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• Fejezetek, arcképvázlatok a DEAC labdarúgó szakosztályának történetéből

  145 - 171

  Endre Gápel

  Views:

  200

  Chapters and Sketches of Portraits pertaining to the History of the Soccer Division of the Debrecen University Athletic Club. The Athletic Club of the University of Debrecen (DEAC) was established on the first day of August, 1919, by the University’s managers, professors and various renowned public figures with the primary objective of ensuring sporting opportunities and facilities for the student body, the educators and other employees of the University. The soccer club of DEAC achieved the peak of its development in the 1960s and 1970s, when the University’s team managed to qualify to play in the second division of the national football league (NB II). In those days the team attracted large crowds. Each team member was a student and they also were successful as students. Besides offering a survey of tangible successes in football, the present discussion also highlights the subsequent careers of the respective members of the team. A number of these successful soccer players also achieved outstanding professional careers, some of them became professors, well-known medical doctors, school pricipals, and sports managers of international rank The survey also introduces those university managers who supported and promoted the quality sporting activities of the students. The essay is a much-needed elaboration adding substantially to a better understanding of the scope, the past and present of the University of Debrecen. It is both a history of sport and the history of an institution.

• The DEPARTMENT OF DERMATOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF DEBRECEN IS 100-YEAR OLD

  131-153

  Andrea Szegedi

  Views:

  74

  The Department of Dermatology at the University of Debrecen celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2021. However, the year 2021 did not allow us celebrate this important anniversary properly, due to the COVID pandemic, so the festive meeting in honor of the Centenary and this commemorative article were organized and completed in the spring of 2023. History of the past 100 years of the Department of Dermatology is presented reviewing the main developmental steps in patient care, education, and research, remembering the legacy of our former colleagues and directors, furthermore to provide an opportunity to all employees of the University and independent readers to gain insights into this interesting, more than hundred years’ medical history of dermatology in Debrecen. 

• ISTVAN CSŰRY, EPOCH-MAKING DIRECTOR OF THE UNIVERSITY AND NATIONAL LIBRARY OF DEBRECEN (1921-1980)

  106-132

  Márta Virágos

  Views:

  335

  István Csűry was one of the most educated people in Hungarian library affairs, with an extensive professional experience, sensitivity towards problems, and also an initiating worker with an unprecedented receptivity to new endeavors. István Csűry’s first and only workplace was the University Library of Debrecen, where after about a decade of working as a librarian, served as director from 1956 until his death, and elevated the institution to a second national library. The study reflects on the library areas where István Csűry has achieved essentially new results.

• JÁNOS BODNÁR, PROFESSOR OF MEDICAL CHEMISTRY, RECTOR MAGNIFICUS OF ISTVÁN TISZA HUNGRIAN ROYAL UNIVERSITY DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR OF 1943-44.

  3-10

  József Mudrák

  Views:

  198

  János Bodnár as  professor and chair of the Institute of Medical Chemistry taught not only the first year medical students but, as a subject lecturer– owing to the lack of faculty of natural sciences – at the faculty of humanities he also took part in natural sciences teacher training of the teacher candidates. In addition, he also offered courses to those students who intended to obtain a doctoral degree.

  In the academic year of 1943–44 he served as rector of the University of Debrecen, which was hard work because of the wartime climate and existence. In the following academic year, 1944 – 1945, he again took part in the management of the university as deputy rector since the newly appointed rector, János Hankiss got stuck in Budapest  because of the war events. He concentrated on the temporary reconstruction of the war damages and he endeavoured to ensure the availability of the facilities of education.

   

• Bernolák Nándor (1880–1951), a Debreceni M. Kir. Tudományegyetem második rektora

  13-31

  Béla P. Szabó

  Views:

  95

  Nándor Bernolák (1880–1951), the Second Rector of the Hungarian Royal University of Arts and Sciences in Debrecen. As second rector of the Hungarian Royal University of Arts and Sciences, Debrecen, which was launched in 1914, Nándor Bernolák played an important role in shaping the events of the first years. He was a nationally recognized theoretical criminal jurist when he was invited to chair the department of penal law in Debrecen. In addition to an outline of his brief, seven-year, university career, a discussion of his previous professional activities is offered, and the events of his life pertaining both to the early history of the university and to his subsequent political and legal career are highlighted. Professor Bernolák’s reformist initiatives pertaining to criminal law as well as his attempts aimed at the renewal of law training are likewise reviewed. In summary it is stated that Nándor Bernolák excelled both as a criminal jurist and as a university manager. As regards his political career, it turned out to be rather brief and controversial. In view of the fact that he turned his back to his university commitments, we are obliged to consider him as one of those university professors who was lost for Hungarian higher education when they assumed political commitments.

