Croatia - USA

Darko Žubrinić, 2013


Ivan Mestrovic's St. Jerome in front of the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia, Washington DC, USA
A gift from Croatian Fraciscan Glagolitic Tertiaries in the USA

One of Ivan Meštrović's Chicago Indians, carved in Croatia's capital Zagreb; source Flickr


DISTINGUISHED CROATIANS IN THE USA

The greatest twenty:


Nikola Tesla, the father of electric power industry, born and educated in Croatia

Anthony F. Lucas (Antun Lučić), the father of petroleum industry

Mario Puratić, the father of the fishing industry, inventor of the Puretic Power Block

William Feller, distinguished Croatian-American mathematician (Princeton University), National Medal of Science

Erazmo Tićac (Ben Tichaz), planner of the Savannah nuclear ship

George Mikan, gentle giant, a founder of NBA

Peter Tomich, recipient of the United States military's highest award, the Medal of Honor (part 1)

Jacob Jake Matijevic, father of the Curiosity rover on Mars

Anthony Maglica, Mag-Lite flashlite producer

Ivan Meštrović, distinguished Croatian sculptor, author of 'Chicago Indians'

Mia Slavenska, distinguished Croatian ballerina

Bill Bellichick, the best American football coach ever

David Diehl, American football player

Roger Maris, baseball player

David Byler, eighth generation Croatian in the USA

Zinka Kunc Milanov, famous opera singer, Metropolitan Opera 

Mike Grgich, the king of Zinfandel wines

Paul L. Modrich, Duke University, 2015 Nobel Prize for Chemistry

Dražen Petrović, Croatian basketball player, NBA player

Maxo Vanka, distinguished Croatian painter




CroatiaFest 2005, Seattle, USA, Photo - Jal Schrof
Social Dance, Croatian Benevolent Society Zvonimir tamburitzans (USA), 19th century,
see Croatian flag with coat of arms on the left, and American on the right.
Source: Croatian American Web, USA.


David Diehl, New York Giants, 2008,  with tattooed Croatian Coat of Arms
photo from the CROWN





ALPHABETIC ORDER


Nenad Bach, pop and rock musician, humanitarian activist

Zlatko Baloković, distinguished Croatian violinist

Jack Baric, Searching for a Storm

Mark Begich, US Senator, Alaska

Nick Begich, independent researcher in the sciences and politics

Mladen Bestvina, distinguished Croatian mathematician

Michael Bilandic, Mayor of Chicago 1977-1979

Phil Boskovich, The King of Onions

Brenda Brkušić, award winning filmmaker, producer, and excellent Croatian cook

Paul Bucha, recipient of the Medal of Honor has Croatian roots

Tony Butala, the founder and lead singer of THE LETTERMEN trio

Suncica Canic, professor of Mathematics

Krešimir Ćosić, Croatian basketball player and diplomat

Ashley Colburn, Wow Croatia

Helen Crlenkovic, springboard diver

Louis Cukela, recipient of the Navy and Army Medals of Honor for extraordinary heroism in France 1918

Blase J. Cupich, Chicago Archbishop

Ante Čuvalo, historian, father of Mime Cuvalo

Mime Cuvalo, web developer, proponent of open web standards, and benefactor

Jaksa Cvitanic, a leading expert in mathematical finance

Milislav Demerec, distinguished Croatian genetician

Nicholas Doddazio, reinventing Croatian necktie

John Dominis-Gospodnetich, prince of Hawaii

Asaf Durakovic, nuclear scientist and radiobiologist

Adam S. Eterovich, researcher of the history of American Croatians

Gary Gabelich, world record speed by rocket-powered Blue Flame

Tomislav Gabric, distinguished Croatian architect

Daniel Gajski, a hero of computer science

Vinko Gecan, Croatian hero in the USA

Silvija Gradečak, Associate Professor in materials science and engineering, MIT

Anthony Grbic, expert in metamaterials

Jerry Grcevich, Croatian tamburitza virtuoso

Emil Grgin (or Emil Gergin), Croatian physicist

Marijana Grišnik (b. Pintar), Croatian painter, Strawberry Hill, Kansas City

Branko Grünbaum, distinugished professor of Mathematics

Hedvig Hricak, distinguished Croatian expert in radiology and tumor diagnosis

Zeljko Ivezic, distinguished Croatian astronomer

Jere Jareb, historian

Mario Jurić, distinguished Croatian astrophysicist & the leader of the Data Management team for LSST

