The Rev. J. Clayton Murray, S.J. Archives has been fortunate enough to receive several narratives, photographic stories, and other accounts from a number of Canisius alumni concerning both their experiences in World War II and their time at Canisius. Below are links to each of these accounts. We are sincerely grateful to our contributors for allowing us to share their stories.
Please check back for additions to this page. We invite any Canisius alumni (student or professor) to send us their memories of World War II or their time at Canisius during those years in order to add to our collection.
Cadet Midshipman Norbert Amborski
Canisius University class of '43M
Norbert Amborki '43M was one of 13 men who lost his life in a North Atlantic ocean battle on September 13, 1942. Norbert and his younger brother Leonard entered Canisius University together as members of the class of 1943. While Leonard graduated in 1943, Norbert only spent one year at Canisius before being appointed to the Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT. Although he had resigned, the attack on Pearl Harbor led to Norbert's appointment to the United States Merchant Marine Academy in King's Point, NY. There, Norbert applied for a cadet position and was assigned to the SS Stone Street where he served and died for his country.
Dr. Leonard Amborski chronicled his brother's wartime sacrifice in the book The Last Voyage: Maritime Heroes of World War II. The cover and the dedication page of Dr. Amborski's book are below.
This book can be found in the Canisius University Rev. Clayton J. Murray, S.J. Archives. We are deeply indebted to Dr. Amborski for sending us a copy of his book and for his eagerness to share his brother's story.
The 1943 yearbook picture of Leonard Amborski.
Leonard Amborski
Canisius University class of '43M
While Norbert was fighting with the Merchant Marines, his brother, Leonard, had his own experiences on the homefront. After graduating from Canisius University in May of 1943, Leonard spent the next year teaching physics to the Army Air Cadets who were training here.
After his time teaching at Canisius, he and eight other Canisians worked at the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism at the Carnegie Institute. These included Harold H. Hebeler '39, Leonard Amborski '43, John J. Kowalak Jr., Lawrence J. Halpin, George X. Saltarelli and Anthony Ventre, Daniel E. George and William M. Huebsch all from the class of 1942. James Murray, who also worked with the Carnegie Institute, was a former physics instructor at Canisius. While Leonard worked for 18 months in Washington, D.C., each of the others were assigned to work in different areas of the country. All worked on important advances in radio communications and terrestrial magnetism. According to a Buffalo News article of April 19, 1946, their work "made radio communications virtually 'foolproof' so that frequencies--selected months in advance--may be depended upon 90 percent of the time or better."
After the war, these Canisius alumni kept in touch through Dr. Austin C. McTigue, a physics professor at Canisius University.
To see the full article from the Buffalo News entitled "Canisius Alumni Helped Make Radio Foolproof During War" (April 19, 1946), click on the links below. The article is in two parts.
"Canisius Alumni Helped Make Radio Foolproof During War" B.N. (4-19-46) Part I (PDF)
"Canisius Alumni Helped Make Radio Foolproof During War" B.N. (4-19-46) Part II (PDF)
Photo by Gene E. Lorence taken from the March 15, 1946
issue of The Griffin. Because of the war, there were no
yearbooks for the 1944, 1945, and 1946 classes.
John H. Kolecki
Canisius University Class of 1946
John H. Kolecki, originally named Janko, was born in 1920 in Tonawanda, NY to Polish-Ukranian immigrants. At age 20, Mr. Kolecki entered Canisius University to begin his studies for a degree in Social Science, but joined the Marine Corps at the end of his sophomore year. He was not, however, called to active service until the fall of 1943 when he received orders to report to boot camp at the Marine base in San Diego, CA. Following training, Mr. Kolecki volunteered for the paratrooper school and was assigned to the Fourth Battalion at Camp Gillespie, CA. During his training session, the paratrooper program was cancelled and Mr. Kolecki's unit was reassigned to the Camp Pendleton Marine base as part of the Fifth Marine Division.
After several months in advanced combat training at Camp Tarawa, HI, the Fifth Marine Division set out for Iwo Jima. The attack, which began on February 19, 1945, included 60,000 men. Shortly after landing on the beach with the first assault wave, Mr. Kolecki was injured after a bullet grazed his face. He recovered within a week and volunteered to rejoin his unit on Iwo Jima. After a few weeks of combat, Mr. Kolecki suffered injuries once again, this time from shrapnel. He was flown to the Guam Army base where he remained for two weeks. He was then sent to Pearl Harbor and finally back to Camp Tarawa. On March 14, 1945, nearly a month after the first landing, the Marines officially declared Iwo Jima secure. 6,800 American and 22,000 Japanese lives were lost.
After returning to his hometown of Tonawanda in November 1945, Mr. Kolecki decided to finish his studies at Canisius University. With the help of the Dean of Studies, Fr. John O'Sullivan, Mr. Kolecki was able to complete his BS degree in social science in time for graduation in March 1946.
In 2005, Mr. Kolecki published an autobiography entitled The Hybraid Amerykaniec, which covers his life as a Polish-Ukranian in Tonawanda, his experiences in World War II, and life in post-war Western New York. The book, pictured below, is available in Canisius's Bouwhuis Library. Click here for citation.
