Born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1922, János Radványi lived
through World War II in his native country. He fought the Germans in the
partisan underground until the war ended. He entered diplomatic service in 1947
and was posted in Turkey, France, Switzerland, and Syria. He was appointed to
head the Hungarian Embassy in Washington, D.C. in 1962. Five years later for
political reasons Ambassador Radványi cut his ties with the Hungarian
government and issued a statement that said in part: "I have always tried
to work for peace and better understanding in this troubled world. However, in
recent months 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 to
the American Government."
After being granted political asylum, he and his family moved to
California. He earned a doctorate in History at Stanford University in 1971.
Shortly thereafter, he joined the faculty of the History Department at
Mississippi State University. In 1982, he founded and directed the Center for
International Security and Strategic Studies. In June of 1996, Dr. Radványi
became the first chair holder of the newly established Endowed Chair for
International Security and Strategic Studies at Mississippi State University.
Dr. Radványi is a seasoned lecturer and has published
extensively in his field. He has served as the principal investigator for
numerous international conferences and has presented testimony to the United
States Congress. He has organized multinational workshops for promoting economic
and social development in Central Europe. He worked on ocean dumping nuclear
waste problems with American, Japanese, Korean, and Russian participation. His
efforts contributed to President Boris Yelstin's historical decision to ban
dumping of radioactive waste into the oceans.
Presently, Dr. Radványi's scholarly work focuses on research,
writing and teaching special seminars. He devotes full attention to vital global
problems with emphasis on the post communist era's complex security problems. He
is also active in the new research field of environmental security. Dr. Radványi
is a member of the American and International Associations for the Advancement
of Slavic Studies; a member of the International Institute for Strategic
Studies, London; Councilor of the Atlantic Council of the United States,
Washington, D.C.; and a senior advisor in the Office of the Vice President for
Research, Mississippi State University.
In 1978, Dr. Radványi, his wife Julianna, and his son János
were granted American citizenship. Julianna Radványi was born in Tapsony,
Hungary. She received her law degree in 1954 and was a judge of the district
criminal court. The Radványi's have two children: daughter Julianna II, who is
living in Hungary, and son János who makes his home in Santa Cruz, California.
The Radványi's have six grandchildren.
