Dr. Mieczyslaw B. Biskupski, holder of the Stanislaus A. Blejwas Endowed Chair in Polish and Polish American Studies at Central Connecticut State University, is a 2004 recipient of the Polish American Historical Association’s Mieczyslaw Haiman Award. The honor, presented during a ceremony at the Polish Embassy in Washington, DC, is awarded annually to an American scholar for sustained contribution to the study of the Polish American ethnic group in the United States.

The award was established in 1969 in honor of the late Mieczyslaw Haiman [1888-1949], co-founder and charter member of the Polish American Historical Association, curator of the Polish Museum of America in Chicago, and pioneer in the compilation of Polish American history.

The Polish American Historical Association, the oldest and largest scholarly body dedicated to the study of the Poles in America, presented the award to Biskupski in conjunction with its annual conference. Biskupski was congratulated at the ceremony by Przemyslaw Grudzinski, Polish Ambassador to the United States.

The author of seven books and numerous prestigious journal articles and other commentary on Polish history and culture, Professor Biskupski is a specialist in modern Central Europe, particularly Poland, as well as international relations. He has held the Stanislaus A. Blejwas Endowed Chair in Polish and Polish American Studies since 2002; it is one of two such chairs in the country; the other is at Harvard University.

M. B. Biskupski (as he is identified in his scholarly writing) is the recipient of many academic and national awards, including the Honor Roll of Polish Science by the Polish Ministry of Education, and the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Polish Institute, and past president of the Polish American Historical Association.