Liszka, Edmund
(Aug. 25, 1912 - Apr. 29, 2006)When the Hartford Times had a radio station in 1939, it looked for ways to appeal to the growing Polish population in and around the capital of Connecticut. The official census of 1930 listed 3,027 persons born in Poland in Hartford, which boasted a Polish church since 1892, or 9,540 in all of Hartford County, approximately one third of the number of foreign-born Poles in Connecticut. The idea of starting a Polish radio program in Hartford followed the success of Ed Krolikowski who built up a wide audience for station WCIC in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where his polka band appeared, or was heard, once a week from 1928 to 1938 when it moved to the radio station in New Haven with a larger audience.
After searching a long time, Station WTHT found a skinny railway dispatcher named Edmund Liszka, with three years of college education, and turned him into a Polish radio announcer. He was born August 25, 1912, in Nashua, New Hampshire, the son of Wojciech Liszka and Franciszka Waclawik, and grew up in Poland. He returned to the United States in 1938 and found a job in Hartford. On April 29, 1942, three years after Germany and the Soviet Union invaded Poland, Liszka took a leave of absence from his two jobs and enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served in the intelligence wing of the 9th Air Force in Europe. After the war, he returned to Hartford and resumed the Polish radio program. When the station changed hands, he moved to another station and another and finally entered the television field. It became the longest program of its kind in the United States.
The longer he appeared on radio and television, the more he accomplished. For one thing, his countrymen, who rushed to buy radios when he first went on the air, learned English faster by listening to a program they understood than in another way. It inspired him to devote his life to the service of the Polish community. He was a recipient of the Cross of Merit of the Republic of Poland for proposing Polish Day in Connecticut and promoting Polish culture. Remarkably, on April 28, 2006, the day before he died, the Polish flag was raised over the Capitol in Hartford in honor of Polish Day and 300,000 Poles in Connecticut, nearly ten percent of the state's population, and remained on the flag pole until May 5, 2006.
Until the Polish newspapers folded, he covered the news in Connecticut for Dziennik dla Wszytkich in Buffalo and Nowy Swiat in New York. He established the Liszka Travel Agency in Hartford in 1957. Two years later, on September 12, 1959, he was one of the founders of the Society of Polish American Travel Agents and served as its president in 1971-73. Over the years, the organization, known as SPATA, has grown from 15 travel agents to more than 160 travel agents, airlines, tour operators, and similar businesses. When President Reagan banned Lot, the Polish airline, from flying to the United States during martial law in Poland, the travel agents persuaded him to rescind the order. They also fought to change the name of the airport in Warsaw from Okecie to Fryderyk Chopin.
In addition to his wife, Laura Carrol, whom he married after the war, he was survived by two children, Stephen and Janet. He was a member of the SS Cyril and Methodius parish in Hartford. He enjoyed skying, collecting stamps, scouting, and photography in his younger years.
The Liszkas - the name means vixen or caterpillar - are a very ancient family in Poland. In 1990, 1747 of the 4764 Liszka names in Poland were found in the province of Katowice. Not one of them dropped the letter "z" in their last name. In the United States, however, the present crop of Liszka names is outnumbered by Liska five to one. One wonders how many of them paid no attention to the origin of the name.
From: Edward Pinkowski (2009)
Edmund Liszka
Travel agent, broadcaster, Polish community leader
Born Aug. 25, 1912, Nashua (NH), U.S.; son of Wojciech and Franciszka (Waclawik); married Laura (Carrol); children: Stefan, Janet.
Education: School of Photography, New Haven (CT), 1949.
Career: in Connecticut - founder, head, Polish Radio Program, 1939 -, founder, director, Polish TV Program, vice president, Channel 13 TV, Inc., travel agent, Liszka Travel Agency, 1957 -; past correspondent, Dziennik dla Wszystkich, Buffalo (NY), Nowy Swiat, New York City.
Member of, i.a.: co-founder, Society of Polish American Travel Agents (SPATA) (president, 1971-73); director, Polish American Congress (P.A.C.) Connecticut Division; Polish National Alliance (P.N.A.); former active member, Polish Scouting - Zwiazek Harcerstwa Polskiego (Z.H.P.) (Poland) and Polish Scouting in America.
Honors: Good Conduct Medal; Invasion Medal; Order of Polonia Restituta, Gold Cross of Merit, National Treasury Medal, Polish Government in Exile, London (United Kingdom).
Served with: U.S. Army, World War II, European Theater, 9th Air Force Command, Intelligence Service, 1942-45.
Languages: English, Polish.
Hobbies: skiing, photography, collecting stamps.
Home: 615 Deercliff Road, Avon, CT 06001.
From: "Who's Who in Polish America" 1st Edition 1996-1997, Boleslaw Wierzbianski editor; Bicentennial Publishing Corporation,
New York, NY, 1996
In Memory of: EDMUND LISZKA
Edmund Liszka (1912-2006) was a respected member of the Polish American Community of Greater Hartford dedicating many years of service to foster and promote Polish causes among which were to announce news of Polish events and programs, and to help many Polish immigrants needing assistance. In 1939 he began the first Daily Polish Program for the State of Connecticut on WTHT Radio and went on to become an accomplished newsman, photographer, radio, and television reporter.In April of 1942 he entered the US Army and took part in the invasion of the 9th Army Air Force Intelligence Section. He served as a photographer and an interpreter, After his tour of duty, he resumed his radio and television programs.
Over the years Edmund never missed attending special Polish programs and events, participating and contributing personalty to so many. Mr. Liszka was a recipient of the Cross of Merit of the Republic of Poland awarded by Poland to civilians. Most recently he received an honorary tribute during the celebration of "Polish Day at the State Capitol", receiving this tribute a few days before his passing.
Edmund was made an honorary member of The Polish Cultural Club of Greater Hartford for his strong support of the Club's mission. The members of The Polish Cultural Club of Greater Hartford will miss his pleasant an humble manner as well as his participation at all of our gatherings.
From: Polish Cultural Club of Greater Hartford, CT, June 4, 2006