itok=37Y4n2Ju) *Courtesy of Dr. Andrew Kang.* Andrew Ho Kang (강호, 姜虎, 1934–present) is the Goodman Professor and Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, Tennessee.[\[1\]](#fn1) He overcame adversity and tragedy as a young man growing up in war-torn Korea and, thanks to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, excelled in his studies in America, graduating from Harvard Medical School during a time when Korean students were few and far between in prestigious American institutions. ![first_birthday_portrait_kang](/sites/g/files/omnuum10901/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/koreanalumnibiographiesproject/files/first_birthday_portrait_kang.jpg?itok=gaM8yiMb) First Birthday Portrait. Courtesy of the Kang Family.Kang was born on December 16, 1934, in Seoul, when Korea was still under Japanese colonial rule, as the eldest son in a family of six children. Kang’s family, originally from Iwŏn, Hamgyŏng Province, was quite impressive—his father Dr. Kun Ha Kang (Kang Kŏn-ha, 姜乾夏, 1906–?) was an accomplished internist while his mother, Gi Jeung Choe (Ch’oe Ki-jŭng, 崔己曾, 1909–1950) was the eldest daughter of Ch’oe Nam-sŏn (1890–1957), who was a prolific scholar of Korean history and literature.[\[2\]](#fn2) Ch’oe was also a leading figure in the March First Movement in 1919 and had drafted the Korean Declaration of Independence. Kang attended private schools for his elementary and intermediate education, before enrolling in Kyŏnggi Middle School (Kyŏnggi High School from 1951) right before the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950. The Korean War marked a major turning point in the young Kang’s life. Prior to it, he had enjoyed a comfortable life, albeit one burdened with high family expectations for him to be very successful as the eldest son. However, the war proved to be particularly devastating for Kang and his family, as he lost both of his parents. North Korean soldiers killed his mother. They also captured his father and then either killed him or took him to North Korea—his fate is unknown. Additionally, they pilfered the Kang household and took all valuables. Kang himself just narrowly avoided being taken into the North Korean army—he and his friend escaped a military training camp and subsequently went into hiding at his friend’s house, since he was then blacklisted. He was eventually discovered and captured by North Korean soldiers but spared just before being executed because the North Korean soldiers were distracted by artillery fire. As a result of this experience, as well as the loss of his parents and the overall horrors he witnessed during the war, Kang became a Christian, and his Christian faith remained a lasting influence on his life. ![paternal_grandparents_family_in_iwon_hamgyong_province_kang](/sites/g/files/omnuum10901/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/koreanalumnibiographiesproject/files/paternal_grandparents_family_in_iwon_hamgyong_province_kang.jpg?itok=q7EvApGH) Paternal grandparents’ family in Iwŏn, Hamgyŏng Province. Seated: Paternal grandparents. Center, back row, Kang’s mother and father, holding Kang as infant. Courtesy of the Kang family.Orphaned and suddenly destitute, a fifteen-year-old Kang, who was in charge of his younger siblings, had to resort to peddling cigarettes on the street and other meager tasks in order to provide for his siblings. This was a particularly humiliating experience for Kang and a major departure from the comfort of his early childhood—now, he and his siblings were limited to two meals a day and access to electricity for only two to three hours per day due to the North Korean army cutting off electric lines. Were it not for his maternal uncle who took him and his siblings in, Kang would have fared a far worse fate. Thanks to his uncle’s generosity, Kang was able to attend Kyŏnggi High School—first in Pusan, then again in Seoul—from which he graduated in 1953. After excelling in his studies in high school, Kang was accepted to the Premedical School of the prestigious Seoul National University (SNU). ![maternal_grandparents_family_in_seoul_korea_kang](/sites/g/files/omnuum10901/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/koreanalumnibiographiesproject/files/maternal_grandparents_family_in_seoul_korea_kang.jpg?itok=fwaRQoAL) Maternal grandparents’ family in Seoul, Korea. Seated, from left: grandmother, grandfather Ch’oe Nam-sŏn, and Kang’s father Kang Kŏn-ha. Standing, from left: Kang’s mother Ch’oe Ki-jŭng and three maternal uncles. Courtesy of the Kang family.While at SNU, Kang attended a church service at the U.S. Eighth Army Chapel on a whim with some friends. While standing in line to thank the pastor for the sermon, he met Chaplain Colonel Crumpton, who noted how well the young Kang spoke English. Kang apparently left a lasting impression on Col Crumpton—Col Crumpton invited Kang on the spot to his office at the Eighth Army headquarters. Kang went to the U.S. Eighth Army