Summary Information
Polish American Congress. Wisconsin Division: Records 1948-2003
- Polish American Congress. Wisconsin Division
Milwaukee Mss 72; Audio 2035A; PH 6548
6.4 cubic feet (17 archives boxes), 0.3 cubic feet of photographs (1 archives box and 1 oversize folder), and 8 tape recordings
UW-Milwaukee Libraries, Archives / Milwaukee Area Research Ctr. (Map)
Records of the Wisconsin Division of the Polish American Congress (Kongres Polonii Amerykanskiej) established as an umbrella organization in 1944 to promote the welfare of Polish-Americans, to work on behalf of Poland, and to fight communism. The collection includes by-laws and constitution, membership and administrative records (including minutes of annual meetings), publications, general correspondence, subject files documenting the group's interests such as defamation of Polish Americans, Pope John Paul II, the Milwaukee Kopernik and Millennium Committees, Polish ethnicity, and U.S. foreign policy. The collection also includes photographs documenting ethnic advocacy and education; and audio recordings of meetings. Polish, English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mil00072 ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
The Polish American Congress (Kongres Polonii Amerykanskiej) was formed at a meeting of approximately 5,000 representatives of major Polish American organizations in the United States, together with Polish clergymen, and others of Polish ancestry, in Buffalo, New York, May 28-30, 1944. The new group was established to act as an umbrella organization and advocate for all Polish Americans. Specifically, the PAC was formed to aid the United States war effort, to work for peace under the provisions of the Atlantic Charter, to unite Americans of Polish descent to work on behalf of Poland and for the benefit of Polish Americans, and to oppose communism and the concessions granted to the Soviet Union during and after World War II. In more recent years, the PAC has continued to disseminate information about Poland and the Poles, has encouraged U.S. aid to Poland, and has promoted Polish cultural and ethnic heritage among Americans. Through its state divisions and its committees formed in response to individual issues, the PAC participated in the 350th anniversary of the arrival of the first Poles in the New World (1958), the 1966 Polish Millennium, 1972 Kopernik Quincentennial, and 1976 American Revolution Bicentennial celebrations. Other work of the state divisions has included scholarship programs, commemoration of anniversaries, and education programs, the latter developed in part as a response to the rise of anti-Polish jokes.
The Wisconsin State Division of the PAC was also organized in 1944, with headquarters in Milwaukee. For more information on the Wisconsin Division see: http://pacwisconsin.com/
Arrangement of the Materials
This collection was received in multiple parts from the donor(s) and is organized into 2 major parts. These materials have not been physically interfiled and researchers might need to consult more than one part to locate similar materials.
Administrative/Restriction Information
Presented by the Polish American Congress, Wisconsin Division, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1981 and 2006. Accession Number: M81-419
Part 1 processed by Mark G. Thiel and Menzi Behrnd-Klodt, March 1982.
Part 2 processed by Anna E. Cianciara-Labourel (Practicum student), May 2008.
Contents List
Milwaukee Mss 72
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Part 1 (Milwaukee Mss 72, Audio 2035A/1-6): Original Collection, 1948-19802.0 cubic feet (6 archives boxes) and 6 tape recordings This part is arranged in two series: WISCONSIN DIVISION RECORDS and NATIONAL PAC RECORDS. The WISCONSIN DIVISION RECORDS date from 1948 to 1980, and consist of by-laws, membership records, administrative records, and correspondence, with related materials. Within the files of administrative records are minutes of annual meetings, financial and treasurers' reports, resolutions, and other papers pertaining to the meetings. Most of the documents are in Polish. Supplementing the administrative files are four tape recordings of the May 21, 1978 executive board meeting and of the delegates' meeting, January 21, 1979. The tapes are in English. Much of the general correspondence in the collection concerns local celebrations and commemorations of anniversaries in Polish and Polish American history. There are letters describing arrangements for public ceremonies, letters of invitation and regret, and programs from events. Among the occasions observed were the 50th anniversary of the restoration of independence to Poland, 1968; the 50th anniversary of the restoration of independence to Poland, 1968; the 30th anniversary of the invasion of Poland in 1939; commemoration of the Katyn Forest Massacre in 1939; and the American Revolution Bicentennial, 1979. In addition, there is correspondence opposing selection of Munich as Milwaukee's Sister City (1965) and letters written to protest a Nazi rally in Milwaukee in August 1977. Other correspondence concerns administrative matters, such as perceived PAC election irregularities (1977 and 1978), PAC national finances (1968-1974, 1977), membership recruitment (1977-1978), problems with internal communication (12 December 1975 and 16 January 1976), and the