The Kościuszko Foundation I
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The Kościuszko Foundation i THE SECOND ANNUAL REPOR't OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 1927-1928 The Kościuszko Foundation FOR MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIPS AND THE PROMOTION OF INTELLECTUAL AND CULTURAL RELATIONS BETWEEN POLAND AND THE UNITED STATES 953 Third Avenue New York City OFFICERS H e n r y N o b l e M a c C r a c k e n . .President P a u l M o n r o e ................. Vice-President W il l is H . B o o t h .......................... Treasurer Guaranty Trust Company of New York S t e p h e n P . M i z w a Secretary and Executive Director BOARD of TRUSTEES W illis H. Booth H e n r y N o b l e M a c C r a c k e n C e d r ic E. F a u n t l e r o y S t e p h e n P . M i z w a John H. Finley P a u l M o n r o e A. L. H u m p h r e y C . W . S y p n i e w s k i S a m u e l M . V a u c l a i n The Kościuszko Foundation SECOND ANNUAL REPORT 1927-1928 THE SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 1927-1928 'K.'W. To the Board of Trustees of the Kościuszko Foundation. Gentlemen: I his report covers some of the more important activities of the Kościuszko Foundation for the fiscal vear from Julv 1, 1927 to June 30, 1928. ' " ' I. SCHOLARS During the school year 1927-28 there were nine scholars studying on the scholarships or under the auspices of the Founda tion. Eight, i. e. four young men and four young women, were from Poland studying in the United States and one young Amer ican was studying in Poland. Three of the four Polish young ladies, one at Vassar; one at Bryn Mawr and one at Wellesley, have been given by the colleges themselves scholarships paying tuition, board and room. The Foundation only paid for their transportation expenses to the United States. To these colleges we hereby express thanks for their generous cooperation. In addition to the nine scholars there were nine apprentices, our former scholars, who upon the completion of their academic training have remained in the United States for periods varying from several months to two years in order to obtain practical experience in their respective fields of interest. Some of them have held responsible executive positions. The list of scholars follows: 1. Helen Bilińska, from the University of Lwow, at Wellesley College. Second year. Fields of study English, French and Psychology. 2. Rose Godlewska, from the Warsaw School of Business, at Vassar College. Second year. English, Economics and His tory. Returned to Poland and assumed position in the Minis try of Trade and Industry. 3. Joseph Jastak, from the University of Poznan, at Columbia Teachers College. Second year. Education, Educational Psy chology and Methods of Teaching. 4. Mary Morzkowska, from the University of Warsaw, in Iowa State Agricultural College at Ames. Second year there. Domestic Science. Received M. S. degree and was granted Rockefeller Fellowship for 6 months to study hospital work and dietetics. In February, 1929, is to assume duties as dieti tian at the Warsaw School of Nursing. (This school was founded by an American, Miss Helen Bridge.) 5. Frank Nalbor, graduate of Teachers College at Stevens Point, Wise., and of the Art Institute of Chicago, spent a year study ing Art at the University of Krakow. For 1928-29 obtained a position as teacher of Art in a Cleveland (Ohio) High • School. 6. Nicholas Olekiewicz, from the University of Warsaw, at Columbia University Teachers College. Fourth year, Candi date for Ph. D. degree. Educational Psychology and Methods of Research and Statistics. 7. Mary Patkaniowska, from the University of Krakow, at Bryn Mawr College. First year. English and American Literature. For 1928-29 was granted a scholarship by the British Federa tion of University Women, the Canadian Branch, for study in London. 8. Stefania Potocka, a graduate of the Warsaw School of Nurs ing and a graduate student in hospital administration at Bedford College (University of London), studied Nursing at W alter Reed Hospital in W ashington (one year) and as g'uest of the American Army visited a number of military and naval hospitals studying hospital work and administration. Return ed to Poland and assumed the position of Chief Nurse in the leading hospital (“Szpital LTjazdowski”) in Warsaw. 