Published:
By Kate Callahan
Central will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Polish Studies program in a big way. From June 9 to 11, Polish Studies will host the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences for the annual World Congress on Polish Studies.
Established in 1974, the Polish Studies Program works to inform the larger community of Americans about the “history, culture, achievements, language, art, films, and everything else that makes Poland, Poland,” says Mieczyslaw B. Biskupski, the Stanislaus A. Blejwas Endowed Chair of the Polish Studies Program.
When the Polish Studies Program was established, Biskupski says, “It was the Polish community from the larger New Britain area who raised money and support for the program. The Polish community from central Connecticut deserve the credit for creating the Polish Studies Program.”
Later, the program was established more deeply and continued to grow thanks to community and individual financial contributions matched by the State of Connecticut.
University Archivist, Special Collections and Outreach Librarian Renata Vickrey has done extensive research on the history of Polonia in central Connecticut and the community’s impact on the Polish Studies Program at Central. She states in her paper “The Local Polish Community in Action” that it was important to convey to the public and the community that they shared ownership in the program. The program was meant to contribute to improving the lives of Poles in America. It helped to create greater positive visibility for the Polish ethnic groups and improve the image of Polonia.
In its 50th year, the program is on secure footing. It is financially stable, has sustained an Endowed Chair position since 1997, and promises an academic and cultural education to students of all backgrounds at Central.
“The program was not designed to teach Polish history to kids of Polish descent,” says Biskupski. “Most of the students to whom I’ve taught Polish history are of every background imaginable and only about 10 percent of these students are Polish.”
Biskupski recalls former Central President Richard Judd tasking him with putting Central on the map regarding Polish studies. As the Endowed Chair, Biskupski sees his public role as “achieving things of a scholarly nature and popularizing things of a Polish nature.” He carries on the work of his friend and colleague Professor of History Stanislaus A. Blejwas.
When the Polish Studies Program began 50 years ago, Blejwas was hired for his credentials in Polish history.
Biskupski says, “Blejwas was very active in the community and raised support for the program in a fantastic way.”
He initiated the establishment of the Endowed Chair position, which launched in 1997. Biskupski has held the role since 2002.
The Endowed Chair position is one of only a handful in the nation, keeping company with similar titles at Harvard University, Columbia University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Toronto, among others.
“Central’s Endowed Chair is the oldest and has kept up a high level of activity for the longest time,” Biskupski notes.
The longevity of the Polish Studies Program will be celebrated in an anticipatory event in collaboration with New York based PIASA. The conference’s title, “Migrations,” is a theme central to New Britain’s large Polish community.
In addition to conference panels, there is a tour scheduled for the afternoon and evening of Thursday, June 8, from 3 to 8 p.m. The tour consists of a trip to the New England Air Museum to see the Kosciuszko Squadron exhibition, which honors one of the most active Polish squadrons in World War II.
There will also be a reception on Friday, June 9, free to all registered participants. The conference banquet will be held on Saturday, June 10, for which participants are again asked to pre-register and pay a separate fee.
For this and further information, go to https://piasa.org/conferences/.