• LÁSZLÓ KÁDÁR, PROFESSOR OF GEOGRAPHY, RECTOR OF LAJOS KOSSUTH UNIVERSITY DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR 1954-55

  15-32

  József Szabó

  József Lóki

  Views:

  105

  László Kádár started his adademic carreer at the Lajos Kossuth University in 1947 and was a distinguised professor untill his retirement (1978). In the academic year 1952-54 he functioned as the dean of the Faculty of  Natural Sciences. In the next year (1954/55) he became the rector of the University Lajos Kossuth.

   

• Gyula Mitrovics, Professor of Pedagogy the Rector Magnificus of István Tisza University of Debrecen of the Academic Year 1940/41.

  Tamas Vincze

  Views:

  210

  Professor of Pedagogy Gyula Mitrovics was Rector Magnificus of the Hungarian Royal István Tisza University of Debrecen in the academic year of 1940-1941. His profound interest in the arts and his Protestant identity
  shaped by the oscillation between the Sárospatak versus Debrecen axis constituted the basis and the framework for an overarching career which the child of a Sárospatak family of educators could fulfill in the Hungary of the first half of the 20th century. Despite the fact that the success of his early publications and the affirmative critical responses beckoned the young and upcoming teacher to a career in art history or to the calling of an aesthete, the interests of the arts faculty of the ”newly born” university of Debrecen dictated a different professional alternative. His attention turned to pedagogy, of which he became privat-docent in 1917, then full professor in 1918. Starting from this juncture, he led parallel professional lives rooted in aesthetics and pedagogy. In the year before his retirement he was elected rector of the university. His attitude in this supreme office was characterized by seeking compromises, which was a direct consequence of the priorities of the age in which he lived. It was during his rectorship that the university was to surrender its science departments. However, the diplomatically sensitive rector was able to attain the continuance of instruction in the disrupted departments by employing external lecturers. During his retirement as pensioner his life assumed a tragic turn: int he year 1949 – prompted by outside advice – he resigned his position as corresponding member of the Hungarian Academy then, in the middle of the 1950s he left Hungary. The one-time Debrecen professor of pedagogy spent his remaining years in Stuttgart and that is also where he died in 1965.

• COLLECTION OF PAINTED PORTRAITS OF UNIVERSITY LEADERS, DEBRECEN

  164-173

  Zsuzsa Béres

  Views:

  60

  Painted portraits of former institution leaders - almost all of them painted by János Dienes - still decorate the Rector's Council Room and the corridor of the University of Debrecen's Main Building. The paintings were once part of a gallery of more than thirty portraits of the great figures of the university. The Hall of Portraits - the existence of which is attested by documents and photographs from the period - has survived only in fragments. However, research has revealed that several pieces of the collection are currently kept in the Déri Museum in Debrecen.

• GÉZA JUHÁSZ, PROFESSOR OF PHILOSOPHY, THE RECTOR MAGNIFICUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF DEBRECEN DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR 1950/51.

  22-35

  Endre Bakó

  Views:

  111

  . In the 1920s and the 1930s, Géza Juhász, a secondary-school teacher, was one of the leading spokesmen of the literary culture of Debrecen. He caught the attention of an interested group of followers and admirers through a considerable output of poetic material, as well as through creating and publishing a body of and the organization of literary projects. His challenging attitude to the political elite of the day made him a supporter of a left-wing ideology. In was primarily due to this latter fact that very soon (November 1945) after the termination of World War Two he was appointed full professor of Hungarian Literature, then in 1950 – sometimes even circumventing standing rules – he was made Rector of the university. His activities as Rector were overshadowed by the tragic events of the communist takeover, in which his leadership was determined by strict regulations and also well-defined expectations – the constant voicing of the justification of power and the glorification of political leaders. Géza Juhász tried to fulfill these tasks as expected, thus becoming an active participant in the elimination of university traditions and overshadowing the reputation of his former laudable literary organizer.