Marina Jurica, singing meteorologist and lead commentator for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Nikola Knez, filmmaker, creator of iFilms LLC

Daniel Kolak, distinguished philosopher

Vlado Kolitsch, Croatian violinist, inventor of the Kolitsch shoulderset

Martin Davorin Krmpotić, Croatian missionary in the USA

Kresimir Krnjevic, distinguished Croatian neuroscientist celebrates 90 years in 2017

John E. Kozar, president of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association

John Kraljic, officer of the Croatian Academy of America

fra Ljubo Krasić, director of Croatian Ethnic Institute in Chicago

Brian Krzanich, Brian Krzanich Intel CEO leads an organization of more than 100,000 employees

Dennis Kucinich, member of the US House of Representatives

Pavao Kufrin (Kelečić), Croatian sculptor in Chicago

Jefrey Kuhner, The Washington Times

Toni Kukoč, Croatian basketball player, NBA player

Andrea Kulier, young expert in cosmology

Božidar Kunc, distinguished Croatian pianist and composer

Ivana Kunc, soprano opera singer

Josip Kundek, Croatian benfactor and missionary in the USA

Tomislav Kuzmanovic, lawyer, recipient of the Vinodol Code Award

Branimir Kvartuc, photographer and philantropist

Branko Leskovar, distinguished expert in Electrical Engineering

Ilija Letica, director of the LETICA corporation

Radoslav Lorković, Croatian pop musician in the USA

Bernard Luketich, president of Croatian Fraternal Union, USA

Joe Magarac, legendary Croatian steel worker in the USA

John Malkovich, distinguished actor, with Croatian grandparents

Josip Marcan, formost expert on tigers

Josip Marohnić, writer and publisher in the USA

Egon Matijević, distinguished Croatian scientist, expert in the field of Chemistry

Miljenko Matijević, rock singer

C. Michael McAdams, historian

Zvonimir Mihanović, Croatian painter

Kreso Mikulic, Croatian engineer and winemaker

Joe Mikulec, Croatian globetrotter

Marija Miletic Dail, and her animation cottage

Eduard Miloslavic, distinguished professor of pathology

Ivan Mirkovic, professor of Mathematics

Karlo Mirth, publicist

Luka Misetic, lawyer, recipient of the Vinodol Code Award

Vladimir Novak, Croatian photographer

Michael J. Novosel, recipient of the Medal of Honor

Steve Novosel, Croatian-American jazz bassist and educator

Zoran Orlic, rock photographer

Michael Palaich, distinguished humanist

Elizabeth Peratrovich, a native woman in Alaska and civil rights pioneer bearing Croatian second name

Rudy Perpich, governer of Minnesota (three terms)

Dražen Prelec, professor at MIT, on of the leading experts for Neuroeconomics

Nikola Primorac, Croatian captain of City of Ragusa craft sailing from Liverpool to New York and back in 1870 (also here)

George Jure Prpić, historian (and here)

Hrabri Rajic, Intel, founder and former co-chair of Distributed Resource Management Application API (DRMAA), maintainer of Modro jezero web site (Blue Lake, near Imotski, Croatia)

Pasko Rakic, outstanding neurobiologist

Milan Randić, one of the leading experts in mathematical chemistry

Dina Rizvić, young Croatian singer, composer, pianist and guitarist

Joseph Thomas Rukavina, humanitarian activist

Nick Saban, American college football coach

Tefko Saračević, distinguished international expert in Information Sciences, Professor at Rutgers University

Darko Sertić, founder and director of Applied Ceramics

George M. Skurla, led the team of 1600 scientists and engineers that built the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing module

Marin Soljačić, distinguished Croatian physicist, MIT

Davor Solter, among the first scientists to postulate genomic imprinting

Ekrem Eck Spahic, defender of the homeland and philatelist

James Spudich, distinguished biochemist

Mike Stepovich, governer of Alaska (also here)

