Cai Ruilin: The President Who Perpetuates the Revolutionary Spirit in Red

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蔡瑞霖是交通部济南汽车机械学校（山东交通学院前身）的首任校长。他先后担任冀东四纵队参谋、晋察冀一分区侦查参谋，情报站站长、晋察冀军分区通讯股长、科长、参谋长、大队长，皖南军区侦查科长、干校教育长、教导团团长、农建五师办公室主任、铁道兵十一师工程处处长、铁道兵第二转建大队队长等职。
Cai Ruilin was the first president of the Jinan Automobile Machinery School of the Ministry of Communications (predecessor of Shandong Jiatong University). He held various positions, including staff member of the Jidong Fourth Front, reconnaissance staff of the Jin-Cha-Ji First Subdistrict, station chief of the intelligence station, communication section head, section chief, chief of staff, and battalion commander of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Subdistrict. He also served as chief of the intelligence department of the Southern Anhui Military District, education director of a training school, commander of an instructional group, director of the office of the Agricultural Construction Fifth Division, director of the engineering department of the Railway Engineer 11th Division, and captain of the second conversion and construction battalion of the Railway Engineer Division.

1909年9月，蔡瑞霖出生在河北遵化县一个贫寒农民家庭，祖上世代以务农为生。家中人多地少，需租种田地维持生计。即便生活窘迫至此，但在“万般皆下品，唯有读书高”的观念支撑下，他的父亲还是想尽办法为子女创造了接受教育的机会。蔡瑞霖从小在私塾刻苦学习，逐渐接触了许多新文化、新思想。目睹日本鬼子对家乡的多次“扫荡”之后，蔡瑞霖愤然投身到救国救民的革命洪流中，誓要保卫家乡、守护百姓，将这些到处烧杀抢掠、残害无辜百姓的侵略者赶走。
Born in September 1909 in a poor peasant family in Zunhua County, Hebei, Cai Ruilin's ancestors had been farmers for generations. With many mouths to feed and limited land, they had to rent fields to make ends meet. Despite their difficult circumstances, driven by the belief that "everything is inferior to learning," his father did everything possible to create educational opportunities for his children. Cai Ruilin studied diligently in a private school since childhood, gradually coming into contact with new culture and ideas. After witnessing the repeated "sweeps" by the Japanese invaders in his hometown, Cai Ruilin indignantly joined the revolutionary movement to save the nation and the people. He vowed to defend his homeland and protect the people, driving away the aggressors who were burning, killing, looting, and harming innocent civilians.

1943年9月，蔡瑞霖加入中国共产党。从抗日战争到解放战争，再到抗美援朝，他舍小家跟随革命队伍南征北战，不怕牺牲，在枪林弹雨中为民族解放和国家安定而英勇斗争。
In September 1943, Cai Ruilin joined the Communist Party of China. From the Anti-Japanese War to the Liberation War, and later the Korean War, he left his family behind to follow the revolutionary forces, fearlessly sacrificing himself. Amidst the hail of bullets and shells, he valiantly fought for national liberation and stability.

“鬼子用枪口对准我的母亲逼问：你家里有年轻的女人和孩子，男人哪里去了？是不是参加八路了？不说实话就毙了你！母亲一口咬定，男人生病死了，只有孤儿寡母一起过日子，这样才侥幸逃过一劫。在那些年里，母亲和家人整天提心吊胆，没有过上一天安稳日子，不知哪一天就会惨死在日本鬼子的刺刀下。后来，我母亲也当兵参加了革命。”蔡瑞霖之子蔡志理在采访中说，“父亲还常给我们讲起战争年代的艰苦，一场战斗下来，就会牺牲很多人，有些新战士刚刚参军，还没来得及登记姓名就永远失去了生命，家人都无人知晓。”“父亲通过这些历史事实教育我们，务必珍惜今天来之不易的幸福生活，激励我们报效祖国。”
"The invaders pointed their guns at my mother and interrogated her: 'Do you have any young women and children at home? Where are the men? Are they joining the Eighth Route Army? If you don't tell the truth, we'll kill you!' My mother firmly asserted that the men were dead due to illness, and only the orphaned and widowed were left to live together. This was the only way to escape disaster. During those years, my mother and our family lived in constant fear, never having a peaceful day, unsure if one day they would die tragically under the bayonets of the Japanese invaders. Later on, my mother also joined the revolution as a soldier," said Cai Zhili, the son of Cai Ruilin, during an interview. "My father often told us about the hardships during the wartime. After each battle, many people would sacrifice their lives. Some new soldiers had just joined the army, and before they could even register their names, they had already lost their lives forever, with no one knowing their identity." "Through these historical facts, my father educated us to cherish the hard-won happiness of today's life and inspired us to serve our motherland."

