John K. Fairbank
On a visit to Cornell University in 1916, she met Hu Shih, who was studying philosophy, and her future husband H. C. Zen (Ren Hongjun), who was studying chemistry. Returning to China in 1920, she taught Western history at Beijing University. Chen married Ren Hongjun on September 27, 1920. She and her husband had three children, a son and two daughters. The eldest daughter, E-tu Zen Sun, earned a PhD at Harvard University under John K. Fairbank and published widely.