Dénes Dienes: History of the Reformed Church Collég in Sárospatak (Sárospatak, 2013)
SECONDARY SCHOOL AND COLLEGE-THE COLLEGE AND THE DEVELOPING, MODERN EDUCATION SYSTEM - Revolutionary figures. The outstanding duo of a bishop and a secular chief lay officer- Baron Miklós Vay and Bertalan Kun
SECONDARY SCHOOL AND COLLEGE 142 Count József Teleki Bishop Bertalan Kun Hungarian Chancellor in order to ease the tension between the two nations. Vay accepted the position, but, from the very first day, he opposed the monarch. As a logical consequence, he resigned the following year. For many years he did not take on any political role. In 1865, he became the Lord Lieutenant of Borsod county and, from 1867 until his death, he was a member of the Upper House. From 1888 until his death, he chaired the meetings in the Upper House. Between 1888 and 1892, he chaired the Supreme Court. During his exceptionally long political career, he filled other important positions as well, for example, for decades he was a member of the Board of Directors at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, He served his church selflessly from a very young age. Initially, he worked in two different church counties (in Szatmár and lower-Zemplén) and also as a judge in the council of Danubian church district. During the Reform Era, as the chief lay officer of the Transtisza church district for many years, he helped the Calvinists in their case. In Debrecen, he uncovered and eliminated many abuses, introduced a new curriculum, organized a seminar for teachers in public schools and assisted in the development of the botanical garden, the Museum of Physics and a sport hall. After personal attacks against him by the superintendent István Szoboszlai Pap, he resigned as chief lay officer in 1849. In 1860, he was elected to the the same position in the Cistibiscan church district and in this he succeeded Count József Teleki, after whose death in 1855 the office remained unfilled for five years. Miklós Vay likewise remained in this same office until his death, his service here spanning close to a generation in time. He also chaired the Hungarian Reformed Church Convent from 1877 until his death. In Sárospatak, Miklós Vay is most remembered for his efforts to revive the Academy of Law and the so-called residence for nobles. The purpose of this residence was to attract the interest of wealthy noble families so that they would enroll their progeny at the College. His mediation was vital in having two excellent young men, János Erdélyi and Dániel Emődy, accept the invitation offered to them by the College. Even though advanced in age, it was his perseverance which was instrumental in the Academy of Law gaining eight departments and being granted equal status with other state faculties of law. He worked together with László Hegedűs, assistant lay officer (1814-1884), and then with his son, Miklós Vay, a young sculptor artist who died at a younger age (1829-1886). He also worked with the outstanding Gyula Dókus (1849-1928) who worked as assistant lay officer of the College for forty-three years. Miklós Vay’s successor as chief lay officer was his nephew, Béla Vay (1830- 1910), who also grew up in Alsózsolca. He had extensive leadership experience as well; he was the head officer of Borsod County for twenty-two years. In addition to his political achievements, it is worth mentioning his numismatic collection of which he published a most impressive volume. Much as Miklós Vay was prominent in his leadership as chief lay officer of the church district, so did Bishop Bertalan Kun occupy a prominent place within religious circles among his contemporaries. Much like the Vay family, the Kun family also included several family members who played important roles in the life of the College in the 19th century. Bertalan Kun (1817-1910) was a descendant of the Kókai-Kun branch of the family. His father was a one-time teacher in Beregszász and later on managed the family lands and estates in Felsőnyárád. After his early years, he studied at the Reformed Church secondary school in
