In 1953, the New York-based United Board for Christian Colleges in China, which had provided support for those 13 universities, agreed to establish Tung-hai University in Tai-chung, commissioning I.M. Pei to serve as an architectural consultant.
在台灣熱心教育人士的奔走下，襄助 13 所基督教大學的美國紐約中國基督教大學聯合董事會（簡稱聯董會），1953 年同意在台中創設東海大學，並委託華裔建築師貝聿銘擔任校園建築規劃顧問。