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
modestly relegated into the notes. He allows his voice to warm up only when speaking about the teacher and the human being. The students and disciples of Országh are, however, mostly indebted to Lehel Vadon for expressing, if not on their behalf, then instead of them, their respect and admiration with this book and for evoking the well-known figure of the scholar, the teacher and the man whose personality-forming power few could or wanted to escape. The carefully selected photos also help to bring back to life some of those well-known expressions that his students used to look at first with fear, then with awe, admiration and respectful affection. For it was a great privilege to be the student of this grand old man who not only inspired respect for his rare intelligence, knowledge, competence, but who also cast a spell on those listening to him. Who was a model of moral steadfastness and integrity, of independent spirit, of a life-long commitment to work. A model of distinguished elegance and style in physical appearance as well as in speaking —his spoken sentences could have been published as they were, both in English and in Hungarian. "A Hungarian gentleman in the Kádár-regime", when gentlemanly values were not appreciated, even less encouraged —as one of the contributors to the Festschrift, Gyula Kodolányi calls him. A model of unappeasable intellectual curiosity, who, for instance, asked his student who happened to be in Bretagne, specific questions about such little-known treasures as the unique many-figured carved calvaries there, although he already knew more about them than the natives. A truly old-fashioned professor, dignified, fearfully strict and demanding in grading and judging but deeply humane, understanding and helpful, even down to such simple gestures as, for example when a student turned up at the oral examination with a swollen tooth, he immediately dug out a painkiller and brought it and a glass of water to her before starting the exam. Who helped many of his students even years after they graduated, not only with advice and encouragement but also by assigning them tasks, such as, for instance, writing articles for the Encyclopedia of World literature (for which he did extensive editing work) , thus giving them self-confidence enough to begin scholarly research and writing on their own. 157
