Influential Hungarians in American History
Colonel Michael Kovats, Founder of the US Cavalry
In 1776, Colonel Michael Kovats, a Hungarian hussar (huszár) and 52-year veteran of the Austro-Prussian Wars, applied to the American army to help the colonies fight for freedom from British rule. He pledged his services until death to Benjamin Franklin. Kovats linked up with Polish General Casmir Pulaski and helped organize the and train the Cavalry. He put his Huszar training to good use and trained the cavalry into an impressive, efficient force. George Washington appointed Kovats a Colonel. He died in battle in 1779, when the Pulaski Legion came under heavy fire.
Colonel Kovats was one of 141 Hungarians who fought for freedom in the American Revolution. He is credited with founding the US Cavalry.
Lajos Kossuth, Father of Hungarian Democracy
Lajos Kossuth, leader of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 against Austrian rule, came to the US to gain support for Hungary. He was a true believer in the spirit of democracy and a charismatic, eloquent speaker. When Kossuth’s ship arrived in the New York Harbor, it was welcomed by 100 guns saluting him on the coastline. Hundreds of thousands greeted him in a frenzy as he marched down Broadway. He had such an impact on Americans when he traveled across the country making more than 200 speeches in 8 months, that there are 6 towns still named after him from Kossuth County, IA to Kossuth, MI.
Kossuth was only the 2nd foreign national who addressed the Joint Meeting of the US Congress. In fact, he was so well-respected that a bronze statue is permanently displayed in the US Capitol Rotunda. It reads, “Lajos Kossuth - Father of Hungarian Democracy.” In 1958, the US Government issued a four cent postage stamp honoring Kossuth, “Champion of Liberty.”
FUN FACT: Kossuth is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the first Hungarian to ever have his voice recorded.
Ágoston Haraszthy, Father of the California Wine Industry
Ágoston Haraszthy was a Hungarian-American travel writer, entrepreneur, sheriff and pioneer winemaker. He worked as a builder, storekeeper, steamboat and ferry owner, civic leader and in true pioneer fashion, traveled across the country to the west in a prairie wagon. In California, he became a viticulturist, and founded Buena Vista vine-yards in Sonoma, CA. He introduced 300 varieties of European grapes, and is widely acknowledged as the father of modern wine- making in California. He was also elected the first county sheriff in San Diego, CA and operated the first commercial steam- boat on the upper Mississippi River. His 1,000 foot cellar still stands in Sonoma, with his statue in front, reading “Hungary’s Son – California’s Pioneer.
FUN FACT: Haraszthy was the first Hungarian to settle permanently in the U.S. He traveled cross-country and wrote a 2-volume book on America.
Joseph Pulitzer, Journalist and Newspaper Publisher
Joseph Pulitzer came to the U.S. when he was 19, and after working in the industry for several years, became a pioneer in newspaper publishing, owning both the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and later the New York World. He is credited as being the first to use investigative reporting, comic strips, entertainment news, and illustrations in his newspapers.
Pulitzer also helped raise money to build the pedestal for the Statue of Liberty. Through his paper, he urged people to donate and within 6 months had raised $100,000 (roughly $3 million today), most of it through contributions of $1 or less. He printed the name of every donor on the front page of his paper, “New York World”.
He helped found the Columbia School of Journalism with a donation of two million dollars and in 1917, established the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in Journalism. In 1947, the US Government issued a three-cent postage stamp to commemorate the 100th birthday of Joseph Pulitzer.
FUN FACT: The Statue of Liberty had been a gift to the U.S. by the people of France, but sat in crates until the money for the pedestal was raised. The statue was unveiled on October 28, 1886.
Hungarians in Hollywood
Hungarian Americans have had a significant influence on the entertainment industry in the US – both behind the scenes and on stage and screen. In fact, at one point, there was a saying that “It’s not enough to be Hungarian, you have to be talented too.”
Two Hungarian Americans who completely transformed the industry are William Fox and Adolf Zukor. Fox founded Fox Studio that later became Fox Television and 20th Century Fox. Zukor founded Paramount Pictures and Loews Entertainment Group, and revolutionized the production and distribution of movies by using theatrical stars in movies. And the list goes on…
There are 8 Hungarian Americans with stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, among them recent stars: Drew Barrymore, Tony Curtis and Mariska Hargitai.
William Fox, Producer and Founder of Fox Film Corporation
Born in Hungary as Fried Vilmos in 1879, he emigrated to the US with his family at just nine months old. In 1915, he founded the Fox Film Corporation. In 1936, he went bankrupt, but his name remained part of legacy of 20th Century Fox.
Zsa Zsa Gabor, Actress and Socialite
In 1941, Zsa Zsa fled Hungary and emigrated to the US. Thanks to her European style and flair, iconic Hungarian accent and flamboyant personality, she became one of the most famous Hollywood sex symbols of the 20th Century. She starred in Lovely to Look At, We’re Not Married and Moulin Rouge eventually winning a golden globe. She was equally well-known for her nine marriages. She died at the age of 99 in Los Angeles.
Harry Houdini, Escape Artist
Harry Houdini came to the U.S. at the age of 4 and quickly gained a reputation as the greatest magician of all time. The amazing Houdini became an escape artist and could indeed escape from anything. He would handcuff himself, put himself in a strait jacket and even submerge himself upside down, underwater, holding his breath for up to 3 minutes until his great escape. His two most famous acts were the Metamorphosis Trunk and the Water Torture Chamber. The Houdini Museum is located in Scranton, PA, but the largest collection of memorabilia from Houdini is housed in magician David Copperfield’s warehouse in Las Vegas, NV.
Bela Lugosi, Dracula
Bela Lugosi was born in 1882 and began his acting career in Temesvár (now Romania), Debrecen and Szeged, Hungary. He emigrated to New Orleans in 1920. Lugosi gained worldwide fame in 1931 when he starred as Count Dracula in the film Dracula. He became a legendary figure in classic horror films.
Peter Falk, Actor
Peter Falk was a film and television actor, best known for his role of Detective Columbo. He won four Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. A statue of Peter Falk as Columbo was erected in the 5th District of Budapest. He was awarded a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2013.
Vilma Banky, Silent Film Actress
Her first film appearance was in the now lost film, Im Letzten Augenblick, directed by Carl Boese in Germany in 1919. On a trip to Budapest in 1925, Hollywood film producer Samuel Goldwyn discovered and signed her to a contract. She left for the US in March 1925, arriving to a great deal of fanfare.
Paul Lukas, Actor
Lukas (Lukács Pál) is an Oscar and Golden Globe winning actor who starred in more than 60 films. In 1943, he won an Academy Award for Watch on the Rhine.
