April 16th, 2014 – Ellis Jacobs, SAS Class of 1949 visited campus today to talk with parents and 9th grade students about his life in China in the 1930’s and 1940’s.  Mr. Jacobs, who was born in Shanghai, China first attended a British School in Shanghai.  He and his family witnessed the traumatic changes in Shanghai as the city moved from Concession control, to Japanese control during World War 2, the Liberation, and finally the rise of the People’s Republic.  Mr. Jacobs became a Shanghai American School high school student beginning in 1946.  He spoke of drama he experienced to finish his schooling at SAS as one of 11 final graduating seniors in 1949.  Mr. Jacobs was on the front line of change.  He spoke to parents and students about the removal of Jewish internationals, the hyper inflations and change in currencies, and about his work to complete his final senior exams at SAS while Shanghai was under gun fire from various factions in and around the city of Shanghai as the Nationalist Government fled to Taiwan.  He concluded his presentation by relating how he and his mother were able to leave Shanghai and first move to Canada and then to the United States only to be drafted into the US Army during the Korean War, an experience he related expedited his US citizen process and provided him the benefits and opportunities that that his military service provided him.  Shanghai American School is most fortunate to have our past alumni visit and share with us their moving stories.  Thanks, Mr. Jacobs for your time, talents, and how you have brought a part of our school’s history back alive.