• „Non procul ex proprio stipite poma cadunt”, avagy a „két Kolosváry” élete az egyetemtörténet tükrében

  23 - 41

  Ildikó Ámán

  Views:

  236

  Non procul ex proprio stipite poma cadunt, or the Life of the „two Kolosvárys” in the Mirror of the Univerity History. In my study, I intend to introduce the history of the Faculty. The study outlines the life’s work of father and son, who are closely related to the legal history embedded in the history of the University. They both were closely connected with the city, and in addition to their teaching activities they also played an active role in the social life of Cluj-Napoca: they were chief editors of the papers and presidents of scientific and civil associations. Alexander Kolosváry has played a prominent role in the life of the University and within the Faculty of Law. He was four times the dean of the Faculty and once held the post of rector. In addition, he coproduced the Hungarian translation of Tripartitum and Corpus Juris Hungarici with Professor Clement Óvári. Valentine Kolosváry was considered one of the biggest private lawyers of the century at the time. Valentine Kolosváry was a worthy successor to his father, not only as a head of department at the University but also in the patronage of the Reformed Church of John Calvin and Church Districts and its rights.

• Pomáztól Princetonig: Alföldi András élete és munkássága

  11-23

  Tamás Gesztelyi

  Views:

  106

  FROM POMÁZ TO PRINCETON: THE LIFE AND WORK OF ANDRÁS ALFÖLDI. András Alföldi was head of the Department of Ancient History, István Tisza University of Debrecen, from 1923 to 1930. Subsequently he joined the Department of Ancient History and Archaeology of Budapest’s Péter Pázmány University of Arts and Sciences. It is owing to his activity in Debrecen that from his estate two suitcasefuls of correspondence and other personal relics have been obtained by the Department of Classical Philology and Ancient History in Debrecen. Despite the fact that Alföldi spent only a short period of his early years in Debrecen, his internationally recognized activity justiies a more detailed discussion of his life career and professional activity. Before 1947, he primarily focussed on the archaeology of the Carpathian Basin. Subsequently he emigrated to Switzerland, where he taught at the University of Bern and the University of Basel. In 1955 he got an invitation to the Institute of Advanced Studies at Princeton, where he continued to work until his death. Cut of from the archaeological materials of Hungary, he initiated new projects overseas, such as the most substantial problems of early or imperial Rome, respectively. Oicially, the representatives of classical studies in Hungary have started to recognize his work since the 1990s; in 1995, on the occasion of the centenary of his birth, several commemorative sessions were held. One of these was hosted by Debrecen.

• COMMON MEMORIES ABOUT THE GREAT PROFESSOR-INDIVIDUALITIES OF AGRICULTURAL HIGHER EDUCATION OF DEBRECEN AND MAGYARÓVÁR.

  229-243

  Antal Tenk

  Béla Surányi

  Zsolt Nemessályi

  Views:

  186

  In the history of domestic vocational education in agriculture,  the year 2018 has recorded itself onto the pages of history’s golden book with two significant anniversaries. Mosonmagyarovar celebrated the bicentenary of its birth and Debrecen celebrated its existence of a century and a half. These  two higher education institutions were called to life by different reasons. While Ovar opened its gates to a private initiative, in Debrecen the local farmer society was the driving force with the binding precondition to which was connected tightly to have the mother tongue education accepted by the Viennese court. The time proved afterwards that the education in Hungarian language did not go to the detriment of expertise at none of the institutions. It must be acknowledged that in the field of vocational training, Magyarovar was the one which gave the first large faculty of teachers but soon Debrecen outgrew itself to the acropolis of vocational training too. The Ministry of Agriculture solved the incidental differences of standards by switching teachers. Owing to this, some professor-individualities had the chance to teach at both places. In our compilation – as a sample – we selected a few meaningful personalities with great authority who are claimed to have by both university faculties.

• „Lássatok hozzá, és építsétek föl Istennek, az Úrnak szentélyét” (A Debreceni Református Egyetemi Templom építésének története)

  52-70

  Kinga Dezső

  Views:

  180

  „Rise up and Build the Sanctuary of the Lord God, so that you may bring the Ark of the covenant of the Lord.” – The History of the Construction of the Reformed University Church in Debrecen. In this essay I try to find the answer to the question of what the main cause of the structure of the University Church was and which were the most relevant stages of the construction. After launching the university in Debrecen, the undergraduates, the professors and the local citizens established a claim to engender a place of worship where they could get an opportunity to inward edification. The negotiations about the church to be constructed began in the 1910’s, after all the quartercentenary of the Reformed College gave the handle for the church’s structure. The University Church was built in vicissitudinous ways and it came up against a lot of difficulties during the second half of the twentieth century. Consequently this fact encumbers the researching of the building’s history. However, the history of construction is trackable by the eight boxfuls of sources of the Archives of the Transtibiscan Reformed Church District.

