Lesia and I

About the Book

Lesia and I is a progress report of the fifty-year marriage of Myron and Lesia Kuropas which produced two sons and six grandchildren, as well as a memoir of a Ukrainian-American whose varied career included working as a school principal in Chicago’s inner-city, a regional director of a federal agency in Chicago, a presidential special assistant in the White House, a legislative assistant in the U.S. Senate, and an adjunct professor at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois. Dr. Kuropas reviews the major events in his fascinating life, his travels throughout the world, and his successes and failures in both his personal and professional life. Provided as background are historical sketches of the episodes that had a profound impact on Myron and Lesia’s life as well as the lives of their parents.

About the Author

Myron B. Kuropas was born in Chicago, Illinois, to activist Ukrainian parents. He received his BS from Loyola University, his MA, from Roosevelt University, and a PhD from the University of Chicago. He is the author of two major books, The Ukrainian Americans: Roots and Aspirations, 1884–1954 and Ukrainian American Citadel: The First Hundred Years of the Ukrainian National Association, as well as three other publications, including The Ukrainians of Chicagoland. He has been active in various Ukrainian community organizations, serving as vice president of the Ukrainian National Association (UNA) and the Organization for the Rebirth of Ukraine (ODWU) and as a regular columnist for the Ukrainian Weekly, published by the UNA. Professionally, Dr. Kuropas was a principal in the Chicago public schools and the DeKalb public schools. He has taught at Northern Illinois University and the National University of Ostroh Academy in Ukraine. He retired as an adjunct instructor at Kishwaukee Community College in Malta, Illinois, in 2013. During the administration of President Gerald R. Ford, he served as special assistant for ethnic affairs in the White House. Later, he was a legislative assistant for Senator Bob Dole. In 2004, he was awarded the coveted Shevchenko Freedom Award by the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, and in 2009, he was awarded the “Order of Merit” by President Viktor Yuschenko of Ukraine. Dr. Kuropas is married to Lesia (nee Waskiw). They have two sons and six grandchildren. They have lived in DeKalb, Illinois, for thirty-six years.