Vjekoslav Šutej, director of the Houston Opera Orchestra 1992-1997

Henry Suzzallo, president of the University of Washington

Tajči, Tatjana Cameron (born Matejaš), Croatian pop singer in the USA

Rudy Tomjanovich, basketball player and Hall of Fame coach, double NBA champion

Joseph Turkalj, distinguished Croatian sculptor

Ana Vidović, distinguished Croatian guitarist

Goran Visnjic, distinguished Croatian-American actor

Mladen Vranić, a legend of diabetes research

Davor Vrankić, Croatian painter

Milojko Mike Vucelic, former Apollo System Manager for NASA/Rockwell, recipient of Presidential Award for Freedom, studied Mechanica Engineering at the Univeristy of Zagreb

Mladen Wickerhauser, Croatian mathematician

Don Wolf, professional photographer

Fritzie Zivic, professional boxer, welterweight champion of the world




Classified:


INDUSTRY AND BUSSINESS

Nikola Tesla, the father of electric power industry, born and educated in Croatia

Anthony F. Lucas (Antun Lučić), the father of petroleum industry

Mario Puratić, the father of the fishing industry, inventor of the Puretic Power Block

Erazmo Tićac (Ben Tichaz), planner of the Savannah nuclear ship

Ilija Letica, director of the LETICA corporation

Anthony Maglica, Mag-Lite flashlite producer

Tomislav Gabric, distinguished Croatian architect

Darko Gojanović, Silicon Valley, Sun Microsystems, Compaq, Intel

Brian Krzanich, Brian Krzanich Intel CEO leads an organization of more than 100,000 employees

Frank Puskaric and his five sons: Cravat Coal Company (in Cadiz, Ohio), founded in 1950

Kreso Mikulic, Croatian engineer and winemaker

Darko Sertić, founder and director of Applied Ceramics

Hrabri Rajic, Intel, founder and former co-chair of Distributed Resource Management Application API (DRMAA), maintainer of Modro jezero web site (Blue Lake, near Imotski, Croatia)

Ivan Hrvoić (Canada) - magnetometers

Steve Bubalo Construction co., California (Ljubuški)

Vincent Thomas Bridge (Vinko Tomašević, his parents are from Bobovišće on the island of Brač), Los Angeles, video

Joseph M. Martinac (Sumartin on the island of Brač), J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corporation, founded in 1924

John Klaric Contracting Company,

Drago Cvitanovich, Drago's Restaurant in New Orleans

Joso Špralja, Joso's Croatian Seafood Restaurant in Toronto

Adriatica Croatian Village in Mckinney, Texas USA, founded by Jeffory D. Blackard 

Robert Herjavec Croatian-born Canadian entrepreneur, businessman and TV star

Robert Benmosche 1944-2015 CEO of AIG found paradise in Croatia



SCIENCE

Ferdinand Konšćak, Croatian missionary

Henry Suzzallo, president of the University of Washington

William Feller, distinguished Croatian-American mathematician (Princeton University), National Medal of Science

Egon Matijević, distinguished Croatian scientist, expert in the field of Chemistry

Branko Grünbaum, distinugished professor of Mathematics

Branko Souček, microprocessors, microcomputers

Daniel Gajski, a hero of computer science

Dalibor Vrsalović, computer technology, Intel

Mladen Vranić, a legend of diabetes research

Silvija Gradečak, Associate Professor in materials science and engineering, MIT

Anthony Grbic, expert in metamaterials

Paul L. Modrich, Duke University, 2015 Nobel Prize for Chemistry

Mladen Vranić, Canada

Ante Padjen, Canada

Gabrijel Gasic Livanic, specialist for cancer and leukemia

Marin Soljačić, distinguished Croatian physicist, MIT

George M. Skurla, led the team of 1600 scientists and engineers that built the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing module (NASA)

Milojko Mike Vucelic, former Apollo System Manager for NASA/Rockwell, recipient of Presidential Award for Freedom, studied Mechanica Engineering at the Univeristy of Zagreb

Mladen Wickerhauser, Croatian mathematician

Jacob Jake Matijevic, father of the Curiosity rover on Mars (NASA)

Eduard Prugovecki (Canada - Toronto)

Milan Randić, one of the leading experts in mathematical chemistry

Zvonko Vranešić, Canada

Emil Grgin (or Emil Gergin), Croatian physicist

Zvonimir Janko, mathematician

Ante Čuvalo, historian, father of Mime Cuvalo

Milislav Demerec, distinguished Croatian genetician

Franjo Hanaman, žarulja s volframovom niti za General Electric

Pasko Rakic, outstanding neurobiologist

Milan Randić, one of the leading experts in mathematical chemistry

George Jure Prpić, historian (and here)