1956年2月10日，交通部致函山东省交通厅要求协助筹建交通部济南汽车机械学校（山东交通学院前身），委派蔡瑞霖同志负责筹建工作，并任命他为校长。“我国交通事业发展很快，交通部决定在济南建一所汽车机械学校，规模2000人，今年9月1日开学，第一期开办12个班计划招生480人，具体任务由我们完成。”蔡瑞霖向前来交通部报到的建校筹备组成员曹鹏程（时任山东省交通工程大队政委）、范有本（学校秘书）传达了部领导的决定。等会计李志报到后，四人便乘火车来到济南，开始了学校的筹建工作。
On February 10, 1956, the Ministry of Communications sent a letter to the Shandong Provincial Department of Transportation requesting assistance in establishing the Jinan Automobile Machinery School of the Ministry of Communications (predecessor of Shandong Jiatong University). Comrade Cai Ruilin was assigned the task of establishing the school and appointed as its president. "Our country's transportation industry is developing rapidly. The Ministry of Communications has decided to establish an automobile machinery school in Jinan, with a capacity of 2,000 students. The school is scheduled to start on September 1st this year, with the first phase offering 12 classes and planning to enroll 480 students. We are responsible for completing these specific tasks," Cai Ruilin conveyed the decision of the ministry's leadership to the members of the preparatory team for establishing the school, including Cao Pengcheng (then political commissar of the Shandong Provincial Traffic Engineering Brigade) and Fan Youben (school secretary), who had come to report to the Ministry of Communications. After accountant Li Zhi reported, the four of them took a train to Jinan and began the work of establishing the school.

从无到有，永远是最艰难。9月份第一批学生就要入学，可学校选址都还没敲定，面对种种困难，蔡瑞霖顶住压力，带领全体教职工昼夜奋战赶工期，争分夺秒抓进度。从2月份艰难筹备建校到9月份顺利迎来新生。选址、建设、开学，只用了短短7个月。
From nothing to something is always the most difficult. The first batch of students was set to enroll in September, but the school's location hadn't even been determined. Faced with various challenges, Cai Ruilin held his ground, leading all the faculty and staff to work day and night to meet deadlines, racing against the clock to make progress. From the challenging preparations in February to the smooth welcoming of new students in September, they accomplished everything within a short 7 months – site selection, construction, and commencement.

“他心里装着学校，亲自去选址、勘探地形，一开始去千佛山附近考察了好多次，蔡校长觉得，‘千佛山附近地理位置虽然优越，但山沟沟太多，填起来太慢，又太费钱。我们的学校占地面积很大，需要汽车教练跑道，另找地方吧’。最后选择了堤口村、黄岗村一带。实践证明，在这里建校，地价便宜，施工方便，工程质量好，进度快，为国家节省了大量投资，这些功劳都应归功于有远见的蔡校长。”在庆祝学校50周年校庆之际，范有本（已故）感概道。
"He carried the school in his heart, personally selecting the site and surveying the terrain. Initially, he visited Qianfo Mountain area many times for inspection. President Cai believed, 'Although the geographical location near Qianfo Mountain is excellent, there are too many gullies to fill, and the process is too slow and costly. Our school covers a large area and requires a car training track. Let's find another place.' Eventually, the Dikou Village and Huanggang Village area was chosen. Practice proved that building the school here was cost-effective, construction was convenient, the project quality was good, and progress was swift. This saved the nation a substantial amount of investment, all of which is credited to the visionary President Cai," reminisced Fan Youben (deceased) on the occasion of the school's 50th anniversary celebration.

