Cong. Susan Wild | Official U.S. House headshot
Cong. Susan Wild | Official U.S. House headshot
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Congresswoman Susan Wild spoke on the House floor to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Nicholas Balabkins, a former Lehigh University professor who for decades was a staple of the Lehigh community.
“For decades, Dr. Balabkins was a staple of the Lehigh University community, known for his ready smile and colorful bowties, and recognized by awards for his teaching excellence,” said Rep. Susan Wild. “Dr. Balabkins will be remembered as an extraordinary professor, neighbor, colleague, and friend– and we honor his lifelong dedication to shaping the lives of the students lucky enough to pass though his classroom.”
About Dr. Nicholas Balabkins
Dr. Nicholas Balabkins passed away on May 8, 2023. He was born July 17, 1926, in Daugavpils, Latvia and received his undergraduate education from Georg-August University in West Germany. After World War II, Dr. Balabkins immigrated to the United States and received his Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Economics from Rutgers University. He joined Lehigh University as a professor in 1957, where he taught until his retirement in 1994. Dr. Balabkins wrote a dozen books and over forty published articles, his best-known work being his 1971 book “West German Reparations to Israel.” Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, he received the highest civilian honor from his home country of Latvia, the Order of the Three Stars (Triju Zvaigž?u ordenis).
Click HERE to watch the entirety of Rep. Wild’s floor speech or see a transcript below:
I rise today to commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. