William Penn Life, 1985 (20. évfolyam, 1-6. szám)
1985-11-01 / 6. szám
Hungarian University President Meets With William Penn Officials to Highlight Scholars’ Exchange Program by BARBARA B. BOTKIN, National Director Dr. Maria Ormos, Rector of Janus Pannonius University in Pecs, Hungary, recently met with some national officers of the William Penn Association here in Pittsburgh to discuss the possibility of the Association helping to find and develop interest in a scholar’s exchange program between U.S. colleges and her university. Dr. Ormos is a participant in the International Visitor Program sponsored by the United States Information Agency. She was in the United States from September 29 through November 2 visiting various colleges to meet with university administrators to learn more about our system of higher education, and also to discuss the possibility of an exchange program. During her stay in this country, Dr. Ormos was escorted by Eva Baer, a U.S. State Department Escort-Interpreter. A scholar’s exchange program would include a teacher as well as a student exchange according to Dr. Ormos. The teacher exchange would be for a period of one academic year in which professors would conduct courses in economics, history, geography and literature in English. A student exchange would offer a six-week summer course incorporating literature, economics, geography, history, and a Hungarian language course. Housing at the Hungarian University would be provided at no cost to the professors or students. Dr. Ormos suggested that two weeks of travel throughout Hungary could be offered by her college after the completion of the six-week student course but there would be some cost to the students. American students studying in Hungary would not need to know how to speak Hungarian. The exchange is meant to be a cultural experience for the participants and so they may learn more about Central and Eastern Europe. Hungarian students coming to the U.S. would be from various Hungarian colleges, not only Janus Pannonius. An exchange project would call for a minimum of 20 students from each country. To help launch a scholars’ exchange program, funding is needed by various organizations and educational institutions to pay for airline fares of participants. Dr. Ormos hopes her proposed plan can get under way for the 1987 academic year. Students or teachers interested in participating in the exchange program may call or write the William Penn Association for more information. Also, read the adjacent article on the Hungarian City of Pecs, site of Janus Pannonius University. !? ASMMMÍ Standing in front of the William Penn Association Home Office is: National President John Sabo and wife Ethel: Executive Vice President John F. Kenawell; National Secretary Gus G. Nagy; National Treasurer John L. Lovász; Dr. Maria Ormos, Rector of Janus Pannonius University; Gay B. Banes, Vice President Planning-General Counsel; Eva Baer, U.S. State Department Escort- Interpreter and National Director Barbara B. Botkin. Visiting Dignitaries Victor Polgár Dr. Randé Jenő PECS — EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL CENTER By DR. RUTH BIRO, Associate Professor, Duquesne University The attractive City of Pecs dates from ancient times and exhibits an interesting mix of cultures and nationalities. Hungary’s fourth largest city is regarded as one of the major intellectual centers of the nation. By the 14th Century, Pecs was an important Hungarian town. Here in 1367 King Louis the Great founded one of the earliest universities in Europe. The Renaissance poet Janus Pannonius penned his works in Latin here. Janos Pannonius University, formed from the faculties of an earlier college, includes new experimental programs. It is the most progressive of the universities in Hungary. Programs in law, economics, English, and teacher-training are among the programs where student-faculty exchanges with the United States are sought. In Pecs one finds another famous university of Hungary — the University Medical School of Pecs, which has 16 institutes and a university hospital. In addition to Dr. Maria Ormos, Dr. József G. Bognár, Chairman of the English Department of Janus Pannonius University visited the United States in Spring 1985 under a United States Information Agency sponsored trip. Prior to the visit of Dr. Ormos, Dr. Bognár developed contacts with universities interested in faculty and student exchange. ACTUARIAL COMMENTS Bruce and Bruce Company “MAYBE NOT MORE TAXES” It has been a tough year for taxes. Of course, every year is a tough year for taxes, but 1985 was especially difficult. Two of the worst-ever legislative proposals regarding insurance were tossed into the Congressional hopper. Actually they were not tosses. They were hard sliders thrown by two strong pitchers, the Treasury Department and President Reagan. Fortunately, however, it appears that both pitches have been knocked out of the ball park, at least for this year. The tax bill aimed particularly at fraternalism’s head was the one that proposed making fraternal societies subject to Federal Income Tax, in the same way as insurance companies. This bill, if passed into law, would have reduced or eliminated fraternal benefits or else put the societies at a serious disadvantage compared with insurance companies. Federal income taxes would have had to come out of fraternal benefits. Thanks to the objections of thousands of fraternalists, notably WPA officers and members, this proposal has been set aside — at least for this year. The second proposal was even more drastic. If passed, it would have made life insurance and many annuities — from either source, fraternal societies or commercial companies — more expensive to administer and more expensive to own. This was the proposal to tax the “inside buildup”, the year-toyear increase in cash values within these policies. Moreover, it would have required the tax to be paid by the insured each year even though no income was actually being received. This was one of the most — perhaps the most — potentially devastating legislative suggestions in the history of American life insurance. Now it appears, judging by comments of some key Congressmen, that this proposal has also been abandoned for this year. These proposals would not have been of real help to anyone. Instead they would have harmed fraternal societies, insurance companies and — above all — the insured persons themselves. Continued on page 4, column 1 3
