The Kościuszko Foundation

The Kościuszko Foundation THE FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION BY-LAWS 1926*1927 The Kościuszko Foundation FOR MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIPS AND THE PROMOTION OF INTELLECTUAL AND CULTURAL RELATIONS BETWEEN POLAND AND THE UNITED STATES ' ' 9 5 3 T h i r d A v e n u e ' 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 G u y E. T r i p p .............................................................................................................Vice-President W i l l i s 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 B O A R D of T R U S T E E S W i l l i s H . B o o t h S t e p h e n P . M i z w a C e d r i c E. F a u n t l e r o y P a u l M o n r o e H e n r y N o b l e M a c C r a c k e n G u y E. T r i p p / S a m u e l M . V a u c l a i n THE FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 1926-1927 CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION BY-LAWS THE KOŚCIUSZKO FOUNDATION 953 Third Avenue - New York, N. Y. N h % r \ r W h ß M ó d ' ' JT PRESIDENT HENRY NOBLE MacCRACKEN, President of the Foundation S\O i 2 b.Q, K r i V STEPHEN P. MIZWA, Secretary and Executive Director THE FIRST ANNUAL REPORT of the Executive Director ---------- o - T he Board of Trustees of T h e K o ś c i u s z k o F o u n d a t i o n . Gentlem en: This report covers only those activities of the Kościuszko Found ation which pertain to its functions as a permanent organization and does not deal with the campaign for a million dollar endowment fund which we are now conducting. Since this is the first annual report, a brief survey is given of the efforts made along lines of the exchange of students between Poland and America prior to the establishment of the Foundation. 3 SAM UEL M. V AUCLAIN, Chairman Special Scholarships Committee GEN. GUY E. TRIPP, WILLIS H. BOOTH, Vice-President T reasurer THE BACKGROUND OF THE FOUNDATION The 'Kościuszko Foundation grew out of the Polish-American Scholarship Committee which began to function in September, 1924. The origin of this Committee dates back to January, 1923, when the undersigned proposed the organization of same to Dr. Ladislaus Wróblewski, the then Polish Minister at Washington, who was asked to serve as Chairman. The Minister consented to serve as Chairman on the condition, however, that at least $5,000 be procured first. He also agreed to receive the contributions, if there be any, until the con ditional sum was raised. This sum was secured among the American Poles, mostly in small contributions through newspaper appeals, within the year from August 1923 to August 1924. The Polish-American Scholarship Committee was organized in September, 1924, and was composed of the following persons: Hon. Ladislaus Wróblewski, President President Henry N. MacCracken, Vice-President Samuel M. Vauclain, Vice-President C. Dziadulewicż, Vice-President C. W . Sypniewski, Vice-President John F. Smulski, Treasurer Stephen P. Mizwa, Executive Secretary 5 SC H O O L YEAR 1924-25 In the first year of its existence, the Committee granted nine scholarships to students from Poland. Two had already been in America (Mr. W. J. Michejda and Mr. W. Wrzesień) and seven were selected by the various Polish universities upon request of the Committee. One of these students was a young lady. Each received a steamship ticket (with the exception of the two already in America) and a stipend of $500 a year. The students were: 1. W. Bielecki from the University of Wilno, at Syracuse Ufii- versity School of Business Administration. 2. Jan Cender, a graduate of a Polish “Gymnasium” and also of the “Hochschule für Welthandel” in Vienna, at Columbia University School of Business Administration. 3. Karol Kozłowski from the University of Poznan (Posen) at Amherst College. 4. Dr. Witold Krzyżanowski, who has a doctorate from the Uni versity of Krakow and during the year 1923-24 was an Instructor in Economic Geography at the University of Lublin, studied at Yale, Department of Economics. During the summer vacation, 1925, worked at Ford’s plant in Detroit and upon his return to Poland has written a book and lectured upon “Scientific Management of Large-Scale Pro duction.” 5. W . J. Michejda, a graduate of the Mining Academy at Krakow and also of the University of Pittsburgh School of Mines in 1924, studied at Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration. Having learned the technical side of mining engineering, he wanted to become acquainted with the problems of business organization and labor management. 6. M iss Marie Morzkowska from the University of Warsaw, at Columbia University Teachers College. 