Mihajlo Pupin sailed out
from the Hamburgh harbour on the ship Westfallia on March
12th 1874, when he was only 20 years old. After two weeks,
he finally saw the coast of the Long Island, on March
28th.
Harbour in Hamburgh
Soon after, he got off the ship in Castle Graden,
having only a 5 cents in his pocket.
He did many phisical jobs in the harbour and he also
worked on some farms. But, his evenings he used to
spend in famous Cooper library, healing his tired
soul with knowledge and lecturing.
For the first three years he used to work and study
at the same time, meeting many different people and
their destinies. He knew farmers - his first colleagues,
emigrants from all the corners of the Europe, stokers
Jim and German Bilhartz-in loved with ancient things,
then Slovenian Lukanic who owned a store in the city.
these last two people convinced him to go on Columbia
college.
He passed the test 1879,
and thrilled his teachers with his knowledge of Greek
and Latin, and verses of Homer and Ciceron's lectures.
He fitted in very quickly, and accepted all rules on this
colledge. His success became bigger during the years.
Picture "Pioneers of the progress" which fascinated
Pupin in Cooper's library
Pupin often take place on students wrestling duals
Thanks to his intelligence
and physical activities Mihajlo bacame authority to his
aristocratic colleagues
spending summers on their lands and teaching them. He
was active in rowing, diving, boxing and wrestling,
but he also could work in the fields of
Hakensaks, too. After four years, he finished this coledge
as the best student in his generation getting diplomma
"Bachelor of Arts" - a university diplomma
Columbia colledge
The day before the ceremony of getting diplomma there
was another event. In one dark office in City Hall Park,
Mihajlo Pupin declared on oath his loyalty to the USA,
which means he became the citizen of this "promised
land".
