Accepted Abstracts

Hungarian American Connections from Stephanus Parmenius through Lajos Kossuth

Type of Abstract (select): Individual Presentation

Abstract (max. 250 words):
Hungarian-American connections are older and more complex than most of us realize.
In fact, as early as the 16 th century, a Hungarian scholar at Oxford accompanied
Humphrey Gilbert to the new world and wrote of his adventure. In the Revolutionary
War, Michael Kovats de Fabriczay fought on the American side and died at the battle of
Charleston. The Civil War saw many more Hungarians, mostly on the Northern side
and in fact Ödön Vasvary published a book on Lincoln’s Hungarian heroes. Many of
these had come to the US after the failure of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. Lajos
Kossuth’ tour of the US in 1852 Excited the population but unfortunately did not result in
the support he had hoped to garner. Finally, I wish to mention Joseph Pulitzer, journalist
and magazine publisher best known now as the founder of the Pulitzer prize.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Enikő Molnár Basa has a PhD in Comparative Literature and has presented papers on
Hungarian and Comparative Literature at several conferences and has published
articles on Hungarian studies. Whe was editor of the Hungarian series in the Twayne
World Authores series where she also wrote the volume on Sándor Petőfi, and was
editor for the volume on Hungarian Literature for the series Review of National
Literatures (Council on National Literatures). After teaqching at various Washington,
DC area universities, she accepted a position at the Librarary of Congress from where
she retirred in 2004, afteer spending a year as a Kluge Fellow at the Library. She is a
founding member of the AHEA, and was for many years the Executive Director.

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New Home on the Range: Towards an American History of Hungarian Goulash

Type of Abstract (select): Individual Presentation

Abstract (max. 250 words):
The dish we call “goulash” was born, famously, on the grasslands of Hungary. A filling soup of beef, onions, (usually) potatoes and pasta, and seasoned generously with paprika, it began its career as food for cattlemen: the name comes from the Hungarian gulyas, or “cowboy.” It is the pride of Hungarian cuisine and Hungarian culture’s mealtime ambassador to the world. But Googling a recipe for it today yields version after version containing “un-Hungarian” combinations of ingredients—Worcestershire sauce, “Italian seasoning,” dill pickles, sweet corn, soy sauce—that more evokes Hamburger Helper than the hardy herdsman.

This paper aims to find out how gulyasleves, “cowboy soup,” turned into an anything-goes mish-mash, and to explore the changing cultural significance of the dish as it transitioned from immigrant cuisine to mainstream Americana. How did regional influences shape this evolution? When, where, and in what circumstances did goulash lose its “Hungarianness?” And what does all of this say about how dishes—and entire cuisines—change (or not) as they are passed from one socio-cultural setting to another? To investigate these questions, I will be combing 19th/20th century cookbooks, newspapers, menus, and other sources, mapping out the form and meaning of “goulash” across the U.S.A.



Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Dr. Andrew Behrendt is Associate Teaching Professor of History at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. He specializes in the history of tourism and cuisine, with articles on these topics appearing in Hungarian Cultural Studies, the History of the Habsburg Monarchy series of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, and the Innsbruck/New Orleans series on Contemporary Austrian Studies (forthcoming). He is working on his first book, The Food Cultures of Hungary, which will appear as part of the Bloomsbury Global Kitchen series

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Celebrating 100 Years of Hungarian Cleveland's Iconic St. Emeric Church Building

Type of Abstract (select): Individual Presentation

Abstract (max. 250 words):
St. Emeric Church is often one of the first places people associate with Hungarian Cleveland. It is home to the city’s last Hungarian Roman Catholic parish community and is also known throughout Northeast Ohio as a Hungarian cultural center that houses the Cleveland Hungarian School, the Hungarian Scouts, and the Cleveland Hungarian Scout Folk Ensemble.

