Bethlen Almanac 2000 (Ligonier)

American Hungarian Foundation celebrates 45th anniversary

AMERICAN HUNGARIAN FOUNDATION CELEBRATES 45TH ANNIVERSARY

In 2000 the American Hungarian Foundation celebrated the 45th anniversary of its establishment on December 28, 1954, in Elmhurst, Illinois. There at Elmhurst College a Hungarian studies program established in 1941 by Dr. Barnabas Dienes offered Hungarian language, literature and history courses in the excellent liberal arts college curriculum.

With the establishment of the Foundation new programs in Hungarian studies were initiated or grants were provided to support Hungarian studies at Rutgers-The State University in 1959, and Western Reserve University, Cornell University, Colgate University, Indiana University, Cleveland State University and State University of New York at Stony Brook.

As a service to its constituency the Foundation publishes a quarterly Hungarian Studies Newsletter and bibliographic reference, Hungarian Reference Shelf.

In 1989 the Foundation established and built the Hungarian Heritage Center, which includes a museum, library, archives, visitor’s center, gift and craft shop, conference and research facilities. Since then over 85,000 visitors have come to the Center to view 38 museum exhibitions.

During 2000 the museum presented “Munkácsy in America, Works of the Celebrated Hungarian Painter from American Collection”, “Herend-Hungarian Porcelain at its Finest”, from the museum’s permanent collection: “Then and Now, Recent Acquisitions of Art and Folk Art”. For twelve years the museum also has presented the “Festival of Trees” during December-January each year. Some ten to fifteen groups are invited to decorate a Christmas tree in their own tradition. In 2000 the following traditions were shown: Sweden, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Greece, Belarus, Hungary, Scotland, Hispanic-Latino.

At the 38th annual George Washington Awards dinner of the Foundation on November 16, 2000, in New York City the Laureates of the Washington Award honored were Dr. Árpád Göncz, former President of the Republic of Hungary, and Ambassador Donald Blinken, former United States Ambassador to Hungary.

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