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Home > For Educators & Students > Fellowship Opportunities : Louis P.and Mary Ann Novak

Fund: The Louis P. and Mary Ann Novak Scholarship

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.

About the Scholarship

The Louis P. and Mary Ann Novak Scholarship was established by the Novak family to honor Lou and Mary Ann Novak. Lou was president of the Croatian Cultural Society of Minnesota and its representative on the Friends of the IHRC executive committee until his death in 2004. Mary Ann served as secretary of the Friends of the IHRC in 2009 and 2010.

The purpose of this scholarship is to provide payments to new full-time undergraduate students with academic promise and financial need who also have a passion and interest in immigration history. The award is renewable for 3 additional years provided acceptable progress is shown. It may be used for tuition and fees, and academic books. Preference will be given to students with an interest in studying Central European studies, in particular, Croatian or Hungarian studies, or preference will be given to a first-generation college student(s) majoring in history.

Your Help Is Needed

As part of the IHRC’s endowment campaign, this scholarship is invested and administered by the University of Minnesota Foundation and aided by generous matching opportunities.  The University of Minnesota President's Scholarship Fund will match interest generated by this fund.

Please consider an online contribution or pledge today

Follow the University of Minnesota Foundation's link to use your credit card or make a pledge online at the University of Minnesota Foundation's secure site. Type in the designation "CLA: Louis P.and Mary Ann Novak Scholarship (Fund 7404)" in order to have your gift directed to this particular fund.