Organized in 1904, St. Emeric Parish recently celebrated the centennial of the dedication of its church building on September 7, 2025. To mark this major milestone, the parish published a commemorative book that both examines the history of the church building and presents a thorough catalog of the statuary, murals, stained glass windows, and other liturgical furnishings and their provenance. Drawing on historic maps, newspaper articles, and archival documents featured in the book, this presentation will trace the parish’s journey from its humble beginnings in a converted building on W. 24th Street to its grand Gothic second church lost to eminent domain, and finally to its third (and current) home, which has served Hungarian Catholics on the West Side of Cleveland for the last century.

The research undertaken for this book uncovered several inaccuracies regarding key events in the life of the parish, some of which have been repeatedly reported since the 1940s. Based on these findings, an appeal will be made to reexamine non-scholarly institutional histories with primary source materials.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Nicholas Boros has served as Upper School Mathematics Teacher at Hawken School in Gates Mills, Ohio since 2018. He completed his undergraduate studies in comparative religion, linguistics, and mathematics at Cleveland State University in 2015. His primary area of research focuses on the history of Eastern Orthodoxy in the United States, and he periodically works on projects related to the development of Hungarian Catholicism in America. Most recently, he served as the editor of the commemorative book published by St. Emeric Church for the centennial of its current building.

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Book presentation: "Hungarian Roots & American Dreams: Tracing Personal and Local History"

Type of Abstract (select): Book Presentation

Abstract (max. 250 words):
Bakos, Réka, and Anna Fenyvesi, eds. 2025. "Hungarian Roots & American Dreams: Tracing Personal and Local History" (rootStories, pp. 445) is the second collection, published in the fall of 2025, of family stories involving immigration from Hungary to the United States that explores the personal journeys of Hungarian emigrants to the United States and their descendants. In addition to presenting 58 new family stories, the present volume 2 also overviews the most important settlements in the United States where Hungarian immigrants have lived, framing the personal narratives in both space and time.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Anna Fenyvesi is a linguist and associate professor at Institute of English and American Studies at the University of Szeged. She has studied the linguistic and cultural life of Hungarian-American communities since the 1990s, when she spent several years in Pittsburgh as a graduate student. Her linguistic research focuses on bilingualism, linguistic heritage, and identity preservation, most recently supported by a Fulbright research grant in 2024. Since 2019, she has also been carrying out family history research.

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Coming to America: A Portrait of Hungarian Family and the 1948 Displaced Persons Act

Type of Abstract (select): Individual Presentation

Abstract (max. 250 words):
My parents, Miklos and Maria Leovey, were World War II Hungarian refugees who were assigned the status of "Displaced Persons" or "D.P.s" and who, along with my two older sisters, were able to immigrate to the United States in February 1950 after spending several years in refugee camps in Austria. My parents came from long-established Hungarian families in eastern Hungary, with close ties to the land, culture, and people of the region. Why did they flee their homeland and refuse to return after World War II? Why did they settle in Oregon, where few Hungarians lived, instead of settling into a well-established Hungarian American community in the Midwest or the Northeast? What factors made it possible for their immigration when other members of my extended family could not, even though they met the requirement of fear of persecution? How did factors such as ethnicity, gender, age, familial status, religion, personal decisions, political, economic, and social considerations, personal narratives, and geographical dispersion enter the decisions of various governmental and non-governmental agencies enabling them to immigrate? My extensive research includes examining my parents' personal records, such as letters, photographs, government documents, family members' personal memories, and genealogy records. In addition, research on the treatment of Hungarian Displaced Persons by United Nations authorities, British and United States governmental agencies, humanitarian organizations, and contemporary newspaper reports presents a complex picture of the intersection of historical events with the realities of the immigrant experience. Included with the presentation will be family artifacts of the era.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
I am currently a student in the Doctor of Letters Program at Drew University, Madison, New Jersey. My dissertation focuses on my parents' experiences as World War II Displaced Persons and their lives in the United States. Academic degrees include a BA and MA in History from the University of Oregon, an MS in Library Science, a Teaching Certificate in Social Studies from Columbia University, and a Teaching Certificate in Social Studies from Kean University. In 2024, I was awarded the Bartlett Award in Historical Studies from Drew University.
My professional career was working in a variety of libraries.