• CONSTANT VALUES IN A CHANGING WORLD- 35 YEARS OF THE SÁNTHA KÁLMÁN FACULTY COLLEGE OF ADVANCED STUDIES

  242-352

  Benjámin Regő Baráth

  László Nagy

  Views:

  298

  Student organisations, clubs and associations are always a distinctive and often dominant feature of universities in Hungary and abroad. Their purpose, and sometimes their function, is to cater to students' needs and areas of professional activity not covered by regular education and/or not covered in an orthodox way. The structure of higher education in Hungary, and in particular medical education, is rigid, partly due to the rules of the discipline, with lectures, seminars and practicals organised within a strictly regulated framework, which many believe does not provide sufficient scope to fully meet the dynamically changing needs of students, and thus the latest professional trends and technologies, as well as societal issues. Furthermore, the pressures of a busy curriculum and lack of time often do not allow for immediate reflection, experience, and processing of the challenges of our rapidly changing world. The organizations promoting students’ participation in research and various student-initiated organizations serve to fill this apparent gap and to meet the needs of students and teachers. The most prominent of these, in our opinion, is the Sántha Kálmán Faculty College of Advanced Studies, which has existed at the University of Debrecen and its predecessors for 35 years in an ever-changing form, constantly reborn like a phoenix. In this reminiscence, we are summarising the history of the founding and activities of the Sántha Kálmán Faculty College of Advanced Studies, relying on our own memories and experiences, archived documents, and the detailed accounts of former and current members.

• The FOUNDATION AND THE FIRST TWENTY YEARS OF THE HEALTH COLLEGE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF DEBRECEN

  253-278

  Gergely Fábián

  Views:

  126

  The article reviews the circumstances of the foundation and dynamic development of the Health College during its first two decades when, with extensive Hungarian and international cooperation, four programs were launched in the college, which had not existed previously in Hungary.  In addition, several other programs, that up till that time had been available only in Budapest, were initiated. As a result of the dynamic training development, the number of students increased significantly by the end of the nineties.  Because of the increase enrollment, the College was struggling with a significant lack of space, consequently beginning in 1997 developing and improving the infrastructure became increasingly critical. By taking over and repairing old and erecting new buildings the college significantly expanded by several thousand square meters. Additionally, the dormitory of the college was also renovated. The creation of the college was part of the national concept and strategy in the nineties aimed at establishing and expanding higher education for healthcare workers.  In the first twenty years, six new programs were launched at the college, and by the end of the 2000s, the institution was able to start a master degree.The rate at which the college was developing was somewhat broken or slowed down by the transformation of higher education in the 2000s, the start and the storms of university integration, the introduction of the Bologna system, and the accompanying structural transformations. The college successfully faced the obstacles, and tried to take advantage of the opportunities arising from the new systems. The 2000’s saw the creation of new bachelor programs, specializations and master programs, including some that had not existed in our country before.The overview of the history of the first twenty years is inseparable from Dr. Zsolt Lukácskó, who was the founding director general of the college and then, after it had been declared to be a faculty, its first dean until 2007.

• ALADÁR KETTESY ARRIVED AT THE DEBRECEN OPHTHALMOLOGY CLINIC A HUNDRED YEARS AGO

  229-232

  Ildikó Süveges

  Views:

  119

  The article commemorates Aladár Kettesy, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Debrecen, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his taking over the management of the Eye Clinic at the University of Debrecen, initially as a trustee. In addition to the achievements in medical and scientific work, the memoir highlights the personality of the professor and emphasises his great importance in the history of ophthalmology in Hungary.

