Highlights from the UNA's 110-year history (08/22/04)

Highlights from the UNA's 110-year history

A special yearlong feature focusing on the history of the Ukrainian National Association.

A changing of the guard came at the UNA's 29th Convention, held on May 22-27, 1978, in Pittsburgh, as John O. Flis, a New York attorney, outpolled incumbent Joseph Lesawyer, who was running for his fifth term, in the race for the UNA presidency. The vote was 175 for Mr. Flis, 130 for Mr. Lesawyer and 121 for the third candidate in the final round, Iwan Wynnyk.

The week was proclaimed "Ukrainian Week in Downtown Pittsburgh" by the host city.

The convention marked the first time in the history of the UNA that voting in the final round of the elections for all members of the Supreme Assembly, i.e. executive officers, auditors and advisors, was done via voting machines. (The primary round was a write-in ballot, as was traditional.)

Four hundred six delegates and 26 Supreme Assembly members participated in the deliberations. They approved a budget of $6,408,000 for fiscal year 1978-1979, and approved $50,000 in scholarships and donations to various national and charitable causes.

The keynote speaker at the convention banquet, which was attended by 600 persons, was U.S. Ambassador to Poland Richard T. Davies. A former envoy to the USSR, he delivered greetings from President Jimmy Carter and spoke about U.S.-Soviet relations and the importance of the Helsinki Accords. Another notable guest at the convention was Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kansas)

Source: "UNA's 29th Convention opens in Pittsburgh," The Ukrainian Weekly, May 28, 1978; and "Dr. John Flis elected supreme president of UNA; Dr. Myron Kuropas chosen supreme vice-president, Sen. Paul Yuzyk, Mary Dushnyck, Walter Sochan and Ulana Diachuk re-elected; Wasyl Orichowsky elected supreme organizer," The Ukrainian Weekly, June 4, 1978. The border used for this special feature is reproduced from a UNA membership certificate dating to 1919.

| Home Page |