“建校初期，由于筹备时间紧促，学校的条件相当有限，教学基础设施准备不足，只得临时将大礼堂隔开，一半用作办公室，一半用作职工宿舍，学生在未竣工的一楼上课，二、三层照常施工；学校西边是军用机场，教练机不断起降，轰鸣声影响教学；东边紧靠养鸡场；北边与大粪晒干场相邻，苍蝇横飞,气味难闻，给学校师生带来极其难忍的痛苦。”退休教师李士玉在《纪念蔡瑞霖校长》一文中写道，“蔡校长想尽各种办法，极力去改变现状，大家同甘共苦，同心同德，自力更生，没有怨言，也没有退却，终于度过了那段艰难的岁月。”
"In the early days of the school's establishment, due to the tight preparation time, the school's conditions were quite limited. The teaching infrastructure was insufficient. The main auditorium had to be divided in half, with one half used as offices and the other half as staff quarters. Students had classes on the unfinished ground floor, while the second and third floors were still under construction. The west side of the school was near a military airport, with trainer planes taking off and landing constantly, causing noise interference during teaching. To the east, there was a chicken farm, and to the north, it was adjacent to a field used to dry manure, with flies buzzing around and a foul odor that brought extreme discomfort to the school's staff and students," wrote retired teacher Li Shiyu in an article titled "In Memory of President Cai Ruilin." "President Cai tried various means to change the situation, and everyone endured together, working with one heart and one mind, self-reliant, without complaints or retreat. They finally got through those difficult years."

蔡瑞霖在艰苦的战争环境中锻造了不怕牺牲、艰苦朴素、任劳任怨、甘于奉献的精神品质。来到学校后，他依然保持红色革命情怀，并把老一辈无产阶级革命家的光荣传统和优良作风带到了学校，使山东交通学院自创建之日起，便带有鲜明的革命精神、传承着红色的基因。
In the harsh wartime environment, Cai Ruilin forged a spirit of self-sacrifice, simplicity, hard work, and dedication. After coming to the school, he continued to uphold the revolutionary spirit and brought the glorious tradition and fine style of the older generation of proletarian revolutionaries to the institution. Since its inception, Shandong Jiatong University has carried a distinct revolutionary spirit and inherited a red lineage.

千秋大业，系于教育；三尺讲台，关乎未来。为了尽快为国家建设培养出所需人才，蔡瑞霖夙兴夜寐、全心投入探索育人之道。他坚持以学生发展为本位的理念，关心关爱每一位学生。
The great cause of the ages is bound to education; the three-foot podium is connected to the future. In order to quickly cultivate the talents needed for the country's development, Cai Ruilin worked tirelessly and wholeheartedly dedicated himself to exploring the path of nurturing students. He adhered to the principle of student-centered development, caring for and cherishing each and every student.

“每到夜晚，父亲经常去“大宿舍”查铺和看望学生，看到学生的胳膊露在外面，他就会亲自上前为他们盖好被子甚至有时候清早还帮着学生倒尿壶。后来，在父亲晚年有病卧床时期，往年的学生来探望父亲，他们动情地回忆当年的情景，历历在目，对父亲甚为赞叹。”蔡志理说。
"Every night, my father would often go to the 'large dormitory' to check the beds and visit the students. If he saw a student's arms exposed, he would personally come forward to tuck them in with the blanket, and sometimes even help students empty their chamber pots early in the morning. Later, during my father's final years when he was bedridden due to illness, former students who came to visit him would emotionally recall the scenes from those years. These memories were vividly imprinted in their minds, and they held my father in high admiration," said Cai Zhili.

学校1956级（首届）学生杜成回忆起当年上学的情景，他激动地说，“冬天冷，学校为了让学生用热水洗脸洗漱，就在地下挖个坑，把大瓷缸埋到地下装满水，这样早晨起来水温就高一点。没有条件，学校给我们创造条件，我是感恩学校的。”
Du Cheng, a member of the inaugural class of 1956, reminisced about his school days and said with excitement, "It was cold in winter. To provide hot water for students to wash their faces and freshen up, the school dug a hole underground and buried a large porcelain jar filled with water. This way, the water temperature would be a bit higher when we got up in the morning. Despite the lack of conditions, the school created conditions for us, and I am grateful to the school."