headquarters to meet Col Crumpton, who ended up offering him a full scholarship to study in the US. Wofford College, a liberal arts college in South Carolina, had been wanting to bring in a Korean student as part of its centennial celebration, but the first student they had invited dropped out and returned to Korea. On Col Crumpton’s recommendation, Kang became eligible to take the open spot. ![kyonggi_high_school_class_during_the_korean_war_pusan_korea_kang](/sites/g/files/omnuum10901/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/koreanalumnibiographiesproject/files/kyonggi_high_school_class_during_the_korean_war_pusan_korea_kang.jpg?itok=1R1JE87z) Kyŏnggi High School Class during the Korean War, Pusan, Korea. Kang, back row, sixth from the right. Courtesy of the Kang family.Col Crumpton consulted the dean of SNU, who contacted Kang’s maternal grandfather Ch’oe Nam-sŏn. Realizing the lifechanging opportunity at hand, Kang’s grandfather gave his permission for his grandson to go study in America and promised to take care of his younger siblings. However, Kang’s journey to America was nowhere near easy. Due to the chaotic postwar environment of South Korea at the time, the bureaucracy was weak and corrupt. It took Kang six months to obtain a passport and exemption from his mandatory military service obligation. Then, he was unable to obtain a visa initially because he lacked an affidavit of support as his scholarship from Wofford College did not cover his transportation cost to America. However, thanks to a stroke of luck, the registrar of Wofford College, a man named Frank Logan, was able to procure the travel fare for Kang and thus make him eligible for a visa. After overcoming all these administrative hurdles, Kang finally left Korea on April 13, 1955, with one suitcase and $500 in his pocket. Upon arriving in South Carolina, Kang encountered yet another hurdle. The scholarship he had been offered by Wofford College was for undergraduate studies, not for medical school as he had mistakenly believed. He was not aware of the different institutional systems between Korea and the U.S. Whereas in Korea, he had been in a six-year medical school curriculum inclusive of medical school when he was accepted as a premed student, in America, he had to apply separately for medical school after completing college. Since he was too poor to pay for a return flight back to Korea, Kang decided to stay in America and complete his undergraduate studies at Wofford College with the goal of eventually applying to medical school. ![kang_at_wofford_college_in_spartanburg_sc_kang](/sites/g/files/omnuum10901/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/koreanalumnibiographiesproject/files/kang_at_wofford_college_in_spartanburg_sc_kang.jpg?itok=wsqZhJPq) Kang at Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC. Courtesy of the Kang family.While attending college, Kang noticed the vast cultural and racial differences between America and Korea. As a Korean in South Carolina, he was surrounded by all white students, as segregation was still very much in effect in the 1950s. Additionally, he noticed how his diligence regarding his studies was not necessarily shared by his American classmates. Whereas Kang would spend every waking moment of the week studying, his classmates had a more lackadaisical approach to studying. Despite these cultural differences, Kang made some very close friends at Wofford and was accepted by everyone in a very friendly way. The community of Spartanburg, South Carolina—specifically the Episcopal Church of Spartanburg—formed a wonderful support base for Kang. Several families always made sure to take care of him and invite him for meals, and the women of the church organized supply drives for him to prepare for medical school. Additionally, by this point, Frank Logan, the registrar-turned-dean of Wofford College, had become a close mentor for Kang, someone he fondly referred to as his “American father.” When Kang was applying to medical school—after graduating *summa cum laude* with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and elected to Phi Beta Kappa from Wofford College in 1957—it was Logan who drove Kang to his medical school interviews and convinced interviewers for medical school to provide financial support for Kang’s medical studies. At the time, since Kang was still a foreign citizen, he was ineligible for the residency requirement at many state schools. So, surveying his options, he applied to a handful of Ivy League medical schools, only to realize that money would be an issue yet again. He needed a full scholarship to cover his medical school tuition and living expenses, but many schools were unable to provide full scholarships to freshmen. As he was losing hope, he was miraculously contacted by Harvard Medical School, which offered him acceptance and a letter stating that he was guaranteed to receive generous financial aid that would allow him to finish the medical school. After