   

• BÉLA FORNET, PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE THE RECTOR MAGNIFICUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF DEBRECEN DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR 1947/48

  4-13

  György Paragh

  József Mudrák

  Views:

  215

  Dr. Béla Fornet is a school-creating professor at the University of Debrecen who, through his directness, created an intimate atmosphere not only in his clinic, but also in the University Council during the rector's term. According to the theological dean István Török, "recognizing the need for social transformation during his rector's activity, he made greater concessions than the predecessor of any rector at the expense of previous inherited forms." As a result of his foresight and directness, in addition to the trust of the patients, he enjoyed the confidence of both the students and the professors during his rector's activities. In recognition of his outstanding professional work, the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Debrecen established the Béla Fornet Commemorative Medal. In this way, the example of a determining school-creating professor in terms of development of the Faculty of Medicine, will help to address the challenges of today by setting an example for the present generation.

   

• Varga Zsigmond teológia professzor, a Debreceni m. kir. Tisza István-Tudományegyetem 1932/33. évi Rector Magnificusa

  3 - 22

  Levente Baráth

  Views:

  254

  Zsigmond Varga, Professor of the History of Religion, the Rector Magnificus of the Hungarian Royal István Tisza University of Debrecen during the academic year 1933/1934. Several memorable events took place at the university during his time in office. The historical background of this was the fact that the political and social tensions caused by restrictive measures taken by the Hungarian government to fight the consequences of the Great Depression reached their peak in that academic year. There were several events that made the extraordinary actions of rector Zsigmond Varga necessary: the public debate on the policy of education aiming at the restructuring of the higher education threatened the university with loosing one of its four faculties and the ongoing student revolts hindered the teaching and research activities for months. In addition to Varga’s activity in the University administration, this study describes his work as an academic and as a scholar, and addresses his public activities outside of the university, too. It also offers a glimpse into his family life at a certain point of time. Referring to a memorial booklet written by Varga, his son, Zsigmond Varga jr., the young Reformed minister and promising biblical scholar is also remembered in this study. Varga jr. was a student of the University of Vienna, he was nprisoned by the Gestapo and he died a martyr’s death in the concentration camp of Mauthausen-Gusen.

• A kolozsvári példa dokumentumok a kolozsvári egyetemi menza működéséről és debreceni kapcsolatáról

  77-92

  Sándor Király

  Views:

  232

  In the Footsteps of Kolozsvár. Documents on Students Work at the University of Debrecen and its Connection with the University of Kolozsvár. It’s a well-known historical fact that the foundation of the students’ canteen in the University of Debrecen was one of the first steps to establish a welfare organization in a hope to support hundreds of students in their studies between the two World Wars in Debrecen. Also widely known that under the guidance of Nándor Láng this students’ canteen gained prosperity. At the
  same time, far less attention has been given to networks and relations in higher education underpinning this initiative. Láng asked assistance and information from the University of Kolozsvár which was the only provincial university in Hungary. The letter of Béla Posta which was written to Nándor Láng in December 20, 1916 and all of the attached documents are very rare and valuable sources of the history in both universities. The paper therefore can be considered as a novelty by giving an insight into the partnership of the University of Debrecen and Kolozsvár.

• PUBLICATIONS OF LECTURERS IN HUMANITIES IN THE DEBRECENI SZEMLE

  138-150

  Viktória Molnár Tamus

  Views:

  108

  The István Tisza Scholarly Society published the journal of high academic quality that had nineteen issues between 1927 and 1944. The authors of the articles were mainly lecturers at the University of Debrecen, teachers at secondary schools, professional writers, intellectuals working in the countryside, nationally renowned scholars and writers. Most of the lecturers in humanities examined in my doctoral thesis regularly published in the columns of Debreceni Szemle, one of the most significant forums of the city’s academic life. The journal was edited by two university professors, János Hankiss and Rezső Milleker. Every second issue covered a social or natural scientific theme. In the beginning, it was published ten times a year, later twelve times, then again ten times or even less frequently during the Second World War, until it was discontinued in 1944, and it was not started again until many years later. The journal was published with the support of the city of Debrecen, but its themes were not limited to regional ones, even though it considered that its primary task. In addition, it was run by the University of Debrecen and the István Tisza Scholarly Society in a relatively high number of copies. From 1932 until its termination, it functioned as the official review of the Society.

   

• Glass Windows of Art Nouveau by Miksa Róth at the Department of reumatology of the University of Debrecen

  Zoltán Szekanecz

  Views:

  234

  Miksa Róth (1865-1944) glass strainer and mosaic artist significantly contributed to the beautiful buildings of the University of Debrecen in the first part of the 20^th century. It is regarded that his most famous work here is the five big glass windows in the Hall of the university that were reconstructed in 2012. Furthermore, he left the result of his artistic work in other buildings of the university. Nevertheless, these works were destroyed nearly without exception. The only exception is the three glass windows, which were discovered in the basement of the Surgery Clinic. They were taken out from there in 2018 and the following study introduces the history of the reconstruction.

