Charles J. Vopicka
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Charles Joseph Vopicka (born as Karel Boromejský Josef Vopička) (November 3, 1857 – September 4, 1935) was an American diplomat of
Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places *Czech, ...
origin who served as United States Minister to Bulgaria, Romania, and Serbia.


Early life

He was born as Karel Boromejský Josef Vopička on 3 November 1857 at Dolní Hbity house 2,
Příbram Příbram (; german: Freiberg in Böhmen, ''Przibram'', or ''Pribram'', in 1939–1945 ''Pibrans'') is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 32,000 inhabitants. It is well known for its mining history, and more ...
,
Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
,
Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central-Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence, ...
and baptized
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
the next day. He was one of fourteen children. His father was a farmer and the mayor of their community. By 1880, he had emigrated to live in
Racine Jean-Baptiste Racine ( , ) (; 22 December 163921 April 1699) was a French dramatist, one of the three great playwrights of 17th-century France, along with Molière and Corneille as well as an important literary figure in the Western traditio ...
and
Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...
before moving to
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
in 1881.


Career

He worked with his wife's brother Otto Kubin in the real estate and banking business until 1888. In the early 1900s, he became the President and Manager of Atlas Brewing Company of Chicago. He ran for Congress on the Democratic ticket in 1904 for the fifth district of Illinois but did not win. On September 11, 1913, President
Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...
appointed Vopicka as United States Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Romania, Serbia and Bulgaria. The outbreak of the Great War made his job all the more difficult.
Added to the delicate situation which was created by the daily snapping of diplomatic threads, there was imposed upon him the extra hazardous task of acting as Chairman of the International Commission in Serbia, where he was also representing the German and Austro-Hungarian interests. He was representing British interests in Bulgaria and German and Turkish interests in
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
. Representing nine nations in
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
, during the German occupation of that city, his life for four years was one of extraordinary activity and private and public strain. Acting for Germany and Turkey he handed their ultimatum to Romania. Likewise to him fell the task of persuading several hundred thousand Russians to remain in the trenches to fight the
Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,german: Mittelmächte; hu, Központi hatalmak; tr, İttifak Devletleri / ; bg, Централни сили, translit=Tsentralni sili was one of the two main coalitions that fought in ...
to the bitter end. After the termination of hostilities and the consequent resumption of international amenities, Minister Vopicka conducted parleys for the various powers and has notably assisted in the task of building order out of chaos and destruction. In the spring of 1920, he resigned.
In 1917, Vopicka traveled to Berlin, after remaining in
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
after the removal of the
Romanian Government , image = , caption=Logo of the Government of Romania , date = 1862 , state = Romania , address = Victoria PalaceBucharest , appointed = President , leader_title = Prime Minister , mai ...
to Jassy (whose withdrawal was requested by the German Government). Germany later withdrew the charges and Vopicka returned to Bucharest.


Later career

After his diplomatic career ended in 1920, he returned to Chicago where he was a member of the
Board of Education A board of education, school committee or school board is the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or an equivalent institution. The elected council determines the educational policy in a small regional are ...
from 1927 to 1930. A friend of Queen
Marie of Romania Marie (born Princess Marie Alexandra Victoria of Edinburgh; 29 October 1875 – 18 July 1938) was the last Queen of Romania as the wife of King Ferdinand I. Marie was born into the British royal family. Her parents were Prince Alfred, D ...
, he was instrumental in bringing the Queen to Chicago when she visited the United States in 1926. He also served as chairman of the board of the Atlas Brewing Company until his death in 1935.


Personal life

On February 3, 1883, Vopicka was married to Victoria K. Kubin (1862–1952) from , a daughter of organist Martin Kubín and Antonie (
née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Rudisher) Kubin. Together, they were the parents of six daughters, including: * Victoria Vopicka, who married U.S. Representative
William H. Stevenson William Henry Stevenson (September 23, 1891 – March 19, 1978) was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin for the years 1941–1949, he served as a Republican. William Stevenson was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin and ...
. * Elsie Vopicka, who married Edward Kralovec. * Clara Vopicka, who married Jerome Schelsinger. * Mildred Vopicka, who married Thomas J. Doyle. * Helen Vopicka, who married Gordon William Dougherty. * Harriet Vopicka, who married Raymond Hockmuth. Vopicka died in Chicago on September 4, 1935 after attending the funeral of
Anna Wilmarth Ickes Anna Wilmarth Thompson Ickes (January 27, 1873 – August 31, 1935) was an American politician and activist. Early life Born Anna Hawes Wilmarth in Chicago, Illinois, to Henry Martin Wilmarth, a manufacturer and organizer of the First Nation ...
, wife of
Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
's Cabinet member
Harold L. Ickes Harold LeClair Ickes ( ; March 15, 1874 – February 3, 1952) was an American administrator, politician and lawyer. He served as United States Secretary of the Interior for nearly 13 years from 1933 to 1946, the longest tenure of anyone to hold th ...
. After a funeral held at Pilsen Hall in Chicago, Vopicka was buried in the Bohemian National Cemetery.


Honors and legacy

In 1918, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Star of Romania "as a recognition of his devotion to the allied cause and especially to Rumania during these trying times." He also received the Grand Cordon of the White Eagle, First Class, from the Prince Regent of Serbia.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vopicka, Charles 1857 births 1935 deaths People from Příbram District American company founders Emigrants from Austria-Hungary to the United States People from Racine, Wisconsin People from Milwaukee People from Chicago Ambassadors of the United States to Romania Ambassadors of the United States to Serbia Ambassadors of the United States to Bulgaria Grand Crosses of the Order of the Star of Romania Burials at Bohemian National Cemetery (Chicago) Members of the Chicago Board of Education American people of Czech descent