Bethlen Almanac 1998 (Ligonier)

The Hungarian Reformed Federation of America

In April, on Easter Sunday, I came to Washington. A desk had been rented in a lawyer’s office in the Columbian Building on Fifth Street. I stayed at the YWCA in their transient dormitory on E Street, just a block from the Columbian Building and also very close to the Insurance Department on Pennsylvania Avenue. By appointment, I met with Mr. Marshall, the Commissioner of the Insurance Department. I had the Treasurer’s books with me. Since I could not stay at the YWCA indefinitely, it was decided that I look for an apartment and set up the office of the Federation in the apartment. I found an efficiency at 2002 P Street, NW, which truly became the first office of the Federation. The Board kept on paying the $25.00 that they had paid for the desk at the Columbian Building, and I paid the rest as my living quarters. It was to this office that the Commissioner would come every month to check our books. The Convention met in 1935 and voted to officially set up its offices in Washington, D.C. on January 1, 1936.

Our new offices were in the Chandler Building (1427 I Street, NW) on the ninth floor. From Toledo came Stephen Molnár and Valentine Boldogh. From Youngstown, Ohio, came the Rev. George E. Borshy- Kerekes, and from Cleveland, Ohio, Emery Király and the Rev. Edmond Vasvary. In March of the same year, the Board of Directors decided to assign Betti Balazs to Washington, D.C. since the office load had become too overwhelming.

The first Hungarian Reformed service with Hungarian hymns and prayer was held in the Chandler Building office. There were only men at this meeting, for women had not yet been appointed to the Board. Therefore, I was the only female at this meeting. Our first full Hungarian Reformed service was held at Grace Reformed Church on the corner of 15th and O Streets. All Hungarians living in Washington and its surroundings were invited to this service. Many came: Catholics, Jews, and, of course, Protestant Reformed people. The church is a historic building; its cornerstone was laid by President Theodore Roosevelt. Since most of the people who worked for the Federation and attended that first church service are now gone, I felt greatly blessed to have attended the service on November 23, 1986.

The next move of the office was to 1726 Pennsylvania Avenue, one block from the White House. The Federation bought this building. We were on the second floor, for the downstairs first floor was rented to a military organization. Many Hungarians came to this building and often were escorted around the city. By then there were many more workers in the office. In 1943 I retired from this office to get married.

14