overcoming yet another set of obstacles to his education, Kang graduated *magna cum laude* from Harvard Medical School with an MD in 1962. Subsequently, he completed his residency in internal medicine at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston. Then, from 1964 to 1966, he completed a short stint as a Research Associate at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD, before returning to Boston, where he was a Clinical and Research Fellow at the Massachusetts General Hospital for two years. After completing his postgraduate training, Kang moved into academia, first becoming an Instructor, then an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, his alma mater. ![Harvard Medical School 1962 Dr. Kang](/sites/g/files/omnuum10901/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/koreanalumnibiographiesproject/files/harvard_medical_school_yearbook_1962_dr._kang.jpeg?itok=ZiugUJ5g) Class Portrait of Andrew H. Kang. This is from the “Harvard Medical School, Class of 1962 with 3 additional transfer students added later.” Harvard Medical School classes and reunions images, RG M-CL02, Series 00095, Image: 00095.311, Box: M011.22. Center for the History of Medicine (Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine).While in medical school, Kang met his wife, Ellen Soo Sun Song Kang, at a Harvard party for Hawaiians. She was a second-generation Korean American born to Korean immigrants in Hawaii.[\[3\]](#fn3) She had also been in the medical profession—an intern training in pediatrics at the Boston Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Within a few years, they were married in 1958 and decided to raise their children in the U.S. This decision prompted Kang to obtain a green card and later a US citizenship. On the cusp of his wedding, and while he was still a healthy young medical student, Kang received a life-changing diagnosis. He was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylo-arthritis in his late twenties, an ailment that he had to learn how to adapt to while pursuing his professional ambitions without pause. Despite this setback, Kang was determined to proceed with his original wedding plans. He and Ellen were married on September 6, 1958, in a small ceremony attended by several of his classmates from Harvard Medical School, some of his Wofford classmates, and Ellen’s fellow interns. Although he suffered from joint pain due to standing upright during his wedding and the subsequent reception, he was still able to enjoy the joyous occasion with his new wife and closest friends. After a brief celebratory period, Kang was back to work in the following days with the start of his sophomore year of medical school. ![ellen_and_andrew_kang_at_their_wedding_kang](/sites/g/files/omnuum10901/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/koreanalumnibiographiesproject/files/ellen_and_andrew_kang_at_their_wedding_kang.jpg?itok=TxgGzI-2) Ellen and Andrew Kang at their wedding. Courtesy of the Kang family.After graduating from medical school and upon spending many years in Boston, Kang was ready for a new challenge. Among offers from a half dozen medical schools, he decided to accept a faculty position at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine (UT). Although he initially thought the UT position would be a temporary one in which he could establish his professional reputation away from the “Mecca of Medicine,” i.e., Harvard and its affiliate institutions, he was highly successful in his work, receiving international accolades for the high-quality research. In order to maintain the momentum, he ended up continuing his academic work at UT and moving up the ranks there until he became Goodman Endowed Professor and Chairman of the Department of Medicine in 1982. At the time of his appointment, he was the first Asian to be appointed as Chairman of any department of internal medicine at any medical schools in the U.S. In 2001, he was appointed Director of the Center of Excellence for Diseases of Connective Tissue, which was established by the UT system. Kang’s research, influenced by his own experience with rheumatoid arthritis, focused on connective tissue, collagen, and rheumatic diseases. He has published nearly 300 articles in a plethora of prestigious medical and scientific journals such as the *Journal of Experimental Medicine*, *Journal of Clinical Investigation*, *Journal of Biological Chemistry*, *Arthritis and Rheumatism*, *Biochemistry*, *Science*, and many more. He has also been a member of several medical committees, including the research and executive committees of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, the board of directors and publication committee of the American College of Rheumatology, the National Arthritis Advisory Board of the National Institute of Health, and more. In addition to his well-renowned research, Kang has been awarded a variety of honors for his contributions to medicine and Korean culture in America. He