Funds for laboratory equipment and books must be solicited from outside sources. The school was established in the city of Soochow in 1900 by the Methodist Church. The English name of the University commemorates its founding place while its Chinese name--Tung Wu, refers to the state in this area during the Three Kingdoms Period.
東吳大學由基督教衛理公會在清光緒廿六年（西元一九○○年）所創，由於當時校址設於蘇州，故英文名字為「蘇州大學」，又因蘇州係三國時代東吳國的所在地，故中文名字就叫「東吳」。