Nikodem Piotrowski
Nikodem Piotrowski | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1863 |
| Died | February 6, 1932 (aged 68–69) Chicago, Illinois |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | University of Notre Dame Indiana University at Valparaiso |
| Academic work | |
| Institutions | St. Thomas College Loyola University Chicago |
Nikodem L. Piotrowski (1863–6 February 1932) was a Polish-American professor, lawyer and president of the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America (PRCUA).
Early life and education[edit]
Nikodem was born in 1863 in Bnin to Szymon Piotrowski. During his early life, he studied at local schools and in Berlin. In 1882, he moved to the United States,[1] studying at the University of Notre Dame before graduating from the Indiana University at Valparaiso.[2]
Career[edit]
Lawyer and politician[edit]
In 1889, Nikodem was admitted to practice law. He was professor of physics and chemistry at the University of St. Thomas, then known as St. Thomas College, between 1889 and 1890.[3] He also taught law at Loyola University Chicago.[2] He began practicing law in Detroit in 1891, and later moved to Chicago in 1892 and started his own law practice.[4]
Between 1897 and 1902, Nikodem was assistant corporate attorney for the city of Chicago. In 1906, he was nominated by the Democratic Party as a candidate for the position of treasurer of Illinois,[3] losing to John Smulski.[5] He was noted by the National Corporation Register in 1907 as "one of the best known Poles in the city [of Chicago]."[6]
In 1911, Nikodem was appointed attorney for Chicago; he was also appointed legal advisor for the PRCUA the same year. He served in the former position until 1915 when he resigned to become a correspondent for the Chicago Herald in Europe.[3] He also served as treasurer of the Polish National Department, for which he was awarded the High Medal of the Rebuilt Homeland.[7] In 1923, he was awarded the Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.[8]
PRCUA[edit]
In 1917, Nikodem was elected president of the PRCUA; he was re-elected in 1919. During his term as president, he increased membership fees and implemented a 50-cent one-time tax to cover benefits for those that died in military service;[3][7] according to Karol Wachtel, the former laid the foundation for further development in the PRCUA.[7]
During his presidency, a daily newspaper, Dziennik Zjednoczenia, was established.[9]
Death[edit]
Nikodem died on February 6, 1932, at Billings Memorial Hospital in Chicago following a surgery. He was buried in St. Adalbert Cemetery.[3]
References[edit]
- ^ Wachtel 1913, p. 355.
- ^ a b Knawa, Anne (1989). As God Shall Ordain: A History of the Franciscan Sisters of Chicago, 1894-1987. p. 104.
- ^ a b c d e Kowalewicz, Lidia (May 2022). "Leaders of the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America: Nikodem Piotrowski". Naród Polski. Vol. CXXXVII, no. 5. pp. 18–19.
- ^ Wachtel 1913, p. 356.
- ^ Babinski, Grzegorz; Babinski, Miroslaw (1979). Poles in History and Culture of the United States of America. p. 70. ISBN 9788304003064.
- ^ "Chicago Lawyers". National Corporation Register. Vol. XXXIII, no. 1. 1907. p. 14.
- ^ a b c Wachtel 1944, p. 167.
- ^ Miesięcznik Franciszkański (in Polish). Vol. XVII. 1923. p. 93.
- ^ Rosypal, Kathryn (1 June 2013). "History of the PRCUA" (PDF). Naród Polski. Vol. CXXVII, no. 7.
Bibliography[edit]
- Wachtel, Karol (1913). Z. P. R. K. dzieje Zjednoczenia Polskiego Rzym.-Kat. w Ameryce (in Polish). pp. 355–357.
- Wachtel, Karol (1944). Polonja w Ameryce: dzieje i dorobek (in Polish). pp. 166–167.