We are very grateful to Mr. Kolecki for allowing us to share his story.
Dorothy Suchan '52 at the time of her reception of the
LaSalle Medal at the 1973 Commencement Ceremony.
Dorothy Suchan '52 was one of many women who took evening classes at Canisius University during World War II. Women's enrollment at Canisius was important to keeping the College open during the severe decline in attendance due to World War II.
Ms. Suchan wrote about her experiences at Canisius University in a letter which the Rev. J. Clayton Murray, S.J. Archives received on Sept. 15, 2006. Ms. Suchan, who describes the delicate balance of work and school, provides an unusual but important look at Canisius during WWII from a woman's point of view. Ms. Suchan served as the 1947 President of the Tekakwitha Club, an organization started by women students for women students at Canisius. The Tekakwitha Club is mentioned in her letter.
Here is a transcript of the letter by Ms. Suchan. (PDF)
After graduating from the College in 1952, Ms. Suchan went on to serve as the Corporate Secretary of Hesse Industrial Sales, Inc. In 1971, she received the rating of Certified Professional Secretary and was named Secretary of the Year for the Buffalo Chapter of the Professional Secretaries International. Ms. Suchan also remained active in her alma mater where she served as President of the Canisius University Alumnae Association, for three years on the Canisius Board of Trustees (1981-87) and for a year on the Canisius Board of Regents (1979-80). Canisius University recognized her great dedication by presenting her with the LaSalle Medal at the 1973 Commencement ceremony, an honor given by the Alumni Association to those who make substantial contributions to the College.
Ms. Suchan's brother, Charles A. Suchan, Jr., was a graduate of the Canisius class of 1939. Two other brothers, Robert J. Suchan and William T. Suchan, joined the Jesuit order after spending one year at Canisius University. Robert and William served as missionaries in Manila, Philippines and the Caroline Islands respectively. Another sister, Sr. Mary Luke, joined the Marist Sisters in Waltham, Massachusetts.
One of eleven children of Charles A. Suchan, Sr. and his wife Pauline P. Suchan, Ms. Suchan endowed a scholarship in memory of her parents to honor their support of Canisius University. The eleven children were:
Charles A. Jr, '39
Paula
Dorothy M. Suchan '52
Jeanne
William T.
Robert J.
Richard C.
Mary Ann
Eleanor P.
Sister Mary Luke
Patricia A.
Thomas A. Weber Sr. in his 1949 yearbook photo.
In September 2006, the Rev. J. Clayton Murray, S.J. Archives received several photographic memories from Jane Weber, the widow of Thomas A. Weber Sr., '49. Mrs. Weber also included a brief biography of her husband's life and involvement at Canisius University.
Thomas A. Weber Sr. was born and lived in New Jersey. He joined the Army Air Force the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 and was eventually sent to England with the 8th Army Air Force. Mr. Weber was sent back to the United States in the summer of 1943 where he received training as an Army Air Corp Cadet at Canisius University. It was at Canisius University where he met his future bride, Jane. He was later sent to Scottfield, Illinois and married Jane in Belleville, Illinois in 1944. The couple moved to Olympia, Washington until the end of the war. They returned to Buffalo, N.Y. in November 1945. Mr. Weber decided to take advantage of the GI Bill and returned to Canisius University graduating in 1949 as an accounting major. He was not the only one of his family to attend Canisius University. His brother-in-law, Albert E. Gunther '44, his father-in-law, Albert Gunther, M.D., and his son, Thomas A. Weber Jr. '68, all graduated from Canisius. Mr. Weber died in November 2004.
Below are the pictures sent to the Rev. J. Clayton Murray, S.J. Archives by Mrs. Jane Weber.
The top two photos are of Thomas A. Weber Sr. at his college graduation. In the top right (above the Reunion Weekend nametag) is a picture of Albert Gunther '44, his brother-in-law, Thomas Weber, and Albert Gunther M.D., his father-in-law. All were Canisius grads.The center contains Thomas A.Weber's nametag from the Canisius University Reunion Weekend in 1994.The rest of the photos are candid shots of Thomas A. Weber Sr. in Sea Bright and Highlands, N.J., in the state of his birth.
On the left, the top two photos show the Canisius Army Air Cadets at attention: the first image is near the Consistory where they lived, the second in the open space behind Canisius University's Old Main.The two shots in the middle row are of the Cadets behind Old Main and five cadets standing for a photo.The next two photos are of the Consistory where the Cadets lived. The building is now Canisius High School.The lower left picture is of the Cadets marching. Cadets would walk from the Consistory on Delaware Ave. to Delavan Ave.and then straight down Main St. to Canisius University where they took their classes. The last photo is of George Saltarelli '43, at Canisius [n.b. For more information on Saltarelli, visit the Memoir Page of Leonard Amborski].
Pictures of Thomas A. Weber Sr. and his classmates at Canisius University after the war. He would go on to earn a BBA in accounting.
