Gonski, Casimir
Lawyer, lecturer, writer. Born Jan. 10, 1869 in Mogilno, Poland. Attended schools and colleges in Poland and Germany. Was in governmental postal and telegraph services of Prussia and escaped from the Prussian army in Sept., 1890 and came to U.S. (Milwaukee, Wis.), Oct. 10, 1890. Attended St. Mary's College in Kansas and studied English under Rev. Joseph Murphy, bishop of British Honduras. First Polish student to graduate from the University of Wisconsin with the degree of LL.B. on June 21, 1893. Admitted to the bar in 1893; began practicing as the first Polish lawyer in the state of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and has practiced ever since. Enlisted as private in the Kosciuszko Guard, Company K, 4th Regiment, Wis. National Guard; promoted to rank of First Lieut., resigned a year before the Spanish-American War. Re-entered army service during the Mexican Border Mobilization and was offered the rank of major in the 3rd Battalion, 1st Regiment of the Wis. State Guard. Commissioned as First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army for recruiting purposes in the Eastern District of Wis.; upon discharge was appointed to the Food Distributing Commission together with former Ambassador Morgenthau of Turkey, the father of the present Secretary of Treasury. Owing to Germany's attitude, the committee did not act. He was subsequently appointed by John F. Smulski, president of the Polish National Committee as a liaison officer to the 5th Polish Division of General Haller's Army then stationed at Nowo Nikolajewsk in Siberia, where he arrived at the beginning of 1919 as a member of the staff of General Haller and General Janin. The 5th Division due to his work received a great deal of assistance from the American Red Cross under command of General Graves and Dr. Tensler respectively. Through his efforts four hundred Polish orphans were brought from Siberia to U.S. Translated several short stories and one novelette by Sienkiewicz; during the first World War was one of the editors of "Free Poland" and a frequent contributor to the English edition of the "Kuryer Polski" in Milwaukee under the title of "Poland's Cause." Contributor to "Poland," a monthly publication in New York in which appeared for the first time a translation of Sienkiewicz's "Letters from America." Active in literary work for the past 47 years in behalf of the Polish cause. Wrote a number of "open letters" in the American press. Decorated with "Polonia Restituta" and "Swords of HaIler"; Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Polish Embassy in Washington, D. C., have expressed their appreciation of his work. Residence: 937 W. Mitchell St., Milwaukee, Wis.From: "Who's Who in Polish America" by Rev. Francis Bolek, Editor-in-Chief; Harbinger House, New York, 1943