The Louis P. Novak Fellowship

Croatian American Studies

About Louis P. Novak...

Of Croatian parentage (his parents came from the Croatian part of Austria on the Hungarian border), Lou spoke only Croatian and Hungarian until he was five years of age. In 1926 his family immigrated to South Bend, Indiana, in the United States. In school his love for history won him the Daughters of the American Revolution Award. Lou served as president of the St. Anthony Croatian Society in South Bend as well as president of the Croatian Cultural Society of Minnesota. He was the cultural attaché for the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Croatia in Minnesota. In that capacity, he promoted visiting Croatian artists and performers and led fund raising efforts for the newly independent Croatia. He began a Friendship Force Club in Croatia and led the first exchange of visitors in 1999.

The Louis P. Novak Fellowship in Croatian American Studies was established by Mary Ann Novak as a memorial to her late husband. Lou was president of the Croatian Cultural Society of Minnesota and its representative on the Friends of the IHRC Board of Directors until his death in 2004.

The purpose of the fellowship is to support graduate students with an interest in and knowledge of the Croatian language, culture, and history. Students pursuing research on some aspect of Croatian American history or relations between Croatia and the United States are particularly encouraged to apply. As part of their academic training, graduate fellows will participate in the care and development of the IHRC Croatian American collection.

Most existing documentation on Croatian Americans is at this time not in a library or archive, but in social halls, organization files, church offices, and in basements and attics of individuals. With this endowed fellowship, the IHRC will be better able to work with Croatian American institutions to preserve these records. The endowed fellowship will also enhance possibilities for public education through media, exhibits, and curricular materials. These programs will contribute substantially to a greater understanding of the significance of the Croatian presence in America.

Your Help Is Needed... As part of the IHRC’s endowment campaign, the Louis P. Novak Fellowship is invested and administered by the University of Minnesota Foundation and aided by generous matching opportunities. The University of Minnesota Graduate School's 21st Century Fund will match interest generated by this fund. We must act quickly--the 21st Century Fund is expected to be depleted by the end of this year. We don't want to lose this opportunity for you to double the impact of your gift.

In addition, the National Endowment for the Humanities Challenge Grant will provide $1 for every $4 in contributions to the IHRC's Endowment Campaign through July 31, 2006--making your gift even more valuable.

Please consider an online contribution or pledge today.

Follow the Campaign Minnesota link to use your credit card or make a pledge online at the University of Minnesota Foundation's secure site. You must type in the designation "IHRC: Graduate Fellowship in Finnish American Studies Fund (Fund 7455)" in order to have your gift directed to this particular fund.

You may also print this paper form and submit a pledge or donation through the mail.