9. Casimer Studentowicz, from the University of Krakow, at Columbia University School of Business. Second year. Bank ing—theory and practice—and banking methods. In spare time worked in a number of New York banks. Returned to Poland and assumed position in the Economic Bank of Poland at W arsaw. Three II. INDUSTRIAL APPRENTICESHIPS Fully as important as student exchange, perhaps more so, is the program of industrial and business apprenticeship which the Foundation inaugurated during the past fiscal year. It is almost an universal opinion of the Polish leaders in various fields that what the new Poland needs most is young men trained in America—especially in business, banking and industry. Polish technical schools have given their graduates excellent theoretical training', but these young men are looking up to America as a country where they can best obtain practical experience. Besides, Polish industries are importing American machinery in increas ing quantities. It therefore becomes desirable, if not necessary, for the plant managers to come to America and see, through actual work in the shop, how these machines are constructed and how they can be efficiently operated. To begin with (with three notable exceptions) the Founda tion has limited the program of apprenticeship to its former schol ars who have spent at least one year at an American higher institution of learning and acquired the necessary knowledge of English as well as some general information of American meth ods in their respective fields. These student-apprentices were: 1. W alter Bielecki, with Halsey, Stuart and Co. in Chicago. Returned to Poland and assumed position in the Bank of Poland at Warsaw. 2. John Cender, studying part-time in New York University and working with exporting and importing firms. 3. Adam Gostomski, with Moody’s. Investors Service. Was also secretary to Mr. Wallace Clark on the Kemmerer Mission to Poland. 4. Thaddeus Kubiczek, with Pittsburgh Coal Co. as mining en gineer. Returned to Poland and became Assistant to Gen eral Manager in a Polish State Mine in Upper Silesia. 5. W. J. Michejda, having been for two years with Weston, Dodson and Co. (a colliery), lately as Special Assistant to the General Manager, returned to Poland to assume an important business position as a representative of an American firm in Poland, the Sullivan Machinery Co. 6. Thaddeus S. Szwabowie?: a mining engineer, with Bell View Oil Syndicate at Long Beach Field in California. 7. John J. Tichy, a mechanical engineer, with the Chevrolet Motor Co. 8. W. Wrzesień, a civil engineer who obtained his degree with distinction at Columbia University, with Roland Park Con struction Co. in Baltimore. 9. M. Zlowodzki, a mechanical engineer, with the Chevrolet Motor Co. Returned to Poland and assumed a position with the Giesche Zinc Co. (of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co.) in Upper Silesia. Four The three exceptions—apprentices who were not former scholars of the Foundation—referred to above, are: 1. George Ochenduszko, with the Chevrolet Motor Co. 2. D. Tilgner, with Gypsum Canning Co., and Armour and Co. in Chicago. 3. L. Lados, studied the methods of grain in the Middle West, thanks to the cooperation of the Bureau of Agriculture in Washington. III. GEORGE, WASHINGTON SCHO LARSHIP. On October 17, 1927, the American people celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Victory at Saratoga. In view of the fact that Kościuszko, as Colonel of Engineers in the Army of the North, selected and fortified Behmis Heights at Saratoga, thus directly contributing to the victory that proved to be the turning point in the American Revolution, the Foundation sent a four- page illustrated booklet on Kościuszko and the Foundation bear ing his name to all the principals of private secondary schools and to all school superintendents in cities and towns having a population of 5000 or more throughout the United States, over 8000 in all, with a suggestion that the material may be of use to teachers of American History and Civics. So great was the interest in this leaflet that nearly four hundred principals and school superintendents, from all the States of the Union with the exception of New Mexico and Nevada, asked for over 20,000 additional copies to be distributed among teachers of their re spective schools. Thus hundreds of thousands of school children have been told of Kościuszko and his part in the American Revo lution. In conjunction with this educational prograni, $702.84 were raised, mostly in pennies and small contributions, by the school children of America (and teachers in a few instances) for the en dowment of a George Washington Scholarship of the Kościuszko Foundation in recognition of the friendship that existed between the two patriots. Due to the almost universal prohibition of money-raising efforts among public school children, the amount thus raised may be regarded as an encouraging expression of interest in our work. The by-product of moral gains is far more significant than the financial results. The United Press story on this topic, with appropriate illustrations, was carried by nearly two hundred papers throughout the country.