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This essay shows that comparable notions of humanism emerged independently in two twentieth-century scholars, Yuen Ren Chao (1892–1982) and George Sarton (1884–1956). They met as young men at Harvard University and found themselves to be compatible thinkers. They both respected the so-called facts of science, perhaps more than theories in science. They saw their task as assembling these facts for a future synthesis. They recognized the diversity of the world's civilizations, and they actively participated in trying to unite scholars of good will. At the end of their lives, they remained optimistic about the future of humanity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]