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Omelan Pleszkewycz

April 13, 2024

Emil Omelan Pleszkewycz[1] (Ukrainian: Омелян Плешкевич) (also spelled Pleshkewych and Pleshkevich) (January 20, 1908, Boratyn, a village near Sokal, Austro-Hungarian Empire – May 30, 2007, Chicago, Illinois) was a Ukrainian and Ukrainian-American community leader and major figure in the Ukrainian cooperative movement, who co-founded the Selfreliance Ukrainian American Credit Union in Chicago and who served as president of the World Council of Ukrainian Credit Unions from 1977 to 1987.

Omelan Pleszkewycz

Biography edit

Background edit

Omelan Pleszkewycz was born in 1908 near Sokal in Austria-Hungary. After World War I this area became part of Poland.[2] The Pleszkewycz family in western Ukraine are descended from an officer in Ivan Mazepa's army who escaped into what is now western Ukraine following the defeat of Ivan Mazepa at the Battle of Poltava in 1709.[3] Omelan Pleszkewycz's father, Ivan Pleshkevich, and grandfather Peter Pleshkevich were Ukrainian Catholic priests. His grandfather's uncle, Simon Pleshkevich, was a close friend of Markiyan Shashkevych (initiator of the revival of the Ukrainian language in western Ukraine) and was the first priest to ever give a sermon in the Ukrainian language in St. George's Cathedral,[3] the mother church of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church ( Eastern Rite Catholic).[4] Omelan's grandmother, Antonina Vakhnianyna, was the sister of Anatole Vakhnianyn, founder of Prosvita. Omelan was also a nephew of Kazimierz Świtalski, Prime Minister of Poland (1929).[5]

Omelan Pleszkewycz's father was arrested by the Austrian authorities during World War I on suspicion of Russian sympathies and during the Polish–Ukrainian War by the Polish authorities in May 1919, when he was imprisoned for several months in Lviv's infamous Brygidki prison. In addition to serving as a parish priest, in the 1920s Omelan Pleszkewycz's father was an active community organizer, founding a cooperative credit union, a Prosvita reading room to foster literacy among the people, a Ukrainian language children's school, and other Ukrainian organizations in his town.[6]

Activities in Europe edit

Omelan Pleszkewycz graduated from a gymnasium in Sokal in 1927 and in 1931 completed a degree in higher economics at Lviv. He then worked for Maslosojuz, a large dairy cooperative, in Stryi. In 1934 he passed examinations in Warsaw as an auditor and received a mandate by the Polish government to serve as a comptroller of large financial institutions and trade institutions in Polish-controlled western Ukraine. At this time he also served as comptroller for dairy cooperatives.[7]

During the German occupation, from 1941 to 1944 he served the Ukrainian cooperatives and credit unions in the Ternopil region as a comptroller.[7]

Omelan Pleszkewycz spoke Ukrainian, English, German, Polish and Russian.[2] After World War II he fled Ukraine to Austria, and lived in Vienna from 1945 until 1946. While there, he studied at the Vienna University of Economics and Business in foreign trade.[7] In 1946 he moved to Germany, where he served as the director of a refugee camp outside of Munich for displaced persons run by the United Nations.[2] While doing so he founded a credit union/cooperative there.[7]

Activities in America edit

In 1949 Omelan Pleszkewycz emigrated from Germany to America, where he initially worked as a laborer for Ryerson Steel in Chicago.[2]

 
Selfreliance Ukrainian American Credit Union main branch, on Chicago Avenue in Ukrainian Village, Chicago

Omelan Pleszkewycz co-founded the Selfreliance Ukrainian American Credit Union in 1951, using approximately $500 in assets pooled by other Ukrainian refugees,[2] with the goal of providing financial services to people who did not know the languages, laws or local customs and who would have had difficulty obtaining loans from outside the Ukrainian community. For the first two years the credit union operated out of a desk at a local Ukrainian community center, and its founders worked on a voluntary basis. Omelan Pleszkewycz was responsible for overseeing the credit union's daily operations and for keeping complete and accurate records. He became its first salaried employee in 1953.[8] He served as the treasurer and chief executive officer of this credit union from 1951 until his retirement in 1978.[2] In providing mortgages to over 1200 Ukrainians families buying homes and to dozens of Ukrainian businesses in the 1950s and 1960s, the Selfreliance Ukrainian American Credit Union played a significant role in preserving the Ukrainian identity of the Ukrainian Village neighborhood in Chicago.[8] In 1969, Omelan Pleszkewycz became head of the Cooperative division within the Ukrainian World Congress. Pleszkewycz was honored as "Ukrainian Man of the Year" in 1974.[9] After his retirement from the posts of treasurer and chief executive officer of the Selfreliance Ukrainian American Credit Union in 1978, he remained on the staff as honorary president and consultant and continued working at the credit union five days per week until 2004, when he was 96 years old.[10] This credit union grew to become the seventh largest in the state of Illinois with assets of over $450 million at the time of his death.[2]

