Hungarian American Studies Fund
Ensuring the Future of the IHRC's Hungarian American Collection
In partnership with the Hungarian American Community, the Immigration History Research Center (IHRC) proposes to establish an endowment devoted to the preservation and promotion of Hungarian American history.
The Immigration History Research Center (IHRC) is a unit of the University of Minnesota dedicated to fostering research on and understanding of the history of American immigration. One of the nation's leading repositories of original source material on immigration and ethnicity, the IHRC locates, collects, preserves, and makes available for research the records of ethnic groups originating in eastern, central and southern Europe and the Near East. The Center also produces and sponsors a wide variety of public programs, conferences, exhibits, workshops, and publications aimed at building appreciation for the importance of immigration in American life.
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| Hungarian American wedding party and guests, East Chicago, Indiana, 1916. (Image included in COLLAGE online digital resource.) |
The IHRC's Hungarian American collection comprises a rich combination of published and unpublished sources. Included are over 800 books and pamphlets covering a wide array of subject matter. Especially well represented are works on Hungarian American literature, religion, and the experiences of émigrés in the aftermath of World War II and the 1956 uprising. The collection contains approximately 250 newspapers and serials published by, for, and about Hungarians in North America. Key titles with extensive files include Detroiti Magyar Ujság (Detroit Hungarian News), Californiai Magyarság (California Hungarians), Amerikai Magyar Szó (Hungarian Word), Magyar Naptár (Hungarian Calendar), and Nök Világa (Women's World). Among the archival materials are the papers of Hungarian American entrepreneur and activist Louis Szathmary, clergyman Francis Turmezeí, playwright Lajos Egri, and fraternal organization leader Julius Macker, along with the records of the Hungarian Scouts Association of New Jersey, Minnesota Hungarians, the Baross Gábor Social and Sick Benefit Society, and the Association of Hungarian Students in North America. The IHRC also holds extensive microfilm sets of records from Europe, including the Hungarian Evangelical Reformed Conventus Archives (Budapest) and the Hungarian Prime Minister's Office Archives.
Because of the unique value of this documentation, used by researchers from around the world, its care and development require the ongoing commitment of knowledgeable staff. The Hungarian American Studies Fund will provide staff support, research awards, and outreach services to the Hungarian American community. The first goal is the establishment of a Hungarian American Fellowship for qualified graduate students. This fellowship will annually support the efforts of a graduate student to organize, promote, and undertake research in the IHRC's Hungarian American collection. The fellowship opportunity will be regularly announced on a national level and will gain identity as a prominent educational award for emerging scholars. As such, it will serve as a permanent investment in stimulating and nurturing new research talent in the area of Hungarian American studies.
Interest from this investment is matchable on a 1:1 basis by the University of Minnesota Graduate School. Establishing the fellowship requires an initial gift or pledge of at least $25,000, with a total of $150,000 needed ultimately to endow it fully. The fellowship (as well as the Hungarian American Studies Fund in general) may be named after the primary, or "lead," donor.
As a national initiative, the creation of the Hungarian American Studies Fund will raise public consciousness of Hungarian American history, foster wider understanding of the contributions of Hungarian-speaking immigrants to American life, and make a significant investment in future scholars of the Hungarian experience in the United States.
Please consider an online contribution or pledge today. Follow the University of Minnesota Foundation link to use your credit card at the University of Minnesota Foundation's secure site. You must type in the designation "Immigration History Research Center: Hungarian American Collection (Fund 4601)" in order to have your gift directed to this particular fund. You may also submit a pledge through the same Web page. |