学校初期餐桌紧张，部分教工提前5分钟下班去占座，蔡瑞霖得知后非常生气，明确要求教工不准提前下班，党员同志带头不要上餐桌吃饭，一律蹲在地上吃饭，把餐桌让给授课的老师先用。
In the early days of the school, there was a shortage of dining tables, and some staff members would leave work five minutes early to secure a seat. Upon learning of this, Cai Ruilin was very upset and explicitly demanded that staff members not leave work early. Party members led the way by not sitting at the tables to eat; instead, they all squatted on the ground to eat, giving the tables to the teachers who were giving classes to use first.

在关心关爱师生的同时，蔡瑞霖对师生的要求也非常严格。每天清晨，他早早来到操场同学生一起出操，晚上去教室查看学生自习情况；他特别重视教学，确立了以教学为中心，以教师为主体，其他各项工作都要为教学服务、为学生服务的办学理念，他创造条件努力提高教师的业务知识水平，组织教师进修、开展学术讲座、给教师订阅专业期刊、组织教师公开观摩教学、要求教师撰写教学论文、举办教师教案展览。并要求教师上课前必须吃透教材，不上无准备之课，让教师在每一门课程中体现思想性和科学性，不仅使学生能学到技能，更要融入爱国主义教育，在辩证唯物主义方面给学生启发。
While caring deeply for both teachers and students, Cai Ruilin had very strict expectations for them as well. Every morning, he arrived early to the playground to do morning exercises with the students, and in the evenings, he went to the classrooms to check on students' self-study progress. He placed special emphasis on teaching and established the educational concept that centers around teaching, with teachers as the core, and all other work serving teaching and students. He created conditions to improve teachers' professional knowledge levels, organized teacher training, held academic lectures, subscribed to professional journals for teachers, arranged for public observations of teaching, required teachers to write teaching papers, and organized exhibitions of teaching plans. He demanded that teachers thoroughly understand the teaching materials before class and not give unprepared lectures, aiming to infuse both ideological and scientific elements into each subject, not only imparting skills to students but also incorporating patriotism education and inspiring students in dialectical materialism.

实践其所信，励行其所知。蔡瑞霖用爱与奉献践行着为人师者的精神，并从实践中总结出“严、尊、勤、全”的校风，“三学”“四好”“五关心”的办学思路。作为老一辈的教育工作者，蔡瑞霖的大视野、大格局和大情怀，至今仍被山东交通学院广大教师作为宝贵的精神财富去学习、去传承、去践行。
He practiced what he believed and implemented what he knew. Cai Ruilin embodied the spirit of being an educator through love and dedication, and from his practice, he distilled the school ethos of being strict, respectful, diligent, and comprehensive, as well as the educational approach of the "Three Learnings," "Four Excellences," and "Five Cares." As a member of the older generation of educators, Cai Ruilin's broad vision, large-scale perspective, and profound sentiments continue to be regarded as valuable spiritual assets by the teachers of Shandong Jiaotong University, who strive to learn, inherit, and practice these values.

斯人已逝，精神永存。每年新生入学，学校都会组织学生到蔡瑞霖雕塑前开展主题活动，深切缅怀老校长，汲取奋进力量。春华秋实六十五载，学校几经调整由交专到交院，从中专层次发展成本科高校，十易其名，却初心不改，使命不渝；壮志满怀，砥砺前行。在一代代交院人的努力下，学校人才培养成效显著，学科建设取得重大突破，科研水平全面提升，国际化进程进一步加快，社会服务能力持续提升。截至目前，学校已为社会培养、培训了26万余名学生，他们与祖国交通事业的创新发展同向而行，在各自的岗位上贡献着自己的力量。
Though he has passed away, his spirit lives on. Every year, when new students enter the school, the institution organizes themed activities in front of the sculpture of Cai Ruilin, deeply commemorating the former president and drawing inspiration for progress. Over the course of 65 years, the school has undergone several transformations from being a specialized institution to a university, from a vocational college to a comprehensive university, with its name changing ten times. However, its original aspiration remains unchanged, and its mission unwavering. With great ambition and unwavering determination, the school has made remarkable achievements in talent cultivation, significant breakthroughs in discipline construction, comprehensive enhancement of research capabilities, accelerated internationalization, and continuous improvement in social service capabilities. Up to this point, the school has trained and educated more than 260,000 students for society, who contribute to the innovative development of China's transportation industry, each making their own contributions in their respective positions.

（本文刊于《山东教育》（高教）2021年7月、8月版）
This article was published in "Shandong Education" (Higher Education) July and August 2021 issues.