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Helen and John F. Szablya Papers, 1962-2004

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Szablya, Helen M.
Title
Helen and John F. Szablya Papers
Dates
1962-2004 (inclusive)
Quantity
17 Linear Feet of Shelf Space, (34 boxes)
Collection Number
Cage 728 (collection)
Summary
This collection contains materials documenting the professional and personal activities of Helen and John Szablya, including correspondence and other manuscripts, printed material, and audio-visual media.
Repository
Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Terrell Library Suite 12
Pullman, WA
99164-5610
Telephone: 509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu
Access Restrictions

This collection is open and available for research use.

Languages
English, Hungarian, German, and French.
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Biographical Note

Helen M. Bartha-Ková cs was born in 1934 in Budapest, Hungary. She married John F. Szablya (1924-2005) in 1951. John had graduated from József Nádor University in 1948 and while being employed by the Ganz Electrical Works also worked as a lecturer and research associate at his alma mater.

After the failed Hungarian uprising of 1956, Helen and John escaped from Hungary to Vienna. They then moved to Vancouver, Canada, and in 1957 John became an associate professor of electrical engineering at the University of British Columbia. In 1963, the Szablyas moved to Pullman, WA, where John was employed as a professor of electrical engineering at Washington State University (WSU). Helen graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Diploma in Sales and Marketing Management, and in 1976 received a B.A. in Foreign Languages and Literatures from WSU.

Over the next three decades, Helen and John Szablya lived and taught in several different countries, including Germany and Trinidad, finally settling in a suburb of Seattle, WA. Helen wrote Flame of a Dream, co-authored a commemorative play titled Hungary Remembered for the 30th anniversary of the Hungarian uprising, and published extensively in special interest publications such as Our Family, Inland Register, and the Hungarian Business Weekly. She served as the President of the Washington Press Association and as the Consul of the Republic of Hungary in the Pacific Northwest.

John became a full professor in 1965. During his tenure at WSU he was involved with the Electrical Power Research and Development Center (EPRDC) project, and spent several years abroad as a visiting professor at the Technical University of Braunschweig in Germany and the University of the West Indies in Trinidad. After retiring from WSU, John went on to work in the electrical engineering field as a consultant, becoming the Manager of the Electrical, Instrumentation and Control Department for Ebasco in 1981.

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Content Description

This collection contains materials documenting the professional and personal activities of Helen and John Szablya, including correspondence and other manuscripts, printed material, and audio-visual media.

In the Container List below, folder titles have been transcribed from the original office folders; these transcribed titles are enclosed in quotation marks.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Copyright restrictions apply.

Preferred Citation

[Item description] Helen and John F. Szablya papers, 1962-2004

Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in five series; Series 1 through 4 are further divided into two or more subseries.

Series 1: Helen Szablya papers, 1968-2004

Subseries 1.1: Oral History Project, 1985-1986

Subseries 1.2: Writing, circa 1969-2004

Subseries 1.3: Pregnancy counseling, circa 1972-1985

Subseries 1.4: American Translators Association

Subseries 1.5: American-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce

Series 2: John Szablya papers, 1962-2000

Subseries 2.1: Electrical Power Research and Development Center (EPDRC)

Subseries 2.2: Personal and professional papers

Series 3: Helen and John Szablya papers, 1963-2004

Subseries 3.1: Correspondence and information about the Szablya Family, 1963-2004

Subseries 3.2: Nguyen Family.

Series 4: Hungary International records, circa 1990s

Subseries 4.1: Hungary International (complete file of publication)

Subseries 4.2: Hungary International, correspondence

Series 5: Hungary International video recordings (VHS), circa 1980s

Acquisition Information

Helen and John F. Szablya donated this collection to the Washington State University Libraries between 2001 and 2007 (MS 2001-08, MS 2002-18, and MS 2007-11).

Processing Note

This collection was processed in 2007 and 2008 by Nora L. Wiechert, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of English, Washington State University.

Separated Materials

Deaccession note: some materials received with this collection were not retained for processing. Most of these, including Helen Szablya's files of clippings and Hungarian language materials, were transferred in 2009 to the American Hungarian Foundation in New Brunswick, NJ.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Electrical engineering -- Study and teaching.

Personal Names

  • Szablya, Helen M. -- Archives.
  • Szablya, John F. -- Archives

Geographical Names

  • Hungary -- History -- 1945-1989.
  • Hungary -- History -- Revolution, 1956.

Other Creators

  • Personal Names

    • Szablya, John F. (creator)

Finding aid prepared by Nora L. Wiechert
2016

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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