Published on 07/29/2020

The Journal of Croatian Studies is a scholarly publication dedicated to Croatian history and culture. It covers a broad range of fields, including history, literature, fine arts, music, philology, philosophy and political science. It also publishes documents of historical and cultural significance to Croatian Americans and their descendants. The present editors-in-chief of the Journal of Croatian Studies are VInko Grubisic and John Kraljic (on the photo). The journal is published by the Croatian Acadmey of America, established in 1953 in New York.

Marking 60 years of existence of the Journal of Croatian Studies: 1960-2020

The present editors-in-chief of the Journal of Croatian Studies (JCS)

are and Vinko Grubisic and John Kraljic. The journal is published by Croatian Academy of America.

Joza Vrljičak in the middle, Croatian representative from Argentina,
with John Peter Kraljic (left) and Nenad N. Bach (right), Croatian representatives from the USA.

Croatoan

Dr. George Jure Prpic, former editor-in-chief of the JCS

JOURNAL OF CROATIAN STUDIES

First published in 1960, the Journal is a scholarly publication dedicated to Croatian history and culture. It covers a broad range of fields, such as history, literature, fine arts, music, philology, philosophy and political science. It also publishes documents of historical and cultural significance to Croatian Americans and their descendants.

Subscribers to the Journal include the most prestigious American, as well as Canadian, European and Australian university libraries. In Croatia, subscribers include the National and University Library (Nacionalna i sveučilišna knjižnica) and the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts (Hrvatska akademija znanosti i umjetnosti) in Zagreb.

Source croatianacademy.org/journal/

TO OUR READERS

Since its establishment in 1953, the Croatian Academy of America had planned to publish a learned journal on Croatian cultural, historical, political and economic developments. This present volume is a sincere endeavor toward fulfilling this idea conceived six years ago. The Academy and the editors earnestly hope to acquaint their fellow American Citizens with the realities, efforts and achievements of a comparatively small but essentially old European people who had settled on the eastern Adriatic shore thirteen centuries ago. Their land lay where the ancient Roman Empire was divided into tw halves: where the Church was severed between the East and the West, where the Crescent was brought and took root alongside the Cross, and where powerful ideological cultural and political influences Holently clashed.

These forces have been far stronger than the Croatians themselves. Since they were situated at the crossroad of innumerable invasions, warfare raged throughout their country for centuries. They became involved in all the great conflicts of that part of Europe. Having found themselves in either the role of vanguard or bulwark at various times, they attempted to bridge the abyss between the vastly different worlds and cultures. In every one of these roles, they risked their very national existence. Their destiny therefore has been viewed in turn as both epic and tragic, great and miserable, and it has been questioned if they have not been too often romantic and unrealistic. Their national saga, however, is a truly fascinating one. And their heritage is a colorful combination of both the ancient Slavic traditions and the Mediterranean, Central European and Oriental cultures and civilizations.

This present volume of the "Journal of Croatian Studies" is primarily devoted to history. It is our intention to eventually present the Croatian literature, art, folklore and cultural institutions in the succeeding volumes. We shall also try to cast some light upon the Croatian contribution to America, our new homeland. The Croatian Academy of America shall strive to make its Journal a useful and worthwhile medium to all those engaged in research or interested in study in this field. A part of our program is to utilize the documents from American archives connected with Croatian history and we fervently hope to find the very same helpful assistance in the future as we have found in preparing this volume. Having as an example and impetus the contemporary American scientific efforts, the "Journal of Croatian Studies" and its editors shall earnestly strive to accomplish their aforementioned aims.

THE EDITORS

THE CROATIAN ACADEMY OF AMERICA

During the summer and fall of 1952, the idea of organizing a Croatian cultural society was born among Croatian intellectuals in New York who had recently arrived to the Americap shores. While visiting New York in the summer of 1952, Professor Clement S. Mihanovich of St. Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri encouraged these Croatians to proceed to the realization of this idea. The late Professor Walter J. Reeve of Fordham University, when acquainted with this idea, wholeheartedly approved of it. He proposed that the organization should be known as the Croatian Academy of America. After several months of discussion and consultation, the Constituent Assembly of seventeen founding members approved the Constitution of the Croatian Academy of America on April 19, 1953, and elected its first Executive Council.

Professor Mihanovich was elected president, and Professor Reeve, first vice-president. Because of the great distance from St. Louis, Missouri to New York, it was Professor Reeve who actually conducted the affairs of the Academy during its first year of existence. The first Annual General Assembly, convening on May 21, 1954, elected Professor Reeve president. He was reelected to the presidency in 1955. The third and the fourth Annual General Assembly held in 1956 and in 1957 respectively, elected Rev. Nicholas Fabijanić president: The fifth Annual General Assembly, meeting on December 27, 1958, elected Karlo Mirth president for 1959. At the same time, the following members of the Executive Committee had been elected: Vice-presidents, Jerome Jareb and Rev. Ivan Ilijić; Treasurer, Miro Gal; Executive Secretary, Niksa Milosevich; Recorder, Mrs. Olga Gevaj-Hoebel.

Karlo Mirth 1917-2013, distinguished Croatian intellecutal and benefactor in the USA.
Photo by Glas Gacke.

The Constitution of the Academy defines its aim in article two as follows: "The sole purpose of the Academy shall be to further the understanding of Croatian - history and culture: the Academy shall undertake to encourage mutual assistance among its members in order to facilitate the attainment of that end."

Source www.studiacroatica.org/jcs