Asaf Durakovic, nuclear scientist and radiobiologist

Branko Leskovar, distinguished expert in Electrical Engineering

Eduard Miloslavic, distinguished professor of pathology

James Spudich, distinguished biochemist

Dominik Mandić, historian

Jere Jareb, historian

Marina Jurica, singing meteorologist and lead commentator for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Tefko Saračević, distinguished international expert in Information Sciences, Professor at Rutgers University

Davor Solter, among the first scientists to postulate genomic imprinting

Ivan Mirkovic, professor of Mathematics

Josip Marcan, formost expert on tigers

Tomislav Uzelac, Winamp

Dražen Prelec, professor at MIT, on of the leading experts for Neuroeconomics

Jaksa Cvitanic, a leading expert in mathematical finance

Mladen Bestvina, distinguished Croatian mathematician

Daniel Kolak, distinguished philosopher

Hedvig Hricak, distinguished Croatian expert in radiology and tumor diagnosis

Igor Štagljar, Canada, molecular biologist

Nelly Auersperg, Canada, biomedical scientist

Krešimir Krnjević, Canda, neuroscientist

Zeljko Ivezic, distinguished Croatian astronomer

Suncica Canic, professor of Mathematics

Mario Jurić, astrophysicist

Andrea Kulier, young expert in cosmology

Esther Gitman's interview 2016 about Archbishop Alojzije Stepinac and his role in saving the Jews in Croatia



AGRICULTURE

Mike Grgich, the king of Zinfandel wines

Phil Boskovich, King of Onions, descendant of Croatian immigrants, dies in 2013 at the age of 97



MISSIONARIES, PRIESTS AND ARCHBISHOPS

Ferdinand Konšćak, Croatian missionary

Martin Davorin Krmpotić, Croatian missionary in the USA

John E. Kozar, president of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association

Josip (Joseph) Kundek, Croatian benfactor and missionary in the USA

fra Ilija Živković

David Byler, eighth generation Croatian in the USA

Blase J. Cupich, cardinal, Chicago Archbishop

fra Ljubo Krasić, director of Croatian Ethnic Institute in Chicago

Dragutin Jesih (1895-1944), Righteous among the nations, Croatian martyr



NATIONAL HEROES

Vinko Gecan, Croatian hero in the USA

Louis Cukela, recipient of the Navy and Army Medals of Honor for extraordinary heroism in France 1918

Peter Tomich, recipient of the United States military's highest award, the Medal of Honor (part 1)

Michael J. Novosel, recipient of the Medal of Honor

John Tominac, recipient of the Medal of Honor

Paul Bucha, recipient of the Medal of Honor



MAYORS, GOVERNERS, CONGRESSMEN

John Dominis-Gospodnetich, prince of Hawaii

Mike Stepovich, governer of Alaska (also here)

Michael Bilandic, Mayor of Chicago 1977-1979

Fiorello LaGuardia, mayor of New York, fluent in Croatian

Nick Begich, US Senator, Alaska

Mark Begich, US Senator, Alaska

Rudy Perpich, governer of Minnesota (three terms)

Dennis Kucinich, member of the US House of Representatives




ARTS

Ivan Benković, Croatian painter, portrayed Nikola Tersla in 1913

Ivan Meštrović, distinguished Croatian sculptoror, author of 'Chicago Indians'

Joseph Turkalj, distinguished Croatian sculptor

Maxo Vanka, distinguished Croatian painter

Antun Augustinčić, author of Horsewoman (Monument of Peace, UN)

Kristian Krekovic (exhibited in the USA in 1950s)

Pavao Kufrin (Kelečić), Croatian sculptor in Chicago

Vladimir Novak, Croatian photographer

Don Wolf, professional photographer

Anton Cetin (Canada), Croatian painter

Zoran Orlic, rock photographer

Branimir Kvartuc, photographer and philantropist

Marija Miletic Dail, and her animation cottage

Zvonimir Mihanović, Croatian painter

Marijana Grišnik (b. Pintar), Croatian painter, Strawberry Hill, Kansas City

Davor Vrankić, Croatian painter

Nicholas Doddazio, reinventing Croatian necktie



MUSIC

Ilma Murska, Croatian soprano

Josip Kašman, opera singer

Milka Ternina, Croatian opera singer

Zlatko Baloković, distinguished Croatian violinist

Zinka Kunc Milanov, famous opera singer, Metropolitan Opera

Božidar Kunc, distinguished Croatian pianist and composer

Ivana Kunc, soprano opera singer

Vlado Kolitsch, Croatian violinist, inventor of the Kolitsch shoulderset

Guy Mitchell (Albert George Cernik), pop singer and actor

Tony Butala, the founder and lead singer of THE LETTERMEN trio

Vjekoslav Šutej, director of the Houston Opera Orchestra 1992-1997

Radoslav Lorković, Croatian pop musician in the USA

Nenad Bach, pop and rock musician, humanitarian activist

Jerry Grcevich, Croatian tamburitza virtuoso

Miljenko Matijević, rock singer

Tajči, Tatjana Cameron (born Matejaš), Croatian pop singer in the USA

Ana Vidović, distinguished Croatian guitarist

2CELLOS, numerous appearances in the USA



FILM AND BALLET

Mia Slavenska, distinguished Croatian ballerina

Joe Marsh (Josip Marušić), MR CLEAN

John Malkovich, distinguished actor, with Croatian grandparents

Brenda Brkušić, award winning filmmaker, producer, and excellent Croatian cook

Goran Visnjic, distinguished Croatian-American actor

Ashley Colburn, Wow Croatia

Nikola Knez, filmmaker, creator of iFilms LLC



SPORTS

Joe Mikulec, Croatian globetrotter

George Mikan, gentle giant, a founder of NBA

Gary Gabelich, world record speed by rocket-powered Blue Flame

Roger Maris, baseball player

Jimmy Lyggett, American boxer in Zagreb

Fritzie Zivic, professional boxer, welterweight champion of the world (+ encounters with Nikola Tesla)

Helen Crlenkovic, springboard diver

Marin Pleština, wrestler

Krešimir Ćosić, Croatian basketball player and diplomat

Dražen Petrović, Croatian basketball player, NBA player

Toni Kukoč, Croatian basketball player, NBA player

Rudy Tomjanovich, basketball player and Hall of Fame coach, double NBA champion

Nick Saban, American college football coach

Stipe Miocic, MMF boxer

Val and Sandra Bezic - skating pair (Canada)

Bill Bellichick, the best American football coach ever - NFL (National Football League)

David Diehl, American football player

Mirko Novosel, trainer, inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame in the USA

Nikola Primorac, Croatian captain of City of Ragusa craft sailing from Liverpool to New York and back in 1870 (also here)

Croatian soccer international matches in 1940 with Switzerland and in 1990 with the USA



CROATIAN MARINERS

Croatian Mariners in the New World

First Croatians in the Americas

Titanic shipwreck and its Croatian saviors


Nikola Primorac, Croatian captain of City of Ragusa craft sailing from Liverpool to New York and back in 1870 (also here)



LEGENDS

Croatan (Croatoan) Indians

Joe Magarac, legendary Croatian steel worker in the USA



ORGANIZATIONS AND INSTITUTES

CFU (Croatian Fraternal Union) - HBZ (Hrvatska bratska zajednica)

Bernard Luketich, president of Croatian Fraternal Union, USA

Croatian Ethnic Insitutute, Chicago - fra Ljubo Krasić

NFCA - National Federation of Croatian Americans

Croatian Woman, www.croatianwoman.org

Matica iseljenika (Croatian Heritage Foundation, Zagreb)

John Kraljic, officer of the Croatian Academy of America (CAA)

ZIRAL (publishing house, Zajednica izdanja "Ranjeni Labud"), Chicago - Zurich - Rome

Sacred Heart Croatian Parish - Chicago

Croatian Franciscans in USA and Canada

Croatian parishes in USA and Canada

Canadian-Croatian Chamber of Commerce



JOURNALS

Zajedničar

Gaudeamus, AMCA Toronto

Journal of Croatian Studies, New York

The Croatian Academy of America Issued New Volume of the Journal of Croatian Studies

Matica, Matica iseljenika, Zagreb



WRITERS AND PUBLICISTS

Joseph G. Hitrec (India, USA), author of Son of the Moon

Josip Marohnić, writer and publisher in the USA

Louis Adamic, Slovenian writer, often wrote about Croatians in America

Anton Bonifačić, writer

Vladimir Goss, publicist

Karlo Mirth, publicist

Antun Nizeteo, writer

Zora Marov, island of Vis, USA

Melkior Mašina, writer

Hrvoslav Ban, writer

Mladen Kabalin, writer

Ante Kadić, writer

Dionizije Lasić, writer

Vinko Grubišć, writer

Tom Sunić, publicist

C. Michael McAdams, historian

Brian Gallagher interviewed Croatian American filmmaker Jack Baric



ACTIVISTS

Nick Begich, independent researcher in the sciences and politics

Ekrem Eck Spahic, defender of the homeland and philatelist

Jefrey Kuhner, The Washington Times

Jack Baric, Searching for a Storm

Luka Misetic, lawyer, recipient of the Vinodol Code Award

Michael Palaich, distinguished humanist

Joseph Thomas Rukavina, humanitarian activist



AMERICAN PRESIDENTS IN CROATIA

Richard Nixon, 1970

Bill Clinton, 1996



NONCLASSIFIED

Mime Cuvalo, web developer, proponent of open web standards, and benefactor

Adam S. Eterovich, researcher of the history of American Croatians

Tomislav Kuzmanovic, lawyer, recipient of the Vinodol Code Award

Elizabeth Peratrovich, a native woman in Alaska and civil rights pioneer bearing Croatian second name

Nasja Bošković Meyer and Jasna Meyer McCarthy, Croatia: The Country and the Language, Volumes I and II

Old Croatian Letters



BRANDS FROM CROATIA IN THE USA

Azithromicyn (Sumamed) - PLIVA

SUVAG (Verbotonal method by Petar Guberina), Zagreb - dr. Carl Asp (USA)

Dalmatian dog

Zinfandel wine






BASIC REFERENCES

  • Jure Prpić: Hrvati u Americi, MATIS, Zagreb 1997. (considerably expanded edition of The Croatian Immigrants in America,  Philosophical Library 1971)
  • Većeslav Holjevac: Hrvati izvan domovine, Zagreb, 1967.
  • Ivan Čizmić, Hrvati u životu Sjedinjenih Američkih Država, Zagreb, 1982.
  • Ljubomir Antić: Hrvati i Amerika (1993., 2002. - 2. prošireno izdanje), Croatsx and America
  • Janko Herak (ed.): Istaknuti hrvatski znanstvenici u Americi 1, 2, Hrvatsko-američko društvo, Zagreb 1999.
  • Vladimir Stanković: Kardinal Kuharić u hrvatskom iseljeništvu / Sjeverna Amerika, Kršćanska sadašnjost, Zagreb
  • Francis Eterovich & Christopher Spalatin (ed.): Croatia / Land, People, Culture, Volume I and Volume II (and III unpublished), University of Toronto Press, 1964. and 1970. (Foreword by Ivan Meštrović)
  • Croatian Americans
  • Maria Dugandžić Pašić: Croatians of Chicagoland, Chicago 2010
  • Ivan Čizmić, Marin Sopta, Vlado Šakić: Iseljena Hrvatska, Zagreb 2005.




Središnji državni ured za Hrvate izvan Republike Hrvatske

Hrvatsko iseljeništvo u SAD-u

Hrvatsko iseljeništvo u Kanadi


Hrvatsko iseljeništvo u Venezueli






CroatiaFest 2005, Seattle, USA, Photo - Jal Schrof

Croatian Woman celebrating 80 years of existence in Chicago 2009

Croatian Glagolitic books in the USA

Vladimir Novak:
Mr. Vladimir Novak, Zagreb, has prepared an important and luxorous monograph
CROATIANS IN AMERICA, A Photomonograph, Zagreb - Croatia, 2013

Ante Čuvalo: Hrvati u svijetu



Croatian tamburitza in the USA

The first tamburitza concert in the USA was held as early as in 1900 in the Carnegie Hall in New York. That same year the American Croats were invited to the White House to play for the president Theodor Roosevelt. In 1902 the first Croatian choir Zora (Dawn) in the USA was founded In 1960 the Croats in Pittsburgh founded the Tamburitza Philharmonic Orchestra, which had 75 players.

Omaha Tamburitzans, USA
Omaha Tamburitzans, USA
Omaha Tamburitzans, USA

Omaha Tamburitzans, USA


Tamburitza orchestra "Živila Hrvatska" (Long Live Croatia), USA,
performed in the White House for president Theodore Roosewelt in 1900.

Over the past several decades only in the USA several hundred tamburitza orchestras were active, with more than 5,000 players. At this moment The Youth Federation of Tamburitza Players in the USA comprises 44 orchestras. Its rich activity is mainly due to the fruitful efforts of the Croatian Fraternal Union (CFU) (Hrvatska bratska zajednica) and its president Bernard Luketich in Pittsburgh. Except in Croatia and the USA, numerous tamburitza orchestras exist among Croatian diaspora in Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Hungary, Scandinavia, South African Republic, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and elsewhere.

Fabian Koss, John Hrvacich, other unknown

I express my deep gratitude to Mr Vladimir Novak for permission to use the above beautiful photo from his collection, and the following one (Croats from Lika, Gorski Kotar and Hercegovina, during their stay in Burnett, Washington, in 1919):

Tamburitza orchestra "Velebit" from Croatia in the USA, 1919 (note a left handed player)


North Hills Junior Tamburitzans, USA

CroatiaFest 2005, Seattle, USA, Photo - Jal Schrof

CroatiaFest 2005, Seattle, USA, Photo - Jal Schrof

Tamburitza orchestra from the Baroque city of Varaždin, Croatia, playing in the USA, 1900. 
Note a nice lady playing bass, which is rather unusual. Source: Mr. Vladimir Novak, Zagreb.

Tamburitza instruments exhibited in the Museum of Croatian Fraternal Union in Pittsburgh, USA. 
Source: George Prpić, The Croatian Immigrants in America, New York, 1971

CroatiaFest 2005, Seattle, USA, Photo - Jal Schrof
The Tamburica Croatian Orchestra, 1887 County of Buffalo, Nebraska, USA (see bchs.kearney.net/BTales_198707.html)
The Tamburitza Croatian Orchestra in Buffalo, Nebraska, USA, 1887 (sic!).

Croatian Tamburitza Orchestra Zvonimir, 1900, San Francisco, USA,
photo from Croatian American Web




Croatian Fraternal Union, 1894; source Northwest Croatians

  Croatian Fraternal Union, USA, 1894



St. Jerome Catholic church in Chicago



Croatian Globetrotter Joe Mikulec


Picture of Josip (Joseph) Mikulec in possession of Dr. Ante Cuvalo, Chicago


A detail on his breast: Croatian Coat of Arms

Croatian adventurer Josip (Joseph) Mikulec set out to circumnavigate the globe on foot in the span of five years. 
With the start of this journey he became a perpetual wanderer. 
Mostly hiking, he traveled the world some 28 years and achieved a degree of fame 
for having collected more than 30,000 autographs of world-famous people.


Joseph Mikulec with Croatian Coat of Arms.





Hrvatska Žena (Croatian Woman) society, Branch 1 of Chicago founded on January 27, 1929. Another 18 branches were founded throughout the United States supporting churches, schools, charities and cultural programs as well as the American military during World War II. Source Vladimir Novak.


Hrvatska žena, ustrojena 27. siječnja 1929, Chicago ILL.
Croatian Woman, founded on January 27, 1929, Chicago ILL., source www.cuvalo.net


Hrvatska žena, grana br. 1, Chicago, 1929-2009
Croatian Woman, branch #1, Chicago, 80th Anniversary, source www.cuvalo.net




Kolendar (Calender), New York, issued by Croatian printing and publishing company,1921
CroatiaFest 2005, Seattle, USA, Photo - Jal Schrof



Primary school in the town of Lumbarda on the island of Korčula.
The second plaque, placed in 1931, is dedicated to Maring Gjurgjevic, teacher,
built by his former pupils gathered in Lumbarda Club in Oakland, California.






Distinguished Americans in Croatia

  • Jimmy Lyggett, trainer of Croatian boxing representation in Zagreb from 1939 to 1945



Croatia - Australia

Croatia - Austria

Croatia - France

Croatia - Great Britain

Croatia - Russia

Croatia - Japan

Croatia - China

Croatia - India

Croatia - Slovakia

Croatia - Ukraine

Croatia - Armenia



Many thanks to Neand Bach, NY, for suggesting to create this web page. D.Ž.



Croatia, Overview of Its History, Culture and Science