• Doctoral Dissertations of the Mathematical Seminar of the University of debrecen at the beginning of the 20th Century (1927-1940)

  Tünde Kántor

  Views:

  249

  Doctoral Dissertations on The Mathematical Seminar of the University of Debrecen at the Beginning of the 20th Century (1927–1940). In this article we present 16 mathematical dissertations, the life and later carrier of their authors (15 persons) in two parts. These dissertations were written under the direction of Professor Lajos Dávid between 1927 and 1940. At that time he was the leader of the Mathematical Seminar of the University of Debrecen. The themes of the dissertations were connected with his scientific work, such as history of mathematics (the two Bolyais), or research work in mathematical analysis (arithmetic-geometric mean). The dissertations were published separately as books. Later these were collected in a colligation named Dissertationes Davidianae Debrecen 1927–1940. We have to mention this colligation does not contain the dissertation of Ferenc Kárteszi. We found his work among the dissertations of Doctors of Philosophy in the Library of the University of Debrecen. (Part 1: 1927–1934). 

• The ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FACULTY OF ECONOMICS AND UNIVERSITY POLITICS BETWEEN THE TWO WORD WARS

  104-122

  Gábor Újváry

  Views:

  160

  Although economics education has a history going back to the reign of Maria Theresia and despite the fact that its  position has significantly strengthtened by the 20st centruty, the future of the subject has been a bone of contention ever since the 19th century. The majority supported the establishment of an independent University of Economics, however this was only partially materialized in 1920 with foundation of the partiallly independent Faculty of Economics. The faculty struggled with financial and placement-related issues, and the establishment became part of the József Nádor Technical and Economics University in 1934. This redesign involving a number of academic institutions (Technical University; Faculty of Economics; College of Veterinary; and College of Mining and Forestry) seemed to be succesful. Although the global economic recession resulted in the decrease of the number of students studying economics in the 1930s, from the 1940s on student enrollment figures  started to sharply increase owing to the economic recovery following the world wars. The Hungarian University of Economics was only opened in 1948, but the nature of the institution changed following the communist takeover, not in line with its original purpose.

• Plans for Establishing a University at the Time of Bishop György Klimo

  66-89

  Zoltán Gőzsy

  Views:

  140

  One of the most important goals of Bishop Gyorgy Klimo of Pécs was to improve the education of his diocese’s clergy. This objective was subject to change and development through his years as bishop: from time to time one can identify many new elements in his educational plans. Klimo intended to establish a strong educational institution, which, besides serving as a preparatory school for the faculty of theology, he planned to build a university on, and which, in the same time, could become a fundament of regional education and culture. These components appeared as a complex structure in his concept: with the establishment of the university he wanted to enhance the reputation of his diocese and his see, while he also aimed to improve the scholarship of the clergy. In this paper I show the process of the new school’s establishment, while I also attempt to find answer to the question that what kind of institution did Klimo exactly want to create in 1769 in Pécs.

• LAJOS SZODORAY PROFESSOR OF DERMATOLOGY AND DEAN OF THE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF DEBRECEN IN 1952-1953

  3-24

  Andrea Szegedi

  Views:

  144

  In the 1952-1953 academic year, Professor Lajos Szodoray managed the independent Medical University of Debrecen as a dean with rectoral powers, then in 1954-1955 he was the academic vice-dean of the University, while between 1961-1964 he was the academic deputy rector. In his young years, he purposefully prepared himself for the task that fate had indeed chosen for him to organize one of the country's leading Dermatology Department, and to develop the necessary conditions of the excellent clinical patient care based on broad theoretical foundations in the institute, as well as the high-level teaching and research work. Lajos Szodoray is the founding figure of the Hungarian dermatology, an internationally renowned scientist, a colourful, warm-hearted individual. He is credited with the first detection and communication of numerous dermatological diseases in Hungary, and had extraordinary merits in the field of textbook writing. Fate gifted Lajos Szodoray with a long creative life for the benefit of Hungarian medicine, matchless work ethic, dynamism, unrelenting diligence, and perseverance throughout his life. In addition to his several decades of activity as a department head and teacher, he completed his professional life by holding leading positions at the University.