7. Nicholas Olekiewicz, from the University of Warsaw, at Columbia University Teachers College. 8. Francis Wolski from the University of Krakow at Dartmouth College. 9. W . Wrzesień, a graduate of the Warsaw Polytechnic Institute, at Columbia University School of Engineering. YEAR 1925-26 In the year 1925-26 the Polish-American Scholarship Committee granted ■ scholarships to nine students for the first semester, and the Kościuszko Foundation (in the meanwhile organized) gave these students scholarships for the second semester. There were eight students from Poland in the United States, and one American, Prof. Eric P. Kelly of Dartmouth College, in Poland. From among the eight Polish students, six of the preceding year's scholars had their scholarships renewed (Dr. W . Krzyżanowski and Mr. Francis Wolski having returned at the end of the first year) and two students. Adam Gostomki and Zbyszko Zielinski, were granted scholarships for the first time. 6 COL. CEDRIC E. FAUNTLEROY PROF. PAUL MONROE Mr. Gostomski, a graduate of the Warsaw School of Commerce, studied at Columbia University School of Business Administration. During the summer of 1926 he was appointed by the Polish Govern ment as Secretary-Interpreter to Mr. Clark on the Kemmerer Mission. Mr. Zielinski, a graduate of the Lwow (Lemberg) University, enrolled at Johns Hopkins. He specializes in Physics and Chemistry and upon his return to Poland his aim is to work in the metallurgical industry. Prof. Kelly spent the year 1925-26 at the Jagellonian University at Krakow—the Polish oldest university and one of the oldest seats of learning in Europe—where he devoted himself to the study of Poland’s history, literature and culture, and present day problems. He also conducted classes in English and English Literature and gave a series of popular lectures on certain phases of American Civilization. As a result of his study in Poland, he has written upon his return a number of articles— among others, a series of articles in the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine—and in the school year 1927-28 is planning to give a course in Polish Literature at Dartmouth College. In a letter of appreciation of July 12, 1926, signed by the Rector, the Dean and the Chairman of the English Department, the University of Krakow sent the following message to President Hopkins of Dart mouth : 7 The moment having arrived when this University bids good-bye to Professor Eric Philbrook Kelly, of Dartmouth College, after a year of his stay among us— we fulfill a most pleasant duty in addressing to you, Sir, a few words of appreciation of the work done by Professor Kelly in P o la n d .... His lectures, which covered the whole range of American Literature and American Civilization, and his classes, which embraced exercises in language and in the reading of English poetry, have been extremely useful and deservedly popular. Pie also gave a series of public lectures on the principal phases of American Literature and on selected subjects of American Life to city audiences. These lectures were also numerously attended and eagerly listened to. This side of Mr. Kelly's activities can without exaggeration be said to have given altogether a new start to the knowledge of America in this centre of Polish intellectual life.... By his two-fold work at Krakow, Professor Kelly has indeed worthily served the ends of the Kościuszko Foundation . ■ (s ig n e d ) J o h n L os , Prorector of the University Wl. O t t m a n n , Academic Registrar R. Dyboski, Professor of English k y ‘Kościuszko - the living link between Poland and America . ’1 Pencil sketch by W. T. Benda THE KOŚCIUSZKO FOUNDATION The Polish-American Scholarship Committee was dissolved and the Kościuszko Foundation organized on October 22, 1925—the incorpor ation being completed December 23. The Hon. Paul Cravath incorporated the Foundation and paid all fees connected therewith, as his contribution. The Polish Consulate General of New York gave the Foundation a suite of rooms for its headquarters and some of the office furniture. The American Bank Note Company donated to the Foundation 5,000 Kościuszko Memorial Certificates, to be given to contributors of $5 and more. Mr. W. T. Benda and M r. Joseph Jabłoński, furnished the drawings for the certificate. YEAR 1926-27 For the year 1926-27, twelve students have been given the opportun ity to study under the auspices or with the cooperation of the Found ation—two young ladies and ten young men, eleven from Poland in America and one from America in Poland.

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