establishment of a new Texas State Division (23 March 1971). The Wisconsin Division was also involved with the 1977 Milwaukee public schools desegregation plan, and from 1972 to 1976 sought veterans' benefits for veterans of allied military forces from both World Wars. Specific correspondence files include those on defamation, stressing formation of a positive Polish identity, elimination of defamatory remarks and anti-Polish jokes, and establishment of “Project Pole,” to combat negative stereotypes; and files concerning celebrations of the Polish Millennium of Christianity and Kopernik Quincentennial. The file on Polish ethnicity promotes use of the Polish language in Milwaukee area churches, in the media, and through language classes; establishment of a Chair of Polish history at the University of Wisconsin; formation of cultural clubs; and the development of the Polish exhibit at the Milwaukee Public Museum. There is a file of correspondence concerning United States foreign policy, primarily consisting of correspondence between the Wisconsin PAC and representatives in Congress on matters pertaining to Poland. NATIONAL PAC RECORDS primarily consist of records of meetings of the Supreme Council (1962), board of directors (1956-1978), and of national conventions (1960-1976). Included in the files are minutes, agenda, committee reports, correspondence, speeches, and materials pertaining to the business under consideration. . There are also several versions of the national by-laws from different dates; national newsletters; bulletins of the Illinois Division of the PAC, with a few issues from the Michigan, New York, and Ohio PAC groups; and several “Komunikats” and news abstracts of the Studium Spraw Polskich, (the North American Study Center for Polish Affairs), a group of intellectuals associated with the PAC from 1976-1977.
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Series: Wisconsin Division Records
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Box
1
Folder
1
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By-laws, 1964, 1975, 1980
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Box
1
Folder
2
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Membership records, 1971-1980
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Box
1
Folder
3-5
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Administrative records, 1948-1980, undated
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2035A/1-2
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Wisconsin Division Executive Board meeting, 1978 May 21 : Formerly Milwaukee Tape 8.
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2035A/3-4
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PAC delegates meeting, 1979 January 21 : Formerly Milwaukee Tape 8.
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Milwaukee Mss 72
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Correspondence and related materials
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General
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Box
1
Folder
6-8
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1956-1969
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Box
2
Folder
1-6
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1970-1981, undated
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Regarding defamation
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Box
2
Folder
7
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1963-1978 April
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Box
3
Folder
1
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1978 May-1979
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Box
3
Folder
2
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Regarding Pope John Paul II, 1978
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Box
3
Folder
3
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Kopernik Committee, 1972-1974
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Box
3
Folder
4
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Millennium Committee, 1962-1967, 1970, undated
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Box
3
Folder
5-6
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Regarding Polish ethnicity, 1956-1979, undated
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United States foreign policy
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Box
3
Folder
7
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1956-1971
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Box
4
Folder
1-2
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1972-1980, undated
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Series: National PAC Records
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Box
4
Folder
3
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National by-laws, 1960, 1970, 1972, 1976, undated
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2035A/5-6
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Discussion and vote on national bylaws, election on officers: audio recordings
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Box
4
Folder
4
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Supreme Council meeting, 1962
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Board of Directors meetings
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Box
4
Folder
5-8
