Bethlen Almanac 1998 (Ligonier)

The Hungarian Reformed Federation of America

Carter, when he, Secretary of State Cyrus Vance and National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brezinski, formally agreed to the repatriation of the Crown.

Tom Lantos, “the treasure of the Hungarian-American community “ - in Senator Gordon Smith’s words - acted as the master of ceremony and organizer of the momentous occasion, and accentuated the significance of the celebration by inviting distinguished members of Congress and some participants of the 1978 delegation to the speaker’s stand. To mention but a few of the dignitaries who participated at this great event were Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle, delivered a few remarks, as did Senator Richard Lugar, Senator Joseph Biden, Jr., Senator Gordon Smith, House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt, and Representative Lee Hamilton. President Göncz and Ambassador György Bánlaki expressed their eloquent words of appreciation to the American hosts. Then, on behalf of the Hungarian nation, President Göncz presented the $30,000 replica of what Hungarians consider to be the ultimate symbol of their history, and recalled the noble event as “a new historic moment in our deepening bilateral relations.”

After the Capitol Hill ceremony, President Göncz escorted the Crown to Atlanta to present it to President Carter as a memento of the Hungarian nation’s appreciation and to place it on permanent display in the Carter Library and Museum in Atlanta. President Carter thanked President Göncz, saying: “The replica of the Hungarian crown is a wonderful gift, and I am proud to accept it on behalf of the people of the United States. The replica of the magnificent crown is a generous and gracious gesture of the abiding faith and trust that exists between our two countries. The termination of the Cold War has geared the shift in our relationship to full speed from partnership to alliance, which is a remarkable phenomenon. ”

Early Washington Years of the HRFA 1934-1935

It was in 1934 that the Commissioner of the Insurance Department of the District of Columbia decreed that any company having its charter in the capital of the United States would have to have its main office there. In order to hold on to the charter, the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America had to have a semblance of an office in Washington during the interim until the membership could make a decision at its next Convention. The Board met in March 1934 and decided to send me to Washington to represent the Federation.

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