From 1977 until 1987 Omelan Pleszkewycz was president of the World Council of Ukrainian Credit Unions, an umbrella organization of Ukrainian credit unions in the United States, Canada and Australia. In 1988 these credit unions collectively held 1.267 billion dollars in assets.[11]

Omelan Pleszkewycz married Emilia (Romanowska) in 1937. At the time of his death he had two children, Alexander and Bohdan, six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.[2]

Honors edit

In 2000, he was inducted into the Illinois Credit Union Hall of Fame.[10]

He was named honorary treasurer of Cook County, Illinois by Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas in 2003.[2]

References edit

  1. ^ "Emil Omelan Pleszkewycz". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, IL. May 31, 2007. p. 3-10. Retrieved May 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.  
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Trebe, Patricia (June 2, 2007). "Omelan Pleszkewycz. Architect of Credit Union: Ukrainian-American Built Local Endeavor into Financial Giant". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, IL. p. 1-21. Retrieved May 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.  
  3. ^ a b Roman Horak. (2001). Великий Самотний з Великого Родую. From the newspaper For a Free Ukraine., August 3–4.
  4. ^ Nykolyshyn, Yuriy. (2006) Lviv. Apriori Press. Lviv, Ukraine. pg. 63, 67. ISBN 966-8256-09-3
  5. ^ Volodymyra Kachmar. (2009). Narysy Istorii Nashoho Rodu. Lviv pg. 39
  6. ^ Сокальщина. Книга пам’яті України. 1914 – 1990. Cokal Region: a Book in Memory of Ukraine, 1914-1990. by Bohdan Nechai (Ukrainian) pg. 173
  7. ^ a b c d Ukrainian Cooperative Movement in Diaspora.': Historical Overview, 1940-1992. Editor-in-chief Omelan Pleszkewycz. Chicago, Illinois: World Council of Ukrainian Cooperatives. pp. 135–137.
  8. ^ a b A historical overview of a 50-year-old financial institution and pillar of community life Ukrainian Weekly. November 18, 2001. No. 46, Vol. LXIX
  9. ^ "Ukrainian Man of Year Chosen". News Journal. Chicago, IL. August 21, 1974. p. 40. Retrieved May 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.  
  10. ^ a b . Archived from the original on 2015-09-06. Retrieved 2012-12-17.
  11. ^ Ukrainian Cooperative Movement in Diaspora.': Historical Overview, 1940-1992. Editor-in-chief Omelan Pleszkewycz. Chicago, Illinois: World Council of Ukrainian Cooperatives. pg. 305

