Turning the pages back... November 3, 1956 (10/29/06)

Turning the pages back...

November 3, 1956

It was 50 years ago, on Sunday, October 28, that The Weekly reported the opening of the Ukrainian Institute of America, located on East 79th Street in New York City. William Dzus, a Ukrainian American inventor and industrialist, purchased the building in 1955 to move the Ukrainian Institute of America from the Parkwood mansion in West Islip, Long Island, to the Fletcher mansion in New York City.

Isaac Fletcher, a banker and railroad investor commissioned C.P.H. Gilbert in 1898 to build a house based on William K. Vanderbilt's neo-Loire Valley chateau as its model. In 1920 Harry F. Sinclair of the Sinclair Oil Co. bought the mansion and sold it in 1930 to August Van Horne Stuyvesant, a descendant of Peter Stuyvesant, governor of New Amsterdam, as New York was originally called. Mr. Stuyvesant lived there until 1953.

At the UIA's opening ceremony, Mr. Dzus said, "the dedication of this building enhances the value of Ukrainian contributions to American culture and sciences."

Entertainment was provided by Stephanie Turash, Ukrainian American opera star, and by the Bandurist Quartet directed by Roman Levitsky.

An exhibit of Ukrainian art was on display at the time, arranged by the Association of Ukrainian Artists of America. Among the sculptures on exhibit were pieces by the world-renowned Alexander Archipenko, who was present at the dedication ceremonies.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Dzus said: "American culture is like a huge river into which the streams of many European cultures flow as tributaries. It is important that the full stream of traditional Ukrainian culture make its contributions to America. It is my hope that this headquarters building will become a center for Ukrainian learning, science, art and music so that it will be preserved for posterity, so that it will be further encouraged and developed and so that its full benefits will become available to America."

Source: "Ukrainian Institute of America Home in New York Formally Opened," The Ukrainian Weekly, November 3, 1956.

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