About Washington Metropolitan Area Division of Polish American Congress
The Polish American Congress was founded for the express purpose of representing the concerns of Americans of Polish heritage before the government of the United States. The leaders of the Polish American community, concerned about developments in Poland as the end of World War II approached, met in a founding convention on March 4, 1944. Polish Americans were concerned that Poland be restored to the independence it had enjoyed before World War II.
The Polish American Congress is a National Umbrella Organization, representing at least 10 million Americans of Polish descent and origin. Its membership is comprised of fraternal, educational, veteran, religious, cultural, social, business, political organizations with national scope, and 43 PAC Divisions and Chapters in 23 states.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Division was founded in 1974 by a group of American-born and immigrant Polish-Americans under the leadership of Col. Casimir I. Lenard, to facilitate the engagement of Polish-Americans in the unique opportunities for helping Polonia and Poland from the National Capital Area. The original territory defined as the "Metropolitan Area" was:
...the District of Columbia, the State of Virginia, and those counties or municipalities of the State of Maryland contiguous to the District of Columbia...
