As a longtime member and current President of the Cypress Cemetery Association in Old Saybrook, I have a fairly good “handle” on those buried in my cemetery. That said, a recent request highlighted a very interesting story of which I was unaware. This is the story of an American educator who went to Korea in 1886 and lived there until 1907, raising his family there. He felt so strongly about his ties to Korea that he was said to love Korea more than most Koreans, so much so that he chose to be buried in Seoul, South Korea rather than with his wife in their Cypress Cemetery plot. His name was Dr. Homer Bezaleel Hulbert and this request was for permission to shoot a part of a documentary about the life of Dr. Hulbert at the gravesite of Hulbert’s wife, buried in Cypress Cemetery.
The request came from Mr. DongJin Kim, who had a distinguished three-decade career in international banking in both Seoul and New York, predominantly with JP Morgan Chase. Kim’s profound interest in Dr. Hulbert began during his college years when he read The Passing of Korea. He was deeply moved by Hulbert’s scholarly passion and unwavering commitment to Korea, particularly the realms of Korean studies and the country’s independence. He is the Chairman of The Hulbert Memorial Society and spent three decades researching for this book.
In a press release for his newly published book What About Korea, Kim says that the book explores the life and contributions of Dr. Hulbert, describing him as a hero of Korea’s independence movement and a pioneer of modern education in Korea.
Kim writes that Dr. Hulbert was born in Vermont USA in 1863 to a father who was a college president and a mother who was a descendant of the founder of Dartmouth College. After graduating from Dartmouth and while attending theological seminary, In 1886, Korea’s Emperor Gwangmu (formerly “King Gojong”) requested Hulbert come to Korea to become Joseon’s (Korean Dynasty, 1392 – 1897) first modern teacher. Growing to appreciate Korean history and culture so much, Hulbert laid the foundation for modern education, including writing Korea’s first modern textbook (Saminpilji, 1891). During that time, as a civil rights activist and the emperor’s secret envoy, he fought against Japan’s “imperialist aggression”. In 1907, he and his family were forced to return to the United States due to Japanese persecution.
1863 -1949
1866 – 1848
Backing up a bit, when Dr. Hulbert took one of many trips back to the United States during his time in Korea, he met and ultimately married Mae Belle Hanna in New York City in 1988. Hulbert and May returned to Korea where they started their family there. After the 1907 return to the United States, Hulbert spent the next 38 years giving lectures, interviews and writing articles to expose Japan’s illegal actions and appeal for Korea’s independence.
Of Dr. Hulbert, JongChan Lee, President of the Heritage of Korean Independence and former Director of the National Intelligence Service of the Republic of Korea wrote “As a Korean national and a descendant of an independence patriot, I am deeply moved by [DongJin Kim’s book What About Korea?], which commemorates Hulbert’s noble life devoted to Korea’s modernization and independence. We Koreans bear a profound debt of gratitude to Hulbert, and we must honor his memory and carry forward his legacy to inspire future generations.“
In 1948, May – always by Hulbert’s side in his efforts to promote and educate about Korea – passed away in Connecticut shortly after their 50th wedding anniversary and was buried in the Annex section of historic Cypress Cemetery in Old Saybrook. Several months later Syngman Rhee – one of Dr. Hulbert’s middle school students – became the first President of the Republic of Korea and invited Hulbert back to Korea in 1949 after almost 40 years. Shortly after arriving, Hulbert developed pneumonia, and died on August 5, 1949. His grown children, sending him off for a month’s long ship journey, knew that he would likely not return to by buried in Cypress Cemetery, but realized his trip back to his beloved Korea was what he wanted. Hulbert’s wish was to be buried in Korea, rather than in the family plot with May, stating that “I’d rather be buried in Korea than in Westminster Abbey!.”
For more information about Dr. Homer B. Hulbert, click HERE.
