Mate Meštrovic
Encyclopedia
Mate Meštrović is an American journalist and academic, Croatian lobbyist, politician and ambassador. He is the son of the renowned Croatian and American sculptor Ivan Meštrović
.
He attended grade school in Zagreb
before his family moved to Italy
in 1942. The family lived in Switzerland
from 1943 to 1946 where he finished 'Ecole Internationale de Genève. The family moved to the United States of America the following year where his father continued his work as an artist and where Mate would spend most of his life.
He graduated from university in 1951 and the following year received a Master's degree in history at the University of Syracuse. From 1954 to 1956 Dr. Meštrović served as a lieutenant in the US Army PsyWar in the Pacific and is also a Korean War
veteran.
He earned a PhD from Columbia University
in 1957. He worked as a Contributing Editor of TIME
and wrote many articles for American and European newspapers and magazines, including Commonweal
, The New Leader
, the North American Alliance news syndicate, “The Intelligence Report" of The Economist
, etc.
He taught as professor of Modern European history at New Jersey
's Fairleigh Dickinson University
and other US universities from 1968 to the Croatian independence in 1991.
In 1986 he was awarded the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor
, together with such outstanding leaders as Gerald Ford, Madeleine Albright, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Henri Kissinger, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Hillary Clinton, etc.
Mate (Matthew) Meštrović was active for the cause of Croatian independence during its time in Communist Yugoslavia. Meštrović led the Croatian Academy of America. He visited Communist Yugoslavia for the first time in 1969. During this visit he made contacts with members of Hrvatski književni list and Matica hrvatska
. From 1982 to 1990 he served as president of the Croatian National Council
, an umbrella group of Croatian emigrant organizations which lobbied for Croatian independence.
He lobbied on behalf of Croatian self-determination in Washington, Western Europe and Australia . In this capacity he was received by and Germany’s President Dr. Richard von Weizsäcker
, the State Department, Quai d’Orsay, European Parliament, the British Foreign Office, etc.
Matthew Meštrović is the author of several books in English and Croatian, notably What you should know about Communism and why?, The struggle for Croatia and In the whirlpool of Croatian Politics. He published in the US Dr. Franjo Tudjman’s book Nationalism in Contemporary Europe and Venko Markovski’s
Goli Otok – The Island of Death, etc. He authored several political tracts, notably Violations of Human and National Rights of the Croatian People in Yugoslavia and Croatian Response to the Memorandum of the Serbian Academy of Science and Art.
Meštrović returned to Croatia upon its independence. Dr. Meštrović was a deputy in the Croatian Parliament (1993–1997), member of Croatia’s delegation to the Council of Europe
and the Inter parliamentary Union and ambassador in Bulgaria
(1997–2000). He is the recipient of several Croatian and Bulgarian decorations. Because of his father's, and his own political anticommunist beliefs and commitment to freedom, he was declared Enemy Number One of the Yugoslav State and a top CIA agent.
Ivan Meštrovic
Ivan Meštrović was a Croatian and Yugoslav sculptor and architect born in Vrpolje, Croatia...
.
He attended grade school in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
before his family moved to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in 1942. The family lived in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
from 1943 to 1946 where he finished 'Ecole Internationale de Genève. The family moved to the United States of America the following year where his father continued his work as an artist and where Mate would spend most of his life.
He graduated from university in 1951 and the following year received a Master's degree in history at the University of Syracuse. From 1954 to 1956 Dr. Meštrović served as a lieutenant in the US Army PsyWar in the Pacific and is also a Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
veteran.
He earned a PhD from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1957. He worked as a Contributing Editor of TIME
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
and wrote many articles for American and European newspapers and magazines, including Commonweal
Commonweal
Commonweal is a American journal of opinion edited and managed by lay Catholics. It is headquartered in The Interchurch Center in New York City.-History:...
, The New Leader
The New Leader
The New Leader was a political and cultural magazine begun in 1924 by a group of figures associated with the Socialist Party of America, including Eugene V. Debs and Norman Thomas, and published in New York by the American Labor Conference on International Affairs. Its orientation is liberal and...
, the North American Alliance news syndicate, “The Intelligence Report" of The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
, etc.
He taught as professor of Modern European history at New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
's Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairleigh Dickinson University is a private university founded as a junior college in 1942. It now has several campuses located in New Jersey, Canada, and the United Kingdom.-Description:...
and other US universities from 1968 to the Croatian independence in 1991.
In 1986 he was awarded the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor
Ellis Island Medal of Honor
The Ellis Island Medal of Honor was founded by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations and intended to pay homage to the immigrant experience. The medals honor the contribution made to America by immigrants and the legacy they left behind in the successes of their children and grand-children...
, together with such outstanding leaders as Gerald Ford, Madeleine Albright, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Henri Kissinger, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Hillary Clinton, etc.
Mate (Matthew) Meštrović was active for the cause of Croatian independence during its time in Communist Yugoslavia. Meštrović led the Croatian Academy of America. He visited Communist Yugoslavia for the first time in 1969. During this visit he made contacts with members of Hrvatski književni list and Matica hrvatska
Matica hrvatska
Matica hrvatska is one of the oldest Croatian cultural institutions, dating back to 1842. The name is somewhat idiosyncratic, best translated as "The Croatian Centre" . It is the largest publisher of Croatian language books...
. From 1982 to 1990 he served as president of the Croatian National Council
Croatian National Council
The Croatian National Council was a representative body of Croatian emigrant groups which operated from 1974 to the nation's independence in 1991....
, an umbrella group of Croatian emigrant organizations which lobbied for Croatian independence.
He lobbied on behalf of Croatian self-determination in Washington, Western Europe and Australia . In this capacity he was received by and Germany’s President Dr. Richard von Weizsäcker
Richard von Weizsäcker
Richard Karl Freiherr von Weizsäcker , known as Richard von Weizsäcker, is a German politician . He served as Governing Mayor of West Berlin from 1981 to 1984, and as President of the Federal Republic of Germany from 1984 to 1994...
, the State Department, Quai d’Orsay, European Parliament, the British Foreign Office, etc.
Matthew Meštrović is the author of several books in English and Croatian, notably What you should know about Communism and why?, The struggle for Croatia and In the whirlpool of Croatian Politics. He published in the US Dr. Franjo Tudjman’s book Nationalism in Contemporary Europe and Venko Markovski’s
Venko Markovski
Venko Markovski, in Bulgarian and Macedonian Венко Марковски, born as Veniamin Milanov Toshev; was a Bulgarian and Macedonian writer, poet and Communist politician.-Biography:...
Goli Otok – The Island of Death, etc. He authored several political tracts, notably Violations of Human and National Rights of the Croatian People in Yugoslavia and Croatian Response to the Memorandum of the Serbian Academy of Science and Art.
Meštrović returned to Croatia upon its independence. Dr. Meštrović was a deputy in the Croatian Parliament (1993–1997), member of Croatia’s delegation to the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
and the Inter parliamentary Union and ambassador in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
(1997–2000). He is the recipient of several Croatian and Bulgarian decorations. Because of his father's, and his own political anticommunist beliefs and commitment to freedom, he was declared Enemy Number One of the Yugoslav State and a top CIA agent.