Hungarian Americans of Cleveland
Cleveland Press Articles
Round the World in Cleveland
By Eleanor Prech
The Cleveland Press, JUL 8 1938
What promised to be the greatest event staged by Hungarians this year takes place on Sunday, when the Hungarian Cultural Garden Association of Cleveland dedicates its garden in Rockefeller Park.
Presentation of a $2500 "good will" gate donated to the Hungarian Cultural garden by the Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Association, with headquarters in Pittsburgh, will feature the ceremonies.
The structure is 20 feet wide and 18 feet high. It is a copy of the native Szekely Kapus of eastern Hungary, and was made by Cleveland workmen. The top is a dove cote, while the rest of the wrought iron arabesque is dominated by two heat-shaped designs interwoven with tulips, oak leaves and grapes.
Ceremonies will begin at 2 p.m. with a procession, led by mounted police, in which more than 60 Hungarian societies will take part, moving over lower East boulevard from Superior avenue to the garden.
Here participants, in costumes varying from peasant to stately dresses of nobility, will form a pattern on the various levels of the garden, and the program will be launched with the raising of the American flag.
Stephen Gobozy, master of ceremonies, will introduce Judge Julius M. Kovachy, who, as president of the Hungarian Cultural Garden Association, will present the gardens to Mayor Harold H. Burton for the city of Cleveland.
Principal speakers will be Nicholas Roosevelt of New York, former U. S. minister to Hungary; Emery Kiraly of Washington, treasure of the Hungarian Reformed Federation, and Joseph Darago of Pittsburgh, supreme president of the Verhovay Association.
Dr. Louis Alexy, Hungarian consul; Senator Robert Bulkley, parks Director Hugo Varga, Congressman Robert Crosser, Judge Louis Petrash, Dr. Stephen Ciprus and Charles J. Wolfram, president of the Cultural Garden League, are on the program.
A chorus of 300 singers will present songs under the direction of Carl Tomasi. This group also will take part in a radio prededication broadcast at 8:30 p. m. tomorrow over WGAR. Mr. Roosevelt, Dr. Alexy and Judge Kovachy will speak.
The third stage of the celebration is a reception in honor of Mr. Roosevelt in the gardens of the Hungarian and Business & Tradesmen's club, 11432 Buckeye Road.
The program here includes music by quartet from the Liszt Conservatory of Music, songs by Mrs. Zoltan Takacs and Mrs. Mary Prayner-Walch, and a recitation by Elsie Volosin. A committee of more than 200, divided into 15 groups, has been working to make the dedication one of the outstanding events of the year. The executive committee, headed by Judge Kovachy, 13609 Shaker Boulevard, includes Mr. Gobozy and Joseph Fordor of 5108 Walworth Avenue.
The ceremonies culminate a ling period of work on the part of Hungarians to contribute a monument of their culture and art to Cleveland.
