Bios: Dr. John Szlupas/Sliupas, 1861-1943: Shenandoah, Schuylkill Co, PA Copyright © 1991 by Vytautas J. Sliupas. This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives. Used by permission of the donor. USGENWEB NOTICE: Printing this file by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. ____________________________________________________________ 1891 GRADUATE STILL REMEMBERED AFTER A CENTURY THE BULLETIN, University of Maryland at Baltimore (Medical Alumni Association -- School & Hospital), Winter 1991, page 21. Dr. John Szlupas, (anglicization of "Jonas Sliupas" to which he reverted after graduation) was born in Lithuania in 1861 in a family of enlightened farmers the day after the Russian Czar abolished serfdom in Lithuania. Speaking five languages by the time he graduated from high school in Latvia, he attended the University of Moscow where he studied history, philosophy and law and became engaged in anti-Czarist activities agitating for a free Lithuanian press. The threat of arrest caused him to flee to the University of St. Petersburg to complete his education, and then to Switzerland, again to avoid the police. Finally settling in East Prussia, he helped found and became the editor of the newspaper of Lithuanian awakening, AUSZRA ("Dawn") which was smuggled to Lithuanian patriots. The magazine was considered subversive and, again pursued by the police, he fled, this time to American in 1884. Arriving penniless and without knowledge of English, he worked as a farmhand north of New York City and became acquainted with Lithuanians in the area. He realized that these simple, uneducated folk were losing their Lithuanian identity and this fired his desire to help them retain their heritage and language. He urged Lithuanians to break away from the Polish church, and united them into common groups proud of their ethnic identity. He made his first public patriotic speech in 1884 in New York City, urging his fellow countrymen to distance themselves from the Poles, and helped them write the statues for creating the first purely Lithuanian church in New York. The following year he moved to Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, nicknamed the "capital of American Lithuanians," and began publishing a newspaper, LITHUANIAN VOICE, handling the entire operation singlehandedly. His goal was to educate and unite immigrant Lithuanians. In 1885 he sent for his fiancee, Liudvika Malinauskaite, a writer and poet and, after their marriage in New York, she worked side by side with her husband contributing articles to the publication. By the time their second child was born, his wife was discouraged and berated Jonas Sliupas for sticking to his newspaper while his children went barefoot, ill-clothed and without milk. He realized his wife was right, as he wrote, "Crushed beneath a burden of woes and persecution, vengeful acts and curses, the editor, with a wound-covered heart and oppressed spirit, abandoned his work." His wife and children returned to Lithuania to stay with her family while Jonas, with only $7 in his pocket, packed off for Baltimore to study at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. It was a severe ordeal but he was determined to become a doctor and have a more secure means of income for his family. He supported himself by selling cigars, dragging himself into town hawking his wares after he attended lectures. A person of tremendous work capacity, he became involved with Lithuanians living in Baltimore, established and became president of the Lituanian Scientific Society, a literary and cultural organization. Upon his graduation in 1891, it was noted that the University of Maryland made this commentary: "The career of Dr. Sliupas reads more like fiction than reality. It shows that pluck and high resolve will accomplish." Dr. Sliupas' family rejoined him in 1890, the year before his graduation, and after a year of additional training at the New York Medical School they settled in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. the new physician found a thriving practice among the immigrants who liked the multi-lingual doctor who could speak their languages, many of whom he treated without benefit of payment. With his practice providing a substantial livelihood, Dr. Sliupas still held Lithuania as his first love, and he moved frequently to keep up with Lithuanian affairs; Plymouth, Shenandoah, Philadelphia and Scranton (Pennsylvania), and New York City. In 1906 he visited New York to lead the first Lithuanian political congress in American which drafted a memorandum calling for Lithuanian independence. Timeline: 1917 (World War I) Stockholm--only Lithuanian-American attending October Conference of Lithuanian leaders to formulate 1918 Declaration of Independence. Practiced medicine until 1917. After WW I--pledged support of Lithuanians in United States, negiotated for assured independence of Lithuania and Latvia. 1919-- helped organize Lithuanian diplomatic mission in London, served as Lithuanian delegation (Paris Peace Conference) fall 1919--(Lithuania) appointed first ambassador Latvia and Estonia. 1929--(after death of beloved wife) married second wife Grasikla Grauslyte. Their son, Vytautas, born the next year. Mayor of Palanga (seaside community) prior to WW II 1941--Soviet occupation, Dr. Sliupas "persona non grata" Became private citizen, fled to west toward end of war. 1944--(Berlin) recorded broadcast message to American Lithuanians "Despite his advanced age, he felt capable of enduring the strains and dangers of a journey during wartime, but was not prepared for freezing on a train with shattered windows, descending to a bomb shelter during the night in the hotel, and being in unheated rooms. The strain caused his death, at age 83, in Berlin" 1947--Dr. Sliupas ashes brought (by wife and son) to United States, burial National Cemetery in Chicago. ADDITIONAL DETAILS: Organizations founded (alone and with others)-- FRIENDS OF LITHUANIA (1885-1938) ALLIANCE OF ALL THE LITHUANIANS IN AMERICA (1886-1888) LITHUANIAN LEARNED SOCIETY (1889-1896) LITHUANIAN FREE THINKERS' ALLIANCE (est 1905) LITHUANIAN AUTONOMY FUND Author of-- Over 70 books in 5 different languages. Editor of-- 7 magazines Monument--at birthplace, Rakandziai. Museum--at former home, Palanga. Additional Information: Complete article-- THE BULLETIN, University of Maryland at Baltimore (Medical Alumni Association -- School & Hospital), Winter 1991, page 21 & 22. ENCYCLOPEDIA LITUANICA, 5:225-29, Boston, Mass. (1976) POTTSVILLE REPUBLICAN & EVENING HERALD, Pottsville, PA/Shenandoah, PA., (Weekend Edition) March 14-15, 1998. ARCHIVE OF AUSRININKAS DR. JONAS SLIUPAS, Vytautas J. Sliupas, P.E. President.,2907 Frontera Way, Burlingame,CA 94010 and E-mail: sliupasvyt@earthlink.net Used by permission.