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1956-1975
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Box
5
Folder
1-3
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1976-1978
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Convention minutes and other records
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Box
5
Folder
4-8
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1960, 1964, 1968, 1970, 1972
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Box
6
Folder
1-2
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1972, 1976
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Box
6
Folder
3
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Newsletters, 1969-1978
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Box
6
Folder
4
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Bulletins, 1974-1979
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Box
6
Folder
5
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Studium, 1978-1979
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Box
6
Folder
6
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Miscellaneous, 1976-1979, undated
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Milwaukee Mss 72
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Part 2 (Milwaukee Mss 72, PH 6548, Audio 2035A/7-8): Additions, 1979-20034.4 cubic feet (11 archives boxes), 0.3 cubic feet of photographs (1 archives box and 1 oversize folder) and 2 tape recordings This part is arranged into four series, ADMINISTRATIVE FILES, SUBJECT FILES, PUBLICATIONS, and VISUAL MATERIALS, organized alphabetically. There is some overlap in the content of files in all four series due to the interrelated nature of the organization, its interests and its events. The records contained in the ADMINISTRATIVE FILES date from approximately 1964 to 2003, and include activity reports, bulletins, by-laws, constitutions, correspondence, financial reports, meeting minutes, membership files, newsletters, and record books. The constitutions and by-laws - in both Polish and English - included in the collection are mostly undated, spanning approximately from the creation of PAC Wisconsin up to 2000, after which the chronological files diminish drastically. The correspondence included in the administrative files relates primarily to the activities of three PAC Wisconsin leaders: Eugene Kaluzny, Edward Wojtkowski, and Mark Lazar. A substantial amount of this correspondence is related to some legal questions arising from questions of leadership and some general internal discord. The community events files detail the activities of PAC Wisconsin in the Milwaukee area, including concerts, lecture series, and banquets. Documentation of these events includes flyers, brochures, pamphlets, and letters relating to the planning and execution of the events. Many of these events were sponsored in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and other Polish community organizations in the area, and larger publications related to these events can found in the PUBLICATIONS series. The SUBJECT FILES contains mostly research and correspondence relating to PAC Wisconsin's interests, providing the foundation for many of their commemorative events and activities. Most of these files and their names were already established by PAC Wisconsin, so loose records were incorporated into existing files when pertinent. Other files were created according to subject categories and organizational interests outlined in the Organizational History. The SUBJECT FILES are composed almost entirely of newspaper clippings, as well as reproductions of articles and book chapters, and transcriptions of speeches from momentous occasions in Polish and English. Some examples of subject files representing matters of considerable interest for PAC Wisconsin include: Polish-Jewish relations, Polish-American cultural issues and ethnicity, Polish history, Janusz Korczak, the Katyn Massacre, the Rev. Waclaw Kruszka, the Polish Relief Fund, Solidarity, the Martial Law Period, Eastern European issues under Communism, and Polish Churches in Wisconsin. The PUBLICATIONS include all materials produced by PAC Wisconsin partners and related member organizations, as well as general published material on topics related to the interests of PAC Wisconsin. These include pamphlets, brochures, flyers, sheet music, and several books. Most of these publications are relating to banquets and other commemorative events organized and/or sponsored by PAC Wisconsin or its partners. Most of the pamphlets are dated, however most of the books and most of the sheet music are without dates. The sheet music provides an interesting overview of traditional Polish chorals, mazurkas, folk music and other scores used in PAC Wisconsin events. The VISUAL MATERIALS series includes photographs of people, places and events documented elsewhere in the collection. There are also many negatives in the collection, some of which mirror the prints in the collection, but several of which have no print. The highlights of the VISUAL MATERIALS series include photographs of several member organizations, many photos of Polish dancers in costume, theater troupes, musical events and authors in the cultural events folder and several photographs of businesses in the 1930s with their owners in the Polish businesses in Wisconsin folder.
