Hungarian Heritage Review, 1987 (16. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1987-08-01 / 8. szám
^Mungartan-^mertcan Profiles EUGENE M. LANG: THE MAN WITH A “DREAM” Eugene M. Lang of New York City, whose parents were Hungarian immigrants from Debrecen and whose father worked as a journeyman machinist after settling down in Harlem, is a man with a “dream”, but one that he is doing something about in order to convert it into actual reality. It is to provide poor grade-school children of Harlem's ghetto with support and counseling to help them finish elementary and high school and then go on to college. As a result of his innovative intervention into the scholastic lives of young students attending the same school he went to and graduated from, there has been a marked decrease in the “drop-out” ratio and 50 of his “adopted” kids are about to enter college. This has made such an impression upon “big money” that they're beginning to become very interested, indeed, in his “I Have a Dream” scholarship program. To be sure, Eugene M. Lang has not forgotten the poverty of his youth in Harlem, where he graduated from high school at the age of 14, but could not go on to college because his parents could not afford it. Neither has he forgotten that he went to work as a waiter — the job that got him his first big break. A wealthy customer became impressed by and interested in him and arranged a scholarship for him to Swarthmore (Pa.) College. Since then, Lang has donated about $8-million to his Alma Mater and he is doing for others what somebody did for him so long ago. Eugene M. Lang Eugene M. Lang’s philosophy is not to talk an idea to death, but to try it out before coming to the conclusion that it will not work. How well this philosophy has worked out for this 68-year-old “Father of Innovation”, who was recently honored by the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, is confirmed by his many professional and business achievements. Eugene M. Lang, founded and has been president of REFAC Technology Development Corporation since 1952. REFAC, a public company, is the world’s largest single organization specializing in the negotiation and administration of international manufacturing licenses and joint ventures. REFAC also owns various manufacturing subsidiaries in the United States and abroad. In 1963, REFAC became the first service company to receive from John F. Kennedy the President’s “E” Citation for trade expansion services to small U.S. manufacturers. Since 1970, Lang has been Chairman of REFAC Electronics Corporation, manufacturer of electronic display devices and switches, located in Barkhamsted, Conn, and of Certified Electronics Limited of Taiwan. Since 1978, he has been Chairman of Electronic Research Associates, Inc., manufacturer of power supplies and loudspeakers in Moonachie, N.J. Since 1980 he has been a Director of Alexander’s Inc., a large department store chain and of Gough Econ Inc., manufacturer of materials handling equipment. From 1963 to 1980, he was Chairman of Scriptomatic, Inc., Philadelphia manufacturer of office equipment. Before establishing REFAC, Lang in 1949 co-founded and was Vice-President and Director of the Heli-Coil Corporation (now MITE Corporation), manufacturers of industrial fastenings and tools. From 1938 to 1949, Lang served variously as a management consultant to small industry. President of a chemical manufacturer, director of industrial research for financial publication, and manager of an aircraft parts factory. Lang is internationally recognized as an expert in creating industrial projects and new technology ventures and has been policy consultant to multi-national companies. He has lectured at —continued next page 10 HUNGARIAN HERITAGE REVIEW AUGUST 1987
