Contact: Harriet Laird
STARKVILLE, Miss.—János Radványi, the legendary international security studies pioneer and Mississippi State University center director, will be remembered during a funeral mass on March 5. He died on Jan. 11 at the age of 93.
All are welcome to celebrate the author, teacher and Hungarian immigrant who, in 1982, founded MSU’s Center for International Security Strategic Studies and Executive Leadership Forum. Mass begins at 1 p.m. at Saint Joseph Catholic Church, 607 University Drive, in Starkville, and a reception follows at the university’s Hunter Henry Center.
“Dr. Radványi brought international issues to the forefront in our state, and was a visionary in promoting the study of critical security concerns ranging from environmental threats to Russian resurgence,” said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. “He was a tremendous force in helping define global concerns.”
A former Hungarian ambassador to the U.S., Radványi was granted political asylum in this country in 1967, completing a doctorate at Stanford University before joining the MSU history faculty in the early 1970s.
He said of his decision to seek asylum, “I have always tried to work for peace and better understanding in this troubled world. I came to realize that it was impossible for me to act in good conscience and continue to be the representative of the Hungarian Government…”
In 1994 after the collapse of communism in his homeland, Radványi was honored by Hungary with “The Award for Development of Foreign Economy” for strengthening that country’s ties with the U.S. and Japan. Two years later, he was named the first to hold MSU’s Endowed Chair for International Security and Strategic Studies.
In 2002, the Mississippi World Trade Center honored him with the Guy Tozzoli Peace through Trade Distinguished Leadership Award. The Mississippi Senate passed a resolution in 2009 recognizing his service to the state and designating him as an “Honorary Ambassador.”
The university also honored him in 2012 for lifetime achievement, specifically recognizing his efforts to bring worldwide military leaders, diplomats and government dignitaries to MSU and Mississippi. Through the Executive Leadership Forum, he helped develop a more comprehensive understanding of conflicts and resolution, making the ELF one of the most prestigious associations in the U.S.
Radványi also was active in his later years in the research field of environmental security.
He is survived by his daughter Julianna Radványi-Szűcs of Budapest, Hungary; son János Radványi, Jr. of Soquel, California; and six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the “Dr. János Radványi Memorial Scholarship” fund through the MSU Foundation at P.O. Box 6149, Mississippi State, MS 39762 or online at msufoundation.com.