Lopata, Helena Znaniecka, 1925-2003

Born October 1, 1925, Poznan, Poland; died February 12, 2003. Sociologist; Professor. Helena Beatrice Znaniecka Lopata was born in Poznan, Poland, on October 1, 1925, to Florian Znaniecki and Eileen Markley. When the Nazis entered Poland in September 1939, Helena and her mother, as members of the intelligentsia, were imprisoned in a concentration camp. By subterfuge, they later escaped to the United States. After arriving in the United States, Helena enrolled in Champaign Urbana High School, where she graduated in 1942. Four years later, she earned a BA in Sociology from the University of Illinois, and in 1947, an MA in Sociology at the same school. In 1949, Helena began a doctorate program at the University of Chicago, earning her PhD in Sociology in 1954. After graduation, Helena and her husband settled into family life during which they raised two children, Teodora and Stafan. In 1969, Helena joined the Sociology Department at Loyola University Chicago where in 1972 she established the Center for Comparative Study of Social Roles. She retired from Loyola in 1997 and died in 2003.

From the description of Helena Znaniecka Lopata papers, 1930-2003. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 559004258