Paul was born in Lyndonville, Vermont, and he was always proud of his New English birthright.  After finishing his secondary school, he made his way to Emmanuel Missionary College in Michigan, and he obtained his   B. Th. Degree, graduating as president of his class. Interestingly enough, a classmate of his, Mae Henise, was the class valedictorian. He married her on graduation day in 1921. They then went as teachers to Union Springs Academy in the beautiful Finger Lake section of New York. After completing two years of teaching, the board chairman informed Paul that their teaching contracts were not renewed for the next year. The Quimbys were startled, until they were informed that the General Conference Mission Board had invited them to go to China as missionaries. Realizing the importance of the call and wanting to be prepared better for service,  Paul studied during the summer at EMC in courses of education and psychology to supplement his education with a B.A.

They sailed from Vancouver, Canada, for Shanghai in the company of the Brewers, Hilliard, and Wearners, three missionary families returning to China. The Quimbys spent their first year in study of the Chinese language at a school in Peking. The local pastor had found a Chinese, Wang Shih-Fu, who was stranded from Honan, who with his family became a most valued part of their lives for the next twenty-five years. He became their servant, thus releasing the Quimbys for more time in mission service.

The Quimbys soon were called to Chiao Tou Tseng, the Adventist College, which became well known throughout China for its work-study schedules and industrial programs. Paul was called upon by the Chinese Government to help them operate their academy based on similar principles as the Adventist College. This brought the Quimbys into favorable relations with the government officials in a very personal way.

The invasion of the country by the Japanese and experiences of World War II brought great changes in the work of the S.D.A. church, saga stories and experiences that have to be told elsewhere. You may read these stories in Dr. Quimby’s book entitles.  Yan kee on the Yangtze.

Because of such disruptions the Quimbys evacuated to Hong Kong and later to the United States, thus giving Paul and opportunity to do graduate work to secure his doctorate.

While in the United States Paul was able to help some Adventist Colleges: Southern Missionary College, 1940 – 43, and after his first retirement he again taught Bible at Southern College in Tennessee. He taught a second time at Oakwood College at Huntsville, Alabama, where he taught Religion classes.

Leaving his wife and son in America, he returned alone for a short term of mission service in the China Division, serving as Division Education secretary helping to build up some of the schools that had been destroyed or vandalized, including the China Training Institute at Chiao Tou Tseng.

The Quimby’s only child, Donavon Henise Quimby, had been born in Shanghai in 1929, bringing much happiness to the parents until he died at Collegedate, Tennessee, in 1965.

After leaving China for their last term, 1946 - 49, the Quimbys returned to Angwin, California, where Paul Quimby taught in the Religion Department of Pacific Union College. Even after his retirement he taught part-time for the department.

It was voted by the P.U.C. board to name the new religion building the Dr. and Mrs. Paul Quimby Hall.

Professor Quimby was a popular teacher at the colleges where he taught, and he was a frequent speaker at Seventh-day Adventist camp meetings. He enjoyed talking Mandarin to anyone whether his listener or conversationalist knew the Chinese language or not.

Only eternity can show fully the results of Doctor and Mrs. Quimby’s dedication in leading youth to Christ. As husband and wife, the Quimbys lived to celebrate seventy years of marriage.

 Mrs. Mae Quimby had a strong influence on the missionary children whom she taught at the Far Eastern Academy for 3 years in Shanghai and 1 year when the school was moved down to the new territories in Hong Kong during the early war years with China and Japan. She had been like a mother guiding them in her sunset years. 

Before Dr. Quimby passed away on June 16, 1987, they had sold their home in Angwin and moved to the Adventist Retirement Home in Yountville where Mrs. Quimby still lives. She will be 95 on July 4, 1995, her next birthday, is always of strong courage and bring smiles and cheers to many in that institute. When you visit her she is always sewing quilts for the Dorcas Society or making knitted things. In talking to her over the phone this morning, I asked her if she was making a quilt now. She replied, “ No, I can’t do it anymore. These last 10 years have been hard ones.” Truly the Quimbys may be called a living example of the early pioneers who carried the message to China. Their name is not forgotten and many times when I have gone to visit Mae, there are Chinese calling on her who have come long distances to pay their respects to her, and give thanks. The Chinese people are so very gracious in showing their deep appreciation for those who love them.