NEWS

The First Catholic Slovak Union (FCSU) celebrated its 125th Anniversary with a gala dinner at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Cleveland on August 29, 2015. Several members of Friends of Slovakia played key roles in the celebration and/or participated in the festivities. The First Catholic Slovak Union (FCSU), also known as the ‘Jednota’ (Union) was […]

On July 22, the Slovak Embassy held a reception to honor the 2015 FOS Slovak Scholars. The event was co-hosted by Ambassador Peter Kmec and FOS Board Chairman Joseph Senko, who gave speeches thanking the students and scholarship donors. U.S. Ambassador Theodore ‘Tod’ Sedgwick, TFAS President Roger Ream, FOS Founding Chairman Ambassador Ted Russell, and […]

Dusan Hudec showed and then commented on his brilliant film “Veterans of World War II” on May 14, 2015 at the Slovak Embassy in Washington, D.C.   Friends of Slovakia supported the production of Mr. Hudec’s companion film, “The Final Mission”, shown at the Embassy last November. A photo exhibit drawn from “The Final Mission” picturing […]

Five Slovak students have been chosen to take part in the summer program at the Fund for American Studies (TFAS). The TFAS program, which takes place annually in June-July, offers both coursework and internships, providing students with real-world experience in an English-language setting.  Between 2004 and 2014, FOS sponsored 30 Slovak students for the TFAS […]

The Friends of Slovakia is pleased to introduce five scholars studying at the Fund for American Studies (TFAS) this summer. The scholars included Barbora Bodnárová (TFAS’s Engalitcheff Institute on Comparative Political and Economic Systems), Katarína Mináriková (Institute on Business and Government Affairs), Adam Šebesta (Institute on Political Journalism), and Ivana Smoleňová and Alena Čierna (both […]

The 2014 Scholars were welcomed to Washington with an informal reception on June 15. Hosted by Board member Scott Thayer and his wife Nena amidst their gardens and ponds, the reception also benefited from unseasonably comfortable weather. The Scholars celebrated the end of their first week of classes while enjoying Slovak beer and international nibbles […]

In 2014 Friends of Slovakia will commemorate several critically important events in recent Slovak history through its popular Wall of Honor plaque program. The program offers individuals, organizations, and businesses a unique and personalized way to honor family, friends, and associates, while also supporting a wide range of FOS activities. The FOS Wall of Honor, […]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate our ally and friend, the Republic of Slovakia, on her 20th anniversary of independence. In two brief decades, Slovakia has dramatically transitioned to an independent, democratic, and economically viable free nation. As some of my colleagues may know, my great grandparents emigrated from Slovakia to the United States […]

John Palka, scion of one of the most distinguished families in the history of Slovakia, has written a masterful account of Slovakia’s history. The Hodža and Palka families played a significant role in Slovakia’s history. John Palka’s mother was the daughter of Milan Hodža, the last prime minister of interwar Czechoslovakia. Mr. Palka attended the […]

FOS hosted a gala dinner for Martin and Zora Bútora on November 16, 2012 at the Washington Golf & Country Club following his presentation of the Annual Czech and Slovak Freedom Lecture at the Wilson Center in Washington. Among the 48 guests were Slovak Ambassador Peter Kmec, Czech Ambassador Petr Gandalovič, Martin Palous, former Permanent […]