The National Slovak Society (Narodny Slovensky Spolok) was founded in Pittsburgh, Pa., by Peter Vitazoslav Rovianek on February 15, 1890. The society was the first regional, nondenominational association of Slovaks in the United States. Rovnianek, elected as the first president, determined that the organization would be "a society where all Slovaks, of whatever religious faith, occupation, gender or locale could gather together for their greater good." At that meeting an initial pool of $200.00 was collected by the delegates as a death benefit fund. Incorporated on December 21, 1894, the National Slovak Society's membership had grown to 5,184 with death and sick benefits for 35 men and 20 women by the end of 1894.
The National Slovak Society continues to be active in the tri-state area today, holding regular meetings and programs and issuing several publications and scholarships every year. Their current mission statement, adopted at the convention held in Youngstown, Ohio, in 1946, is "to provide our fraternal family members financial security via life and annuity products, while offering charitable, cultural, social and educational opportunities that benefit them and their communities." In 2008 the organization opened the National Slovak Society Heritage Museum in McMurray, Pa.
The National Slovak Society maintains a website at http://www.nsslife.org/index.php. Further information on the society and the museum can be found there.
This collection consists of five financial ledger books, and one newspaper clipping about the First Catholic Union Band that was formed by the organization. Most materials in the collection is in the Slovak language.
No restrictions.
National Slovak Society Lodge 168, Leechburg, Pa. Records, 1894-1939, AIS.1979.27, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh
National Slovak Society Lodge 168, Leechburg, Pa. Records, 1894-1939, AIS.1979.27, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
The University of Pittsburgh holds the property rights to the material in this collection, but the copyright may still be held by the original creator/author. Researchers are therefore advised to follow the regulations set forth in the U.S. Copyright Code when publishing, quoting, or reproducing material from this collection without the consent of the creator/author or that go beyond what is allowed by fair use.
This collection was processed by Eden Orelove in January 2011.
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