Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 1994. [Vol. 2.] Eger Journal of American Studies. (Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 22)
BOOK REVIEWS - Csilla Bertha: Tribute to the Scholar, Teacher and Man, László Országh. Vadon, Lehel: Országh László. Eger: Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Nyomdája, 1994. 93 pp
hugely significant work in probably the darkest decades of Hungarian history, the Stalinist '50s, according to his own principles and insisting on choosing his own crew (partly from other neglected but highly qualified scholars) ,—which, in the words of one of his disciples, Tamás Magay, was in itself more than heroic. Considered one of the greatest lexicographers in the world, Országh established a school of lexicography. Also as a lexicologist, his achievement is remarkable in tracing the English origin of part of the Hungarian vocabulary. But while the greater public knows Országh for his dictionaries, and teachers of English for his schoolbooks and English grammars, the Americanist scholar, Vadon noticably writes with the greatest enthusiasm about the Americanist, the author of not only the first history of American literature in Hungary (1967), but also of the first history of American literary-history-writing (1935) in the world. Among others Howard Mumford Jones, "one of the commanding literary historians" testifies to this: "Doubtless there exists somewhere a thorough survey of the problem of American literary history, but the only work I have seen is in Hungarian... by Országh László" (quoted by Myron Simon in his memoirs of Országh). Országh, in his book-length study of American literature gave an original, well-informed, deeply penetrating —despite its conciseness —and highly critical survey of its chief tendencies, movements and authors, always emphasizing the specially American features, the formation of national ideals and values. With his "Introduction to American Studies" (1972) and other, shorter essays on the subject Országh established American studies in Hungary, in his summarizing of the most important features of American history, literature, education, music, arts, politics, philosophy, religion, folklore and other aspects of life and thinking. Outlining the steps to be followed in introducing American studies, Országh gave directions valid even today —ones followed by many of his disciples. Vadon, in writing this scholarly biography and undertaking the editing and publication of the Festschrift expresses his respect and admiration for his mentor, so in establishing the first independent American Studies department in the country (Eger, 1990), he desired to fulfill Országh's wish to have departments of American studies, which the old scholar repeatedly 155