April 13, 2024
omelan, pleszkewycz, emil, ukrainian, Омелян, Плешкевич, also, spelled, pleshkewych, pleshkevich, january, 1908, boratyn, village, near, sokal, austro, hungarian, empire, 2007, chicago, illinois, ukrainian, ukrainian, american, community, leader, major, figure. Emil Omelan Pleszkewycz 1 Ukrainian Omelyan Pleshkevich also spelled Pleshkewych and Pleshkevich January 20 1908 Boratyn a village near Sokal Austro Hungarian Empire May 30 2007 Chicago Illinois was a Ukrainian and Ukrainian American community leader and major figure in the Ukrainian cooperative movement who co founded the Selfreliance Ukrainian American Credit Union in Chicago and who served as president of the World Council of Ukrainian Credit Unions from 1977 to 1987 Omelan Pleszkewycz Contents 1 Biography 1 1 Background 1 2 Activities in Europe 1 3 Activities in America 2 Honors 3 ReferencesBiography editBackground edit Omelan Pleszkewycz was born in 1908 near Sokal in Austria Hungary After World War I this area became part of Poland 2 The Pleszkewycz family in western Ukraine are descended from an officer in Ivan Mazepa s army who escaped into what is now western Ukraine following the defeat of Ivan Mazepa at the Battle of Poltava in 1709 3 Omelan Pleszkewycz s father Ivan Pleshkevich and grandfather Peter Pleshkevich were Ukrainian Catholic priests His grandfather s uncle Simon Pleshkevich was a close friend of Markiyan Shashkevych initiator of the revival of the Ukrainian language in western Ukraine and was the first priest to ever give a sermon in the Ukrainian language in St George s Cathedral 3 the mother church of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Eastern Rite Catholic 4 Omelan s grandmother Antonina Vakhnianyna was the sister of Anatole Vakhnianyn founder of Prosvita Omelan was also a nephew of Kazimierz Switalski Prime Minister of Poland 1929 5 Omelan Pleszkewycz s father was arrested by the Austrian authorities during World War I on suspicion of Russian sympathies and during the Polish Ukrainian War by the Polish authorities in May 1919 when he was imprisoned for several months in Lviv s infamous Brygidki prison In addition to serving as a parish priest in the 1920s Omelan Pleszkewycz s father was an active community organizer founding a cooperative credit union a Prosvita reading room to foster literacy among the people a Ukrainian language children s school and other Ukrainian organizations in his town 6 Activities in Europe edit Omelan Pleszkewycz graduated from a gymnasium in Sokal in 1927 and in 1931 completed a degree in higher economics at Lviv He then worked for Maslosojuz a large dairy cooperative in Stryi In 1934 he passed examinations in Warsaw as an auditor and received a mandate by the Polish government to serve as a comptroller of large financial institutions and trade institutions in Polish controlled western Ukraine At this time he also served as comptroller for dairy cooperatives 7 During the German occupation from 1941 to 1944 he served the Ukrainian cooperatives and credit unions in the Ternopil region as a comptroller 7 Omelan Pleszkewycz spoke Ukrainian English German Polish and Russian 2 After World War II he fled Ukraine to Austria and lived in Vienna from 1945 until 1946 While there he studied at the Vienna University of Economics and Business in foreign trade 7 In 1946 he moved to Germany where he served as the director of a refugee camp outside of Munich for displaced persons run by the United Nations 2 While doing so he founded a credit union cooperative there 7 Activities in America edit In 1949 Omelan Pleszkewycz emigrated from Germany to America where he initially worked as a laborer for Ryerson Steel in Chicago 2 nbsp Selfreliance Ukrainian American Credit Union main branch on Chicago Avenue in Ukrainian Village ChicagoOmelan Pleszkewycz co founded the Selfreliance Ukrainian American Credit Union in 1951 using approximately 500 in assets pooled by other Ukrainian refugees 2 with the goal of providing financial services to people who did not know the languages laws or local customs and who would have had difficulty obtaining loans from outside the Ukrainian community For the first two years the credit union operated out of a desk at a local Ukrainian community center and its founders worked on a voluntary basis Omelan Pleszkewycz was responsible for overseeing the credit union s daily operations and for keeping complete and accurate records He became its first salaried employee in 1953 8 He served as the treasurer and chief executive officer of this credit union from 1951 until his retirement in 1978 2 In providing mortgages to over 1200 Ukrainians families buying homes and to dozens of Ukrainian businesses in the 1950s and 1960s the Selfreliance Ukrainian American Credit Union played a significant role in preserving the Ukrainian identity of the Ukrainian Village neighborhood in Chicago 8 In 1969 Omelan Pleszkewycz became head of the Cooperative division within the Ukrainian World Congress Pleszkewycz was honored as Ukrainian Man of the Year in 1974 9 After his retirement from the posts of treasurer and chief executive officer of the Selfreliance Ukrainian American Credit Union in 1978 he remained on the staff as honorary president and consultant and continued working at the credit union five days per week until 2004 when he was 96 years old 10 This credit union grew to become the seventh largest in the state of Illinois with assets of over 450 million at the time of his death 2 From 1977 until 1987 Omelan Pleszkewycz was president of the World Council of Ukrainian Credit Unions an umbrella organization of Ukrainian credit unions in the United States Canada and Australia In 1988 these credit unions collectively held 1 267 billion dollars in assets 11 Omelan Pleszkewycz married Emilia Romanowska in 1937 At the time of his death he had two children Alexander and Bohdan six grandchildren and four great grandchildren 2 Honors editIn 2000 he was inducted into the Illinois Credit Union Hall of Fame 10 He was named honorary treasurer of Cook County Illinois by Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas in 2003 2 References edit Emil Omelan Pleszkewycz Chicago Tribune Chicago IL May 31 2007 p 3 10 Retrieved May 12 2022 via Newspapers com nbsp a b c d e f g h i Trebe Patricia June 2 2007 Omelan Pleszkewycz Architect of Credit Union Ukrainian American Built Local Endeavor into Financial Giant Chicago Tribune Chicago IL p 1 21 Retrieved May 12 2022 via Newspapers com nbsp a b Roman Horak 2001 Velikij Samotnij z Velikogo Roduyu From the newspaper For a Free Ukraine August 3 4 Nykolyshyn Yuriy 2006 Lviv Apriori Press Lviv Ukraine pg 63 67 ISBN 966 8256 09 3 Volodymyra Kachmar 2009 Narysy Istorii Nashoho Rodu Lviv pg 39 Sokalshina Kniga pam yati Ukrayini 1914 1990 Cokal Region a Book in Memory of Ukraine 1914 1990 by Bohdan Nechai Ukrainian pg 173 a b c d Ukrainian Cooperative Movement in Diaspora Historical Overview 1940 1992 Editor in chief Omelan Pleszkewycz Chicago Illinois World Council of Ukrainian Cooperatives pp 135 137 a b A historical overview of a 50 year old financial institution and pillar of community life Ukrainian Weekly November 18 2001 No 46 Vol LXIX Ukrainian Man of Year Chosen News Journal Chicago IL August 21 1974 p 40 Retrieved May 12 2022 via Newspapers com nbsp a b Illinois Credit Union Hall of Fame Omelian Pleszkewycz Archived from the original on 2015 09 06 Retrieved 2012 12 17 Ukrainian Cooperative Movement in Diaspora Historical Overview 1940 1992 Editor in chief Omelan Pleszkewycz Chicago Illinois World Council of Ukrainian Cooperatives pg 305 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Omelan Pleszkewycz amp oldid 1193852653, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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