Hungarian Heritage Review, 1987 (16. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1987-01-01 / 1. szám
—jäungartan of ffiame— NEW GEORGE WASHINGTON AWARD LAUREATES GEORGE LANG George Lang, a world expert on culinary affairs and “the man who invents restaurants’’; Robert E. Fuisz, distinguished producer, writer and doctor of medicine; George Jelűnek, former music director of WQXR and authority on vocal music; and the late Nobel laureate Dr. Albert Szent-Gyorgyi were honored at the 25th anniversary George Washington Awards dinner on Thursday, December 4, 1986, at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. In name and symbolism the George Washington Award was inspired by the statue of Washington erected in the City Park of Budapest in 1906 by the Hungarian immigrants living in America. Since 1961 George Washington Awards have been presented annually by the American Hungarian Foundation. The Award recognizes eminent contributions to research, human knowledge, the arts and understanding among men and nations. Among the recipients of the George Washington Award are Nobel laureates Dr. Dennis Gabor, Dr. Eugene P. Wigner, Dr. George de Hevesy, Dr. Georg von Bekesy, all born in Hungary. Other George Washington laureates have been former President Gerald R. Ford, Yehudi Menuhin, Mary G. Roebling, James A. Michener, Ambassador Arthur F. Burns, Chet Huntley, Dr. Peter C. Goldmark, Dr. Edward Teller, Dr. Theodore von Karman, Thomas P.F. Hoving, Ambassador Angier Biddle Duke, Fritz Reiner, Antal Dorati, Admiral Lewis S. Strauss, Dr. Mason W. Gross, General Robert Wood Johnson, Dr. John D. ROBERT E. FUISZ, M.D. Kemeny, Stevan Dohanos, James E. Burke, Eugene M. Lang, Andre Kertesz and Eugene Fodor. In New Brunswick, New Jersey, the American Hungarian Foundation is to build the Hungarian Heritage Center with its museum, archives, library, visitor’s center, conference and research facilities. A fund drive to raise $2.9 million in capital and endowment funds is successfully underway. An extensive archival collection about the history of Hungarians in America since colonial days as well as a museum and library collection including rare books and manuscripts is maintained by the Foundation. Restauranteur, consultant and author George Lang is founder of the George Lang Corporation, an international consulting firm described as the foremost “think tank" in the food and beverage industry. He is the author of a definitive volume, The Cuisine of Hungary, and two recent books, Lang’s Compendium of Culinary Nonsense and The Cafe des Artistes Cookbook. His column, “Table for One,” has been a feature in Travel & Leisure magazine for ten years. Robert E. Fuisz has been the recipient of major awards honoring outstanding contributions to broadcast television. He is chairman of the board of Entertainment Partners, Inc., and has functioned as executive producer of several major recent films: THE TED KENNEDY, JR. STORY (starring Craig T. Nelson, Susan Blakely and Kimber Shoop); THE LAST DAYS OF PATTON and A CHRISTMAS CAROL, each starring George C. Scott. While a resident in medicine on the HarGEORGE JELLINEK vard Medical Service in 1967, Dr. Fuisz founded Medcom, Inc., which has been a pioneer in the use of multimedia communication techniques in the dissemination of high technology medical information. George Jelűnek is the host of WQXR’s nationally syndicated weekly program, The Vocal Scene, and he was music director at WQXR from 1968 to 1984. He is a regular panelist with Texaco’s Metropolitan Opera Quiz and since 1975 he has been teaching at New York University. Hungarian-born Dr. Albert Szent- Gyorgyi, who died recently at the age of 93 in Woods Hole, Mass., received the Nobel Prize in medicine in 1937 and was honored for isolating Vitamin C, which he also found in substantial amount in Hungarian paprika. He moved to the United States in 1947 and became director of the Institute for Muscle Research at the Marine Biological Laboratory. In 1954 he was honored with the Albert Lasker Award for his research on heart muscle contraction including his discovery of actamysin. Founded in 1954, the American Hungarian Foundation is a non-profit organization devoted to furthering the understanding and appreciation of the Hungarian cultural and historical heritage in the United States. Through grants the Foundation supports student and scholar exchange programs, publications and academic programs in Hungarian studies, fellowships and research at American universities and colleges. The American Hungarian Foundation is located at 177 Somerset Street, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08903. 8 HUNGARIAN HERITAGE REVIEW JANUARY 1987
