Hungarian Studies Newsletter, 1998 (15. évfolyam, 51-54. szám)
1998 / 53-54. szám
Association became an affiliate of the American Historical Association in the 70s, and it was the first affiliate of the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies. The visibility of the AASHH encouraged scholars of other disciplines to join. Today in the ranks of the AASHH all social science disciplines are represented. Well-over one hundred social scientists from ten countries, Canada, Australia, Japan, Norway, Israel, Italy, Spain, France, Germany and Hungary are members. To encourage research the AASHH awards a biennial Book Prize to the best new book written in English. The prize is awarded by a three member committee, made up by the Hungarian chair at U. of Indiana, the president of the AASHH and an elected member. The $500 prize is jointly funded by the Hungarian Chair at U. of Indiana at Bloomington and the AASHH. The 1998 prize was awarded to Rudolf Tőkés (U. Of Connecticut at Storrs) for his book the Negotiated Revolution: Economic Reform, Social Change and Political Succession, 1957-1990, which was published by Cambridge U. Press. This book now is in its second printing and has just been published in Hungary. Starting next year, every other year, a smaller article prize will also be awarded to the best new scholarly article published in English in the USA. The Association is run by an elected president, vice-president and a four-member executive committee. To keep members informed of various conferences, books and articles published, (both in hard copy and on the internet) and opportunities for support, the Association publishes a Newsletter three to four times a year. The AASHH website can be found at fittp://www.fmet.msu.edu/'haí>swí>/aasíifiMm. Membership dues are $10 annually. For further information contact Susan Glanz, Division of Administration and Economics, St. John’s University, Queens, NY 11439 or atglanzs@stjohns.edu Susan Glanz A Thumbnail Sketch of the History of Kossuth's Monument in New York City New York City's statue of Louis Kossuth was unveiled on March 15, 1928. The idea for the statue was first broached by Géza D. Berkó, the editor of the American Hungarian People's Voice (Amerikai Magyar Népszava), shortly before his death in 1927. His newspaper continued the campaign for the memorial statue not only in America but in Hungary as well. The newspaper and the project were able to generate a groundswell of popular support. The directors of the Kossuth Memorial Foundation chose János Horvay, a sculptor from the “old country" to complete the monument. They decided that a representative and grand delegation of Hungarians should accompany the statue from the "old country" to the "new world.” This delegation included political leaders, high ranking military officers, clergy representing all religious denominations, nobility, peasantry, shopkeepers, workers, men and women, young and old. This large delegation of Hungarians made the pilgrimage - a total of 480 individuals - departing from Europe on two ships. Thousands of enthusiastic Hungarian-Americans welcomed them in New York harbour on March 14, 1928 to the strains of the Hungarian national anthem, the Kossuth recruitment song, and the Rákóczy march. New York mayor James Walker greeted Budapest's mayor Jenő Sipöcz on the steps of New York's City Hall, decked out in its finest festive decorations. PROFILES (Continued) The next day, on March 15th, over 15,000 people lined up for the parade for ten city blocks on the West Side from 69th to 79th street. The parade was resplendent and New Yorkers have probably not seen anything like it since. The line of marchers reached Riverside Drive at about 2:00 P.M. Tens of thousands lined the streets to watch the spectacle of men and women dressed in their finest national costumes, marching under a sea of flags and banners. A multitude of bands played as the solemn parade enchanted the onlookers with its pomp and color. All along the route the onlookers applauded the marchers enthusiastically. At the unveiling of the monument, the widow of Géza D. Berkó, was master of ceremonies. She introduced lános Horvay, the sculptor, and she officially turned the gift over to the City of New York. After two young Hungarian girls unveiled the statue, Mayor Walker gave a thank you speech of acceptance. Count László Széchenyi, Hungary's Ambassador to Washington, conveyed the greetings of chief of state Nicholas Horthy and of prime minister István Bethlen. He gave thanks for the warm welcome in New York and stressed that the Hungarian people would never forget the humanitarian and humane help of two great Americans, General Bandholtz and Jeremiah Smith. This was followed by laying wreaths at the foot of Kossuth's statue. Mayor Sipöcz informed the audience that at just this moment, timed to coincide exactly, the people in Budapest were laying wreaths at the foot of the George Washington Statue there. Following the speeches and celebrations the organizers placed some Hungarian soil under the foundation of the statue. The soil came from the Kossuth family's home town garden and other historically significant Hungarian cities. Toward the end of the celebrations a small group of Communists attempted to disrupt the meeting, but their efforts were abortive. After March 15th the large Hungarian delegation visited many other American cities, with the objective of informing the American people of the injustice and suffering imposed on Hungary by the Treaty of Trianon. President Calvin Coolidge received the 480 delegates at the White House, the memory of which is preserved by a group picture taken on the White House lawn. The reception in Pittsburgh was unforgettable and so was the reception in Cleveland. As the press reported at the time, the “American Debrecen" included a celebration in front of its own Louis Kossuth monument. Buffalo, New York also received the visitors briefly, before they went back to New York City for their departure back to Europe. They left the United States on the Cruise ship Majestic on March 30th. Part of the delegation landed at Cherbough for their train trip to Hungary. The remainder went to London, to greet Lord Rothermere, Hungary's great friend, who addressed them in the harbour. His words remain an important reminder to today's generation: “The name of Kossuth remains even today the best link between Hungary and the West." (Compiled by Tibor Cseh from the microfilm of the Edmund Vasváry Collection in the Archives of the American Hungarian Foundation. Trans, a.l.) AMERICAN HUNGARIAN FOUNDATION 45E1ÍI FORTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY YEAR 10 NO. 53-54, AUTUMN-WINTER, 1998-99, HUNGARIAN STUDIES NEWSLETTER
