I am proud to say that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania leads the Nation in the number of lodges293--within its boundaries. Now headquartered in Chicago. the Polish National Alliance was founded in Philadelphia on February 15. 1880. by a group of 10 publicspirited PolishAmericans under the leadership of the industrialist Julius Andrzejkowicz. These men had the foresight to realize that the interests of the increasing numbers of PolishAmericans could be better served if the various selfhelp and cultural societies of Polish immigrants that were then in existence banded together to form a unified national organization. The response was immediately successful. 12 societies entered the new Alliance. and by 1913. membership passed the 100.000 mark. Two objectives have guided the PNAs course since its founding. One has been to facilitate the entry of Polish immigrants and their progeny into the mainstreams of American life. At the time of the PNAs founding. there were already at least 200.000 Poles in the United States. with the largest wave of immigration then in progress. The number of PolishAmericans passed 3 million at the turn of the century and has grown to over 10 million today. These Polish immigrants were initially sought for their skills in construction trades. later they came to America to escape political and ideological repression at home. New arrivals required aid. shelter. and protection. soon after. they would require help in entering the commercial and political life of their new country. yet all the while. immigrants from Poland looked for a means by which to preserve the language. traditions. and culture of their ancestral home. The Polish National Alliance has for 1 century now taken the lead in meeting these needs of PolishAmericans. The second objective of the PNA has been to help Poland in its struggle for freedom. independence. and economic betterment.
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