William Woodville Rockhill...

Once almost forgotten except in connection with the formulation of the historic "Open Door Policy" for China, William Woodville Rockhill's renown is experiencing a revival among members of a new generation interested in Tibetan culture. Rockhill was the first American to learn to read, write, and speak Tibetan fluently, and one of the first Westerners to be hosted by the Dalai Lama, conversing with the spiritual leader directly in his own language. Unlike the conventional image of a cloistered scholar. Rockhill, like many fellow Tibetologists, was happiest when on a difficult and dangerous pilgrimage.