Szent-Györgyi’s Honorary Doctorate from the University in Szeged – April 7, 1938

On October 29, 1937, the day after Szent-Györgyi was awarded the Nobel Prize, the university in Szeged hosted notable meetings held by the two faculties with which Szent-Györgyi was most closely associated. One the one hand, the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences passed a resolution to confer an honorary doctorate on Szent-Györgyi, acknowledging that from 1935 to 1940, in addition to heading the Institute of Medical Chemistry, he also served as the acting head of the Institute of Organic and Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. On the other hand, the Faculty of Medicine proposed commissioning a plaque and a medal to commemorate the Professor’s Nobel Prize

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The ceremony for conferring the honorary doctorate took place in the spring of the following year during a General Assembly session of the University Council. It was Pál Fröhlich, Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, who bestowed the title of Honorary Doctor of the Humanities (Doctor Honoris Causa Humanarum Litterarum) upon Szent-Györgyi.

The venue was the aula of the central building of the University. The festive atmosphere was also reflected in the external details: the April wind fluttered the flags, stair runners adorned the stairwells and hallways, and well before the program scheduled for 11:30 a.m., the distinguished guests and dignitaries began arriving in their cars in front of the building, while inside, a large crowd had already gathered.

Also attending the event was renowned local photographer Béla Liebmann. Most of the photos presented here were taken by him. The first two photos capture the moment when Szent-Györgyi arrives in front of the central building of the university, accompanied by the women in his family: his mother-in-law, Mrs. Károly Demény; his spouse, Kornélia; and his daughter, Nelli.

Some of the more distinguished guests, seated in the front row, included State Secretary Kálmán Szily, representing the Minister of Education and Religion; the Diocesan Bishop of Csanád County Gyula Glattfelder; County Commissioner György Imecs; Mayor József Pálfy; Chief Rabbi Immánuel Lőw; Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Budapest Sándor Belák; University Professor and Department Head Géza Mansfeld, representing the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Pécs; and Rector of the University of Debrecen Sándor Csikesz.

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A few minutes after 11:30 a.m., the University Council entered the auditorium. Led by Rector József Gelei, the deans of the various faculties – Barna Horváth (Law and Political Sciences), István Rusznyák (Medicine), Dezső Várkonyi Hildebrand (Humanities), and Pál Fröhlich (Mathematics and Natural Sciences) – took their seats at the highly ornate presidium table. The prorector and the deputy deans assumed their places on each side, while the university’s professors sat behind the Council. Szent-Györgyi took his place in the armchair in front of the Council’s podium. After Rector Gelei’s welcome address, Pál Fröhlich provided a summary of the events leading up to the occasion, emphasizing that Regent of Hungary had given his highest approval. At the rector’s invitation, Szent-Györgyi then approached the Council’s podium and took his ceremonial oath as honorary doctor, standing before the Holy Crown in front of the table. Then, once again at the rector’s invitation, Pál Fröhlich conferred the title of Honoris Causa Doctor upon Szent-Györgyi, reciting solemn words. Subsequently, the rector and the deans of the four faculties formally inducted Szent-Györgyi into the ranks of the university’s honorary doctors, each offering a handshake. Finally, József Gelei took the floor and delivered a powerful speech, which was met with several minutes of applause. The rector then presented Szent-Györgyi with the diploma attesting to his honorary doctorate, along with the bronze commemorative plaque commissioned by the Faculty of Medicine for this occasion.

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To read the full text of Szent-Györgyi’s acceptance speech, click on the image, or continue reading below for selected excerpts:

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“I am deeply moved as I accept this certificate of honorary doctorate, the highest distinction that a university can bestow. This university itself is the most exalted institution society has created, crowned by a legacy spanning seven centuries. In essence, the university remains today what it was at the time of its founding centuries ago: a community of professors surrounded by young minds seeking knowledge. The word 'professor’ truly reflects an essential trait of those who bear this title. A ‘confessor’ is someone who confesses in private, in secrecy, whereas a ‘professor’, in the original sense of the word, is someone who makes confessions in public to proclaim their deepest convictions; someone who seeks knowledge and truth and, upon discovering them, testifies to them openly, without fear of or deference to any external power. This relentless pursuit and love of truths, this intellectual freedom, are the very lifeblood of the university. The university can only flourish and maintain its esteemed position as long as it fulfills this mission and does not yield to the fleeting slogans of the day, replacing eternal truths with partisan views.”

“The university, with its centuries-old history and service to great common human ideals, stands above the momentary fluctuations of history, showing humanity the way to a better future. This grand historical perspective teaches us that we cannot stand above one another but must live beside each other – if we wish to live in peace. What is essential is not to elevate our own nationality, race, or party above others, but to place knowledge above ignorance; ability, expertise, and talent above favoritism and partisan merits; love above hatred; understanding above discord; and creation above destruction.”

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Szent-Györgyi concluded his address with a heartfelt gesture, presenting the university with the official telegram that announced his Nobel Prize win:

“[…] I cannot resist the urge to reciprocate the university’s generosity in some way, even if only symbolically. Therefore, I humbly place this small piece of paper upon the university’s altar. It bears just a few handwritten words, but it is the telegram that made me rejoice in receiving the Nobel Prize. Allow me to offer this small piece of paper at the altar of the university as a token of my gratitude.”

Today, the location of the telegram is unknown; it may have perished forever.

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The ceremony concluded with the University Choir performing the national anthem. As Szent-Györgyi left the ceremonial hall, the members of the choir lined up in tribute in the adjacent Council room. When Professor Szent-Györgyi stepped among them, they welcomed him with a time-honored song of greeting, which translates into English as:

“May he live, happily. / May God grant him enduring vitality. / May he live, in longevity!”

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In the following photo, Szent-Györgyi is seen among university leaders, just moments after being conferred with his honorary doctorate.

From left to right: Pál Fröhlich, Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences; Barna Horváth, Dean of the Faculty of Law and Political Sciences; Albert Szent-Györgyi; József Gelei, Rector; and István Rusznyák, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine. Behind Gelei, on the left is Dezső Várkonyi Hildebrand, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Linguistics, and Historical Sciences; and on the right is: Dezső Miskolczy, Prodean of the Faculty of Medicine.

The next photo shows Szent-Györgyi leaving the building after the ceremony ended.

To the left of Szent-Györgyi stands Sándor Belák, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Budapest; to his right, arm in arm with him, is Géza Mansfeld, University Professor and Department Head representing the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Pécs.

That afternoon, audiences had another opportunity to hear Szent-Györgyi speak, when, in the aula of the central building of the university, he delivered a talk titled “Combustion and Vitamins”. This lecture was part of the open university program of the Association of the Friends of the University. He concluded his direct, engaging, and humor-filled talk by expressing his hope that the spirit of knowledge spreads among people, much like vitamins are dispersed in our food.

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Between the honorary doctorate ceremony and the open university lecture, a festive lunch was held at the university cafeteria. Seated at the head of the table were Rector Gelei and Albert Szent-Györgyi.

The daily Délmagyarország reported on the events of the day in great detail: http://dmarchiv.bibl.u-szeged.hu/8519/1/dm_1938_078.pdf (last accessed: September 10, 2021)

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Before the end of the year, on November 5, 1938, Sorbonne University in Paris also conferred an honorary doctorate upon Albert Szent-Györgyi.

Honorary Doctorate of the University of Szeged