Paul Frederick Rusch (1897 – 1979) was a lay missionary of the
Anglican Church in Japan
The ''Nippon Sei Ko Kai'' ( ja, 日本聖公会, translit=Nippon Seikōkai, lit=Japanese Holy Catholic Church), abbreviated as NSKK, sometimes referred to in English as the Anglican Episcopal Church in Japan, is the national Christian church rep ...
.
Rusch is remembered in
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
for his role as an educator and for pioneering activities in development of
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
, rural agriculture and post
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
reconciliation.
Background and early life
Born November 25, 1897 in
Fairmount, Indiana
Fairmount is a town in Fairmount Township, Grant County in the east central part of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 2,954 at the 2010 census. It is 55 miles (88 km) northeast of Indianapolis. Largely a bedroom community for ...
, US, Rusch was raised in
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
. He served with the US Army in France during the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. In Kentucky, Rusch was an active member of the congregation of
Christ Church Cathedral in Louisville.
Work in Japan
Rusch first arrived in Japan in 1925, initially to help the YMCA with reconstruction efforts after the
Great Kantō earthquake
Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements
* Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size
* Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent
People
* List of people known as "the Great"
*Artel Great (born ...
, and stayed to dedicate his life and energies towards youth education, post-war reconciliation and rural development in that country. Through his association with the
Anglican Church in Japan
The ''Nippon Sei Ko Kai'' ( ja, 日本聖公会, translit=Nippon Seikōkai, lit=Japanese Holy Catholic Church), abbreviated as NSKK, sometimes referred to in English as the Anglican Episcopal Church in Japan, is the national Christian church rep ...
he taught both Economics at
Rikkyo University
, also known as Saint Paul's University, is a private university, in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, Japan.
Rikkyo is known as one of the six leading universities in the field of sports in Tokyo (東京六大学 "Big Six" — Rikkyo University, University of ...
and was instrumental in helping Dr.
Rudolf Teusler
Rudolf Bolling Teusler M.D. (1876 - 1934) was a medical physician and lay missionary to Japan who worked under the auspices of the Foreign and Domestic Missionary Society of the American Episcopal Church.
Teusler is remembered in Japan as the fo ...
raise funds for the expansion of
St. Luke's International Hospital
is a general and teaching hospital located in the Tsukiji district of Chūō, Tokyo, Japan.
First opened in 1902, as a medical mission facility by the Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal Church in the United States, the hospital is now on ...
in central
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
.
Encouraged by Bishop
Charles S. Reifsnider, Rusch was renowned as an unconventional, but highly effective lay evangelist for the Anglican Church in Japan, establishing a chapter of the
Brotherhood of St. Andrew at
Rikkyo University
, also known as Saint Paul's University, is a private university, in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, Japan.
Rikkyo is known as one of the six leading universities in the field of sports in Tokyo (東京六大学 "Big Six" — Rikkyo University, University of ...
in 1927.
In 1934 Rusch also established and was elected first chairman of the Intercollegiate Football League, the first college level American Football association in Japan. The Paul Rusch Cup is awarded each year to the MVP of the
Rice Bowl
The breadbasket of a country or of a region is an area which, because of the richness of the soil and/or advantageous climate, produces large quantities of wheat or other grain. Rice bowl is a similar term used to refer to Southeast Asia; and C ...
, Japan's own American Football national championship game.
Rusch was arrested in December 1941 immediately after the Japanese
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, j ...
. He was detained at a temporary prison camp on the campus of Sumire Girls' School on the outskirts of Tokyo and eventually deported from Japan as a part of a wartime prisoner exchange in June 1942. Repatriated back to the United States, Rusch worked at the Military Intelligence Service Language School at
Camp Savage,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, returning to Japan at the end of hostilities as a member of General
Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was C ...
's General Staff.
Kiyosato Educational Experiment Project (KEEP)
Rusch is most widely known for his work in founding the rural at
Kiyosato, on the slopes of
Mt. Yatsugatake,
Yamanashi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Yamanashi Prefecture has a population of 817,192 (1 January 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,465 km2 (1,724 sq mi). Yamanashi Prefecture borders Saitama Prefecture to the no ...
