Tomáš G. Masaryk

Tomáš G. Masaryk. National Mall and Memorial Parks , Tomáš Masaryk.

"He had the mind of a scholar, the figure of a sportsman, the bearing of an aristocrat, the position of a king. But he had the heart of a democrat. …" , , Dorothy Thompson, NBC broadcast, September 24, 1957

, This memorial honors Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk (1850-1937), founder and first president of the Republic of Czechoslovakia. Born to a family of humble origins, he achieved considerable renown as a scholar and university professor and entered into politics. During World War I he founded the Czechoslovak National Council in Paris to advocate for independence from Austria-Hungary. In support of the Allied cause, he organized the Czechoslovak Legion, an army of volunteers that fought in Russia, Italy, and France., In 1918 Masaryk won the support of US President Woodrow Wilson for independence. With the fall of Austria-Hungary, he became the President of Czechoslovakia. He was thrice elected, holding the office until 1935. Supported by his American-born wife, Charlotte Garrigue, Masaryk was inspired by US presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and ideals o free elections, the rule of law, the separation of powers, universal suffrage, and the fundamental liberties of speech, assembly, and religion.,

Memorial Facts , Sculptor Vincenc Makovsky (1937) , Materials Bronze on a granite base , Cost $757,000 (1,284,000 million in 2023 dollars) , Dedication November 2002 , Completion March 8, 2003

, [Caption:] , Declaration of Independence , In the background image, Masaryk reads the declaration of Czechoslovak Independence on October 26, 1918 at Independence Hall in Philadelphia.