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Negotiating agency, choice, and ethnicity: A narrative study of volunteerism in Hungary

Type of Abstract (select): Individual Presentation

Abstract (max. 250 words):
In 2025, 35 years after the fall of state socialism, Hungary faces deep social and economic fragmentation, with one-fourth of the population living in systemic poverty. One of society's biggest challenges is the lack of social solidarity as a resource for building bridges and tackling brokenness from within. Amid this crisis, voluntary organizations, such as the Hungarian Charity Service of Malta, play a crucial role in fostering social solidarity by providing daily help to those in need. This study examines how volunteers engaged in community service negotiate their experiences and identities through personal storytelling, with a focus on the issue of social solidarity. It presents findings from an analysis of 6 focus group interviews with 17 members in three local, small-town chapters of the Hungarian Charity Service of Malta. The study explores how volunteers co-construct their experiences, negotiate their ethnic belonging to build personal agency, and frame the meaning of choice in volunteer work. The focus group setting fosters the co-construction of personal experiences and foregrounds how one’s decision to engage in volunteer work affects their own lives just as profoundly as the lives of their clients. These narratives construct and reinforce storytellers' identities by mapping and reimagining the social and cultural context of remembered experiences. Findings suggest that voluntary community help emerges at the intersection of community narratives and personal stories, enabling volunteers to understand their own life experiences and mentalize and interpret their clients' socially contextualized needs.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Mónika Fodor is an Associate Professor in the Institute of English Studies at the University of Pécs. Her research focuses on narrative meaning-making, memory, trauma, identity and narrative, and the narrative ramifications of reconstructing and digitalizing memories. She has published on the conversational and discourse analysis of narratives, identity, ethnicity, oral histories, narrative, memory, and trauma in identity construction. She also researches the forms of adapting and using culture as content in the EFL classroom. Her most recent work has been published in the journals Memory Studies and Narrative Inquiry.

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250 Years of Hungarian Contributions to the United States of America: How the American Hungarian Foundation has Collected, Conserved, and Celebrated Hungarica [Hungarian American Ethnic Materials] over Seven Decades

Type of Abstract (select): Individual Presentation

Abstract (max. 250 words):
For over 250 years, individuals of Hungarian origin and descent have contributed significantly to
the political, scientific, artistic, and cultural fabric of the United States. This presentation situates those contributions within the broader context of diasporic heritage preservation by examining the role of the American Hungarian Foundation (AHF)—now in its 70th year—as a central
institution documenting, interpreting, and
celebrating Hungarian-American experiences.
Drawing upon archival sources, institutional records, and exhibition histories, this paper explores how AHF has functioned as both a repository and a cultural agent in shaping Hungarian-American identity. It analyzes three interrelated dimensions of AHF’s work: collection (acquisition and documentation of primary materials and ephemera); conservation (preservation
and digitization initiatives, including major partnerships with the National Széchényi Library and
Arcanum); and celebration (public exhibitions, lectures, and cultural programming that connect
academic inquiry with community engagement).
In critically reflecting on the Foundation’s evolving mission, this lecture also addresses broader
theoretical questions of heritage mediation, institutional memory, and the ethics of
representation in diasporic archives. It positions AHF as a case study in how ethnic heritage
organizations can bridge scholarship, pedagogy, and community identity—offering a model for
sustaining cultural continuity and academic relevance in the 21st century.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Melissa Katkó Pepin is Director of the American Hungarian Foundation, New Brunswick, NJ

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Hungarian America at 250: Heritage, Identity, and the Role of Cultural Institutions

