Pulaski appears to ride into his celebration

Brigadier General Casimir Pulaski was center stage as he appeared to ride into the middle of the ceremonies honoring him in the Polish Museum of America's Great Hall on Pulaski Day.  Hundreds of celebrants including Mayor Daley; other city, state and local officials; business and organizational representatives; and many proud Polish Americans participated in a two hour event of presentations and music.  

This being the 75th Anniversary of the Polish Museum of America, the Pulaski Day celebration was even more meaningful to all those involved with this important institution in Chicago's near northwest side community.  Polish Americans have great pride in the famous  cavalry officer Casimir Pulaski, Polish born, who joined the American Revolution and became an American hero.

In addition to Mayor Daley, that pride was shared by the Hon. Judy Baar Topinka; Hon. Dorothy Brown, Clerk of the Court of Cook County; Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans; Hon. Jan Schakowsky, 9th District US Congress; Hon. Toni Preckwinkle; Hon. Walter Burnett, Jr.; Maria Ciesla, PMA President; Linda Morris, National City Bank; Miguel Alba, Jewel-Osco; Hon. Ariel Reboyras; Commander Judith Martin, 13th Police District; Stephanie Neely, Treas. City of Chicago; Frank Spula, President Polish American Congress; Wallace M. Ozog, Chairman of the Board, Polish Museum of America; Jan Lorys, Director, Polish Museum of America; Hon. Zygmunt Matinia, Counsul General of the Republic of Poland; and others.

Five students each received a $1,000 scholarship from Jewel-Osco, a new Polish Museum Partner.  Candidates for the awards were required to write a one page essay addressing the cultural relevance of the Polish Museum of America on the 75th anniversary of its founding. 

 

Linda Morris (second from right) of National City Bank presented Museum officials with a $5,000.00 check as a donation to the Polish Museum of America.

 

 

 

*The light ground area in the painting depicts the North American continent. Painted in oil by Stanislaw Batowski (1866-1946), the piece was donated to the museum by the Polish Women's Alliance of America.