. The camp and farm, first opened in July 1938, served as an
Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
youth mission center prior to the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
and was rededicated in 1946 as the Kiyosato Educational Experiment Project (KEEP).
After the war, as surrounding fields were cleared, a new
Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
church dedicated to St. Andrew was constructed using local stone. A vocational school, an experimental farm, a nursery and library facilities soon followed. In June 1948 the groundbreaking ceremonies for the Seisen Ryo rural clinic were attended by
Prince Takamatsu
was the third son of Emperor Taishō (Yoshihito) and Empress Teimei (Sadako) and a younger brother of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito). He became heir to the Takamatsu-no-miya (formerly Arisugawa-no-miya), one of the four ''shinnōke'' or branches of ...
. Other features of the mountainside site include a Yamanashi Prefecture Nature Center, the Japan American Football Hall of Fame, and an outdoor chapel and altar constructed in 1962 by students from
Lenox School for Boys
Lenox School was a private preparatory school for boys in grades nine through twelve in Lenox, Massachusetts. The school was affiliated with the Episcopal Church (United States).
School history
The school opened in 1926 under the leadership of R ...
.
The KEEP farm and mission center is an operationally independent year-round residential retreat and conference center, but retains its links with Anglican and other Christian church educational establishments throughout Japan.
The original farm property and Paul Rusch Memorial Museum are the focus of the popular Yatsugatake County Fair and Paul Rusch Festival held each October.
Recognition and awards
Among numerous awards and decorations, Rusch received honorary doctorates from
Hobart and William Smith College
Hobart and William Smith Colleges are Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts colleges in Geneva, New York. They trace their origins to Geneva Academy established in 1797. Students can choose from 45 maj ...
in 1950,
Lincoln University in 1955 and
Rikkyo University
, also known as Saint Paul's University, is a private university, in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, Japan.
Rikkyo is known as one of the six leading universities in the field of sports in Tokyo (東京六大学 "Big Six" — Rikkyo University, University of ...
in 1965.
Rusch was awarded the Third
Order of the Sacred Treasure
The is a Japanese order, established on 4 January 1888 by Emperor Meiji as the Order of Meiji. Originally awarded in eight classes (from 8th to 1st, in ascending order of importance), since 2003 it has been awarded in six classes, the lowest ...
by the Japanese Government in 1956.
The Paul Rusch Athletics Center on the main campus of
Rikkyo University
, also known as Saint Paul's University, is a private university, in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, Japan.
Rikkyo is known as one of the six leading universities in the field of sports in Tokyo (東京六大学 "Big Six" — Rikkyo University, University of ...
in
Ikebukuro
is a commercial and entertainment district in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. Toshima ward offices, Ikebukuro station, and several shops, restaurants, and enormous department stores are located within city limits. It is considered the second largest ...
is named in his honour.
A commemorative plaque in the University Chapel records his role as
Godfather of over 500 Rikkyo Students.
Paul Rusch Cup
The Paul Rusch Cup is an annual award, beginning in 1984, given to the top American football player in Japan.
See also
*
Anglican Church in Japan
The ''Nippon Sei Ko Kai'' ( ja, 日本聖公会, translit=Nippon Seikōkai, lit=Japanese Holy Catholic Church), abbreviated as NSKK, sometimes referred to in English as the Anglican Episcopal Church in Japan, is the national Christian church rep ...
*
Rikkyo University
, also known as Saint Paul's University, is a private university, in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, Japan.
Rikkyo is known as one of the six leading universities in the field of sports in Tokyo (東京六大学 "Big Six" — Rikkyo University, University of ...
References
External links
Official site of KEEP* Aiko Takeuchi-Demirci
Review of McDonald, Andrew T.; McDonald, Verlaine Stoner, ''Paul Rusch in Postwar Japan: Evangelism, Rural Development, and the Battle against Communism'' H-Diplo, H-Net Reviews (June 2019).
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rusch, Paul
American Anglican missionaries
Anglican missionaries in Japan
1897 births
1979 deaths
Rikkyo University faculty
American football in Japan
People from Grant County, Indiana
People from Louisville, Kentucky
American expatriates in Japan