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Leonard Latkovski Jr. (Latvian: Leonards Latkovskis jaunākais, 1943–2015) was a Latvian American professor of history and international studies at Hood College, who championed Eastern European studies, particularly those of his ethnic origin in Latgale, Latvia.

Background

Leonard Latkovski Jr., was born on June 9, 1943, in Kārsava, Latgale, Latvia. His Catholic parents were Leonard Latkovski Sr. (Latvian: Leonards Latkovskis seniors), and Albīna Putāns. (Latkovski Sr. was a professor of classics at Bellarmine College.) He had eight siblings. In 1944, his family fled from the advancing Soviet army from Latvia to Germany, where they lived in refugee camps until they emigrated to the United States in 1950 and settled in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1961, Latkovski graduated from Louisville St. Xavier High School. In 1964, he received a BA in history from Bellarmine College (and served as president of its student body). At Georgetown University, he earned an MA in Russia and Eastern European history in 1967 and doctorate in Russian History in 1973.

Career

In 1969, Latkovski joined Hood College and taught History and Political Science there for more than 45 years–until his death in 2015. For some years, he was the Chair of the History and Political Science Department. He also coached the college's tennis team.

Latkovski led groups of students on trips to the Baltic countries and Russia. As a Catholic, he used these tours during the Soviet era to monitor religious persecution, to interview priests and citizens, and reported to the Vatican, including personally to Pope John Paul II. As an historian, "he placed a critical spotlight on deportations and inhuman conditions in Soviet gulags, having interviewed dozens of survivors."

Latkovski was a frequent commentator on current politics in US media, including National Public Radio, newspapers, and local television. He also appeared in Russian and Latvian media. Near the time of his death, he was working on a project entitled "The History of the Catholic Church in Latvia."

Personal life and death

In 1967, Latkovski married Patricia Hannigan; they had four children.

As a former refugee, Latkovski championed the disenfranchised including the poor, mentally ill, and oppressed. He tutored and often housed new immigrants and advocated for civil rights. Soviet Gulag interviewees included the daughter of his own aunt after 14 years of imprisonment for religious and democracy efforts.

After discovering the spelling of his first name as Leonhards ("Lion Hearted"), he began to adopt use of that name over "Leonard". He died on June 13, 2015, in Frederick, Maryland.

Legacy

Latkovski was director of the Latgale Renaissance Fund and founded the Latgale Research Center and the Gulag Research Press. He provided "trunk loads" of medicine and necessities on his trips to Latvia.

Known in his native Latgale for his teachings and dedication to the region, Latkovski was once honored with a biographical exhibit at the Central Rēzekne Library.

In October 2015, Hood College announced the Dr. Leonard Latkovski Memorial Prize in History, originally established in 2009 and renamed in 2015 for Latkovski's "outstanding achievement in history."

Works

• Dreaded Island: The History of Novaya Zemlya (1968) with Michael W. Adler
• Dictionary of Historic Documents (1990) (introduction)
• Aglona: History of the Church and Monastery (2009). Latgalian Culture Centre, Rezekne.
• Baltic Prisoners in the Gulag Revolts of 1953, part I. Lituanus, 51(3), p. 4-39.
• Baltic Prisoners in the Gulag Revolts of 1953, part II. Lituanus,51(4), p. 5-30.

References

1. ^ "Department Announces Dr. Leonard Latkovski Memorial Prize in History". Hood College. 24 October 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
2. ^ "Len Latkovski Jr". Frederick News Post. 17 June 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
3. ^ "Dr. Leonard Latkovski". New Haven Register. 8 July 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
4. ^ "Dr. Leonard "Len" Latkovski". Louisville Courier Journal. 16 June 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
5. "Leonard Latkovski". Len Latkovski. June 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
6. "History Department". Hood College. 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
7. "Why I Love Language". Martha Barnette. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
8. Meyerson, Ben (March 14, 2008). "Capital News Service". Capital News Service. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
9. "Unnerving sight of tanks in Riga". tribunedigital-baltimoresun. Retrieved 2018-10-06.
10. Latkovski, Leonard (September 1, 1991). "Baltic States Have Been Making Steady Movement Towards Independence". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
11. Latkovski, Leonard (January 26, 1992). "Aiding the Former Soviet Republics". tribunedigital-baltimoresun. Retrieved 2018-10-06.
12. "Sons in Frederick sue feds nearly 60 years after father's death". WTOP. 30 November 2012. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
13. "Professor". Len Latkovski. June 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
14. Haugh, Chris (February 24, 2016). "Frederick Black History: A teachable moment for all". History Shark Productions. Retrieved 2018-10-06.
15. "About the Center". Latgale Research Center. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
16. "Leonard Latkowski (juniors) is our county jubilee". Rezeknes Centrala Biblioteka. 6 October 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
17. "Honors Convocation 2016 - Department of History". Hood College. 24 October 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
18. Latkovski, Leonard (2011). Dreaded Island: The History of Novaya Zemlya. Gulag Research Press. Retrieved 26 August 2018.

External sources

• lenlatkovski.com
• Latgale Research Center

• 1943 births
• 2015 deaths
• 20th-century American historians
• American male non-fiction writers
• Hood College faculty
• Georgetown University alumni
• Latvian emigrants to the United States
• 20th-century American male writers