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Series: Administrative Files
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Box
7
Folder
1
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Bulletins/newsletters, 1983-1989
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Box
7
Folder
2-4
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Bulletin file, 1983-1989
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Box
7
Folder
5
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Constitution/by-laws, 1964-1994
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Box
7
Folder
6
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Community events, 1979-1988
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Chronological files
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Box
7
Folder
7
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1964-1979
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Box
8
Folder
1-7
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1981-1986
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Box
9
Folder
1-4
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1986-1989
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Box
10
Folder
1-10
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1989-2001
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Box
11
Folder
1
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Landmark committees, 1973-1974
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Box
11
Folder
2
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Lazar correspondence, 1983-1995
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Box
11
Folder
3
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Membership, 1974-1995
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Box
11
Folder
4-5
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Meeting minutes, 1981-1984
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Box
11
Folder
6
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Meeting protocols and agendas, 1971-1989
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Box
12
Folder
1
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Polish Relief Fund correspondence, 1984-1989
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Record books
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Box
12
Folder
2
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1981
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Box
12
Folder
3
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1977-1984
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Box
12
Folder
4
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Various statistics, 1984-1983
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Wojtkowski
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Box
12
Folder
5
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Correspondence, 1968-1989
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Personal file
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Box
12
Folder
6
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1975-1986
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Box
12
Folder
7
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1977-1997
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Series: Subject Files
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Box
13
Folder
1
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Auschwitz convent, 1987-1989
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Box
13
Folder
2
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Copernicus event, 1973
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Box
13
Folder
3
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Jaruzelski demonstration, 1985
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Box
13
Folder
4
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Jewish-American Council meeting, 1998
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Box
13
Folder
5
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Katyn, 1980-1989
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Box
13
Folder
6
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Korczak, 1989-1993
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Box
13
Folder
7
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Korczak lecture series, 1979-1995
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Box
13
Folder
8
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Kruszka, 1987
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Box
13
Folder
9
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Kruszka Memorial Celebration, 1986-1989
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Box
13
Folder
10
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Milwaukee ethnic information, 1909-1994
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Box
13
Folder
11
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Poland/Eastern Europe, 1987-1989
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Box
14
Folder
1-3
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Polish American Ethnic Committee, 1906-1986
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Box
14
Folder
4
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Polish cultural events, 1978-1997
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Box
14
Folder
5-6
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Polish churches in Wisconsin, 1895-1898, 1964-1987
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Box
15
Folder
1-3
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Polish Jewish-relations, 1979-1999
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Box
15
Folder
4
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Polish Radio Cultural Hour, 1954-1994
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Box
15
Folder
5
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Stas Radosh, 1984-1987
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Box
15
Folder
6
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Sobieski 300 anniversary, 1983
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Box
15
Folder
7
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Solidarity, 1980-1983
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Box
15
Folder
8
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University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 1981-1994
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Box
15
Folder
9
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University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, events, 1986-1998
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Box
15
Folder
10
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World War II anniversary, 1995
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Box
15
Folder
11
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Yalta Conference anniversary, 1975
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Series: Publications
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Box
16
Folder
1
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Ecumenical Prayer Service, 1982
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Box
16
Folder
2
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Federation Life Insurance, 1976
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Holy Name Parish
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Box
16
Folder
3
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1954-1989
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Box
16
Folder
4
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1983-1989
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Box
16
Folder
5
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New Life Chorus, 1987
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Box
16
Folder
6
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“Poland: Facts and Figures,” 1971
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Box
16
Folder
7
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Polish American Congress, 1944-1994
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Box
16
Folder
8
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Polonia Appeal to Arms, 1987
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Box
16
Folder
9
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Polish Army Recruiting, 1967
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Box
16
Folder
10
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Polish Center of Wisconsin, 2000
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Box
16
Folder
11
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[folder number skipped]
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Box
16
Folder
12
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Polish Embassy, 1991
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Box
17
Folder
1
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Polish League of American Veterans, 1977-1988
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Box
17
Folder
2
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Polish Millennium Committee, 1966
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Box
17
Folder
3-4
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Polish National Church, 1971-1997
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Box
17
Folder
5
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Polish National Alliance, 1975-1995
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Box
17
Folder
6
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Polish Women's Cultural Club, 1981
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Box
17
Folder
7
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Polonia Sport Club, 2000
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Box
17
Folder
8
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Polish Women's Cultural Club, 1981
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Box
17
Folder
9
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Rola Boza, 1973
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Box
17
Folder
10
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Syrena Polish Folk Dance Ensemble, 1985
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Box
17
Folder
11
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United Circle Choirs, 1932-1982
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PH 6548
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Series: Photographs
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Box
1
Folder
1
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Cultural events, undated
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Box
1
Folder
2
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Headshots, undated
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Box
1
Folder
3
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Kruszka exhibits, 1987
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Box
1
Folder
4
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Kruszka Memorial Celebration, 1987
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Box
1
Folder
5
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Polish businesses in Wisconsin, 1939
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Box
1
Folder
6
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Polish churches, 1900-1930
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Box
1
Folder
7
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Sports and community activities, 1932
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Box
1
Folder
8
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Wojtkowski events, undated
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Oversize Folder
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Group photos
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Series: Audio recordings
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2035A/7
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Negotiations with University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, restructuring of Polish American Congress; relationship with Catholic League; petition for Polish magnet school in Milwaukee, undated
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2035A/8
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Life in communist Poland; recruiting new generations into the Polish American Congress, undated
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