was elected to several prestigious academic societies such as the American Society of Clinical Investigation (known as Young Turks), Association of American Physicians (known as Old Turks), and Master of American College of Rheumatology. Perhaps, the most prestigious honors he received were the [Samsung Ho-Am Prize in Medicine in 2001](http://www.hoamfoundation.org/eng/award/part_view.asp?idx=53), presented by the Ho-Am Foundation, for his contributions to science, and the Middleton Award of the Department of Veteran Affairs. He has also received the Memphis Health Care Hero – Lifetime Achievement Award from the Memphis Business Journal (2010) and the President’s Award from the Tennessee Rheumatology Society (2016), as well as a slew of other awards for his groundbreaking work in the study of collagen and rheumatology. ![kang_delivering_a_speech_on_receipt_of_the_ho-am_prize_in_medicine_kang](/sites/g/files/omnuum10901/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/koreanalumnibiographiesproject/files/kang_delivering_a_speech_on_receipt_of_the_ho-am_prize_in_medicine_kang.jpg?itok=uI3dY61b) Kang delivering a speech on receipt of the Ho-Am Prize in Medicine. Courtesy of the Kang family.Kang’s passion for medicine is only rivaled by his love for his family. All three of his daughters—Cynthia, Edith, and Audrey—have followed in his and his wife’s footsteps as physicians. Despite his busy schedule, he values his family time and particularly enjoys traveling with them. One such memorable trip was a trip to Korea in 1980, which marked the first time he had been back to his homeland since leaving in 1955. He reconnected with his siblings then and maintains close ties with them to this day. Additionally, through his daughters, he is also a proud grandfather of six and enjoys spending time with his grandchildren. Written by Kaylee Kim, 8/1/2023 --- ### **Endnotes** [\[1\]](#p1) This biography is largely based on following two sources: Ellen S. Kang, *Tiger True To Form* (Baltimore: Publish America, 2006) and “An Interview with Dr. Andrew Kang” for Veteran’s Oral History Project, Center for the Study of War and Society, Department of History, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, interviewed by G. Kurt Pieler and Robyn Lee Hendrick and transcript by Robyn Lee Hendrick (2001). . We would like to thank the Kang family for sending us two copies of the book, *Tiger True to Form*, which is out-of-print. [\[2\]](#p2) The Kang family kept a family record consisting of two large sheets of paper listing birthdays and death anniversaries of Kang’s paternal ancestors and their wives as well as several Kang family trees. Andrew Ho Kang donated these papers to the Harvard-Yenching Library. See Kang Kŏn-ha, “Chinju Kang ssi T’onggyegongp’a segyedo: Sŏnjo myojŏkkye ch’oan,” in [HOLLIS record](https://id.lib.harvard.edu/alma/99156691078403941/catalog) (HOLLIS number: 99156691078403941). [\[3\]](#p3) For the fascinating immigration history of Dr. Ellen Soo Sun Song Kang’s parents, see Ellen Soo Sun Song Kang, *Stepping Stones* (Elizabeth, NJ, and Seoul: Hollym, 2003). We would like to thank the Kang family for providing us with two copies of this book, which is out-of-print. ### Bibliography “Harvard Medical School, Class of 1962 with 3 additional transfer students added later.” Harvard Medical School classes and reunions images, RG M-CL02, Series 00095, Image: 00095.311, Box: M011.22. Center for the History of Medicine (Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine). [https://hollisarchives.lib.harvard.edu/repositories/14/archival\_objects/1238997](https://hollisarchives.lib.harvard.edu/repositories/14/archival_objects/1238997). “An Interview with Dr. Andrew Kang” for Veteran’s Oral History Project, Center for the Study of War and Society, Department of History, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Interviewed by G. Kurt Pieler and Robyn Lee Hendrick. Transcript by Robyn Lee Hendrick. 2001. [http://csws.utk.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/2002-Kang-Andrew-1-trans…](http://csws.utk.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/2002-Kang-Andrew-1-transcript.pdf). Kang, Ellen S. *Tiger True To Form*. Baltimore: Publish America, 2006. Kang, Ellen Soo Sun Song. *Stepping Stones*. Elizabeth, NJ, and Seoul: Hollym, 2003. Kang, Kŏn-ha. “Chinju Kang ssi T’onggyegongp’a segyedo: Sŏnjo myojŏkkye ch’oan.” N.P.: 1943–1950. Harvard-Yenching Library. TK 2290.5 8412.96. *The Harvard Korean Alumni Biographies Project and the Project website are copyright © 2024 President and Fellows of Harvard College and/or its licensors. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution is not permitted.* *Please contact Executive Director Susan Laurence (*[*susan\_laurence@harvard.edu*](mailto:susan_laurence@harvard.edu)*) for any concerns or questions*. - ## Decade [1960-1970](/decade/1960-1970) - ## Korean Alumni [Graduate School of Arts and Sciences](/korean-alumni-decade/gsas)