Type of Abstract (select): Panel Discussion

Abstract (max. 250 words):
As the United States approaches the commemoration of its 250th anniversary in
2026, this panel brings together scholars, cultural leaders, and community practitioners to
examine the enduring and evolving contributions of Hungarian Americans to the nation’s history.
Spanning from the Revolutionary era to the present, panelists will explore how Hungarian
immigrants and their descendants have shaped American civic life, scientific innovation, cultural
expression, and the arts.
The discussion will also highlight the essential role of institutions and initiatives—including the
American Hungarian Foundation, the Hungarian American Coalition, ReConnect Hungary/
HHRF, and contemporary platforms such as the Hungarian Heritage Podcast—in preserving,
interpreting, and expanding access to Hungarian-American history. Community-based archives
and modern modes of communication will be examined as vital tools for reaching broader and
more diverse audiences. Through historical analysis, case studies, and lived community
perspectives, panelists will address diasporic identity, the politics of memory, and the evolving
responsibilities of cultural stewardship.
This session invites a thoughtful and forward-looking conversation about both the opportunities
and challenges facing Hungarian-American heritage preservation during America’s
Semiquincentennial, emphasizing collaboration, accessibility, and intergenerational engagement
in shaping how these histories are remembered and shared.
• Melissa Katko Pepin, Executive Director, American Hungarian Foundation
• Andrea Lauer Rice, President, Hungarian American Coalition, Co-founder Memory
Project
•Christine Portnoy
Host and Producer, Hungarian Heritage Podcast
• Agnes Szanyi, Archivist, American Hungarian Foundation



Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
1. Melissa Katko Pepin, Executive Director, American Hungarian Foundation
2. Andrea Lauer Rice, President, Hungarian American Coalition, Co-founder Memory
Project
3. Christine Portnoy
Host and Producer, Hungarian Heritage Podcast
• Agnes Szanyi, Archivist, American Hungarian Foundation

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From Mátraverebély to Appalachia: Martin Himler, Transnational Identity, and the Making of an American

Type of Abstract (select): Individual Presentation

Abstract (max. 250 words):
This presentation explores the extraordinary transnational life of Martin Himler (1888–1961)—a Hungarian immigrant from Mátraverebély whose journey from poverty and caste barriers in northern Hungary to the coal fields of Eastern Kentucky reveals profound links between Hungarian history and American Appalachia. Drawing from Himler’s autobiography The Making of an American, archival research conducted in both Hungary and the United States, and my current development of a feature documentary, this talk examines how one man attempted to build a utopian, Hungarian-led community—Himlerville—in the heart of the Appalachian coalfields. The project illuminates key cultural parallels between Hungarian village life and Appalachian mining towns, including traditions of mutual aid, the role of ethnic identity in labor organization, and the tensions between local autonomy and corporate or state power. Himler’s story also offers a unique lens into the immigrant experience of the early twentieth century, one shaped by ambition, ingenuity, and the constant negotiation of belonging.
Beyond his Appalachian achievements, Himler later served as an officer in the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) during World War II, interrogating leaders of Hungary’s fascist regime. His life therefore embodies a full arc of Hungarian-American identity: from immigrant laborer to community builder, from Appalachian entrepreneur to wartime intelligence officer shaping postwar justice in Europe.
This presentation integrates historical analysis, transnational cultural comparison, and documentary storytelling. I will share insights from both my archival research and my cinematic development process, arguing that Himler’s story not only connects Hungary and Appalachia, but also challenges us to reconsider what it means to become—and make—an American.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Stokes Piercy, MFA, Associate Professor at East Tennessee State University, is an international award-winning filmmaker, writer, and media scholar with over 14 years experience. He is an adept filmmaker with an impressive portfolio of documentaries and film works that have been selected at over 30 festivals worldwide and garnered 14 international awards. He is a 2025-2026 Fulbright Hungary Scholar for teaching and research. He is a published author and lecturer specializing in media culture, innovation, storytelling, and art. Piercy has lectured national and internationally on the intersection of popular culture and ideology in superhero and fantasy film genres. Piercy's research interests include filmmaking, screenwriting and content brand storytelling. Stokes enjoys martial arts, cooking and binge-watching Marvel movies. piercyds@etsu.edu

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Dayton Hungarians: Their Stories, Glories and Folklore

Type of Abstract (select): Individual Presentation

Abstract (max. 250 words):
ABSTRACT FOR 50TH AMERICAN HUNGARIAN EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE:

What: Individual Book Presentation for: Dayton Hungarians: Their Stories, Glories and Folklore.
Author: Mike Sakal, Award-winning journalist, columnist and communications professional, who is a second-generation American Hungarian, member of the Magyar Club of Dayton and Hungarian Reformed Church of Lorain, Ohio.

Dayton Hungarians is a two-volume set chronicling a comprehensive history of the Hungarian community in Dayton, Ohio from the late 1890s to the present.

The books contain histories of Dayton’s three former Hungarian churches, histories from families, stories about Dayton’s West Side and North Side Hungarian neighborhoods, its longtime businesses, sports, interviews with Freedom Fighters and Refugees from the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and a chapter about how the current Dayton Hungarian community is maintaining its heritage and culture.

Following the conference’s theme of 250 years of Hungarians’ contributions in the United States, the Dayton Hungarian community has a significant one: Back in 1902-1903, Charles Taylor, who built the engine for Orville and Wilbur Wright’s first airplane, demonstrated the engine in a back room of Hungarian-Jewish Labor Contractor J.D. Moskowitz’s Clubhouse and Saloon in Dayton’s West Side Hungarian neighborhood.

Seeking financial support from the Dayton Hungarian community, the West Side Hungarians provided $300 that went toward the Wright Brothers’ Airplane engine that flew in their “aeroplane” in the first historic flight in Kittyhawk, North Carolina on December 17, 1903.

Thus, the Dayton Hungarian community played a significant role in one of the world’s biggest inventions – Aviation.

Author Mike Sakal
Dayton, Ohio



Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Mike Sakal is an Associated Press award-winning journalist and columnist in Arizona and Ohio, and an award-winning government communications professional.

A native of Dayton, Ohio where his Hungarian immigrant grandparents settled, Mike is a second-generation American Hungarian.

He currently is a longtime member of the Magyar Club of Dayton and Hungarian Reformed Church in Lorain, Ohio.

Dayton Hungarians is Sakal's first book.

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Margaret Mahler: A Pioneer of Child Psychoanalysis

Type of Abstract (select): Individual Presentation

Abstract (max. 250 words):
Margaret Mahler (née Schönberger, 1897–1985) was a Hungarian physician, psychiatrist, and psychoanalyst, renowned for her groundbreaking work in child development. Born in Sopron, Hungary, on May 10, 1897, she was the daughter of the respected chief medical officer, Dr. Gusztáv Schönberger, president of the Neolog Jewish community.
After completing her early education in Sopron, Margit moved to Budapest at age 16. She began her medical studies there, but antisemitism forced her to continue her training at several German universities (Munich, Jena), ultimately earning her medical degree from the University of Heidelberg in 1922.
In 1923, Mahler began her practice and psychoanalytic training in Vienna. She married Dr. Paul Mahler in 1936. Following the Nazi takeover in 1938, the couple fled Europe, first to London and then to the United States.
In New York, Mahler quickly established herself in the psychoanalytic community. By 1950, she was directing the child psychoanalytic training program at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Her primary focus became the mother-child relationship and the crucial separation-individuation process.
Her major contribution, the book The Psychological Birth of the Human Infant (1975), was a landmark achievement, cementing her reputation as one of the most distinguished psychoanalysts of her era.
Margaret and Paul Mahler were interred in the Sopron Israelite Cemetery in 1986, in her father’s grave. In 1997, a memorial plaque was unveiled at her birthplace in Sopron, Várkerület 77.



Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
I was born in Cluj-Napoca in 1971 and received my Master's Degree in Architecture from the University of Pécs in 2006. I completed my DLA degree summa cum laude in 2015, with my doctoral research focusing on the history of the Jewish community in Sopron, resulting in two bilingual volumes. Since June 2010, I have served as the Monument Protection Inspector for the inner city of Sopron. I have also been researching the Hungarian Gold Train since 2017, publishing two studies on the topic. Since 2022, I have been working as an Associate Professor at the Institute of Creative Industries at the University of Sopron.

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