Calumet Regional Archives

Inventory

5.25 Linear Feet
February 1988

Introduction

Mrs. Frank B. Roman (formerly & Sally A. Legowski) donated the Frank B. Roman Collection to the Calumet Regional Archives on March 14, 1987.

Property rights in the collection are held by the Calumet Regional Archives; literary rights are dedicated to the public. There are no restrictions on access to the collection.

Linear Feet of shelf Space: 5.25 linear feet
Number of Containers: 7 boxes
Calumet Regional Archives Collection 077
Arranged and Described by: Stephen McShane
Date: February 1988

Scope and Content

The Frank B. Roman Collection documents the life and times of Mr. Roman from 1936 to 1984. In addition, these records furnish information on a variety of subjects in the history of the City of Gary.

Subject series and files focus upon the Gary schools (specifically Horace Mann School, 1942-1977), Gary's Diamond Jubilee (1981), Holy Angels Church, and Poles in Northwest Indiana, as well as local legends Frank Borman and Tony Zale. These records contain newsclippings, programs, and other printed material offering basic information on the topics. A large series of pamphlets / programs from local Polish organizations offer useful insight into one of the Region's most active ethnic groups. Because Mr. Roman served as a president and principal supporter of the Polish American Historical Association, the collection contains some files of newsletters and papers from that body.

Of very special interest is the series dealing with the founding of a religious mission in Poland. The Czartorysk series contains diaries and correspondence of Mr. Roman (known in that period as Brother Roman Witowski) and other members of the Congregation of the Holy Cross as the CSC attempted to establish a Polish mission in the 1920s, succeeding in the mid-1930s. The series contains primary information about the struggle and hardships faced by the missionaries, including their capture by Soviet armed forces during the invasion of Poland in 1939.

In the Czartorysk series, the historical information files will provide researchers with an understanding of the primary participants in the venture, Such as Casimir Sztuczko, Stanislaus Gruza, Hilary Paszek, Joseph Kmiciek, and Theophilus Michalinski. Of special note, in the Roman subseries correspondence, a letter to Mr. Roman's brother (September 8, 1937) reveals some account of Mr. Roman's personal life. Also, a file of correspondence with the Dambroska family deals with the displaced person phenomenon of WWII. The Sztuczko subseries not only describes the Czartorysk endeavor, but also includes a file detailing the "Polish problem" in the CSC. Correspondence in the Stanislaus Gruza subseries discusses the tense circumstances of St. Casimir parish in South Bend, site of the 1914 "Bloody Sunday" riot; the subseries contains little on Czartorysk, which is surprising, since Fr. Gruza led the first effort to build the mission in 1935. A series of intriguing photographs concludes the Czartorysk series.

The variety of data in the Frank B. Roman Collection reflects the varied experience and interests of this proud and staunch Pole from Gary, Indiana. Researchers should note that historical information about Frank B. Roman is located in Box 1, File Folder 1.

Historical Sketch

Born in Chicago on August 10, 1913, Francis John Witowski provided an example of the "white ethnic" experience in twentieth century America. His parents, Adalbert and Agatha (Kosal) Witowski, died when he was nine years old, and Francis traveled to Gary, Indiana to live with a maternal aunt, beginning his long association with the city. He attended St. Hedwig School, graduated in 1928, and enrolled at Sacred Heart Juniorate in Watertown, Wisconsin, affiliated with the Congregation of the Holy Cross. He graduated in 1932 and jointed the CSC as Brother Roman Witowski. Four years later, he was on his way to Czartorysk, Poland to help build the first CSC mission established in that country. The venture ceased abruptly in 1939, however, as the Soviet army invaded Poland and captured the missionaries. After much confusion and negotiation, the priests and brothers were released and traveled to Rome for rest and recovery.

Upon his return to the U.S., Brother Roman entered the University of Notre Dame and earned an A.B. in 1944. He obtained a teaching post at Chicago's Holy Trinity High School, remaining there until 1955 (he received an M.A. from DePaul University in 1949). He left the CSC (reason unknown), changed his name to Frank B. Roman, and returned to Gary in 1956, teaching at Horace Mann High School until his retirement in 1978. He served as Mann's night school principal from 1956 to 1964 and also as a library media specialist in his later career. Soon after he left the CSC, he married Sallie Ann Legowski of Chicago.

Throughout his life, Mr. Roman maintained a strong pride in his Polish heritage while demonstrating fierce American patriotism (in 1975-1976, he was known locally as "Mr. Bicentennial"). He served as president of the Polish American Historical Association in 1963 and as a director of the Polish Museum of Chicago, along with memberships in numerous local Polish associations. He received many awards and commendations for his teaching, patriotic, and historical work, most notably the Valley Forge Freedom Foundation Gold Medal. When he returned to Gary, Mr. Roman became interested in local history and appeared frequently in the print and electronic media as the self-appointed historian of Gary. In this role, he became well-known throughout the community and participated in local historical celebrations and commemorations. He remained active in retirement until his health failed in the early 1980s. He died on April 27, 1985, at the age of 71.

Subject Tracings

• African Americans -- History
• Borman, Frank
• Cathedral of the Holy Angels (Gary)
• Catholic Church
• Chicago (Ill.)
• Churches
• Congregation of the Holy Cross
• Displaced Persons
• Education
• Ethnic Groups
• Gary
• Gary Diamond Jubilee
• Gary Teachers Union
• Gruza, Stanislaus, Rev.
• Horace Mann High School
• International Institute of Northwest Indiana
• Labor
• Lew Wallace High School
• Piatek, Mary Lou
• Poland
• Polish American Historical Association
• Silver Bell Club
• South Bend
• St. Hedwig Church
• Sztuczko, Casimir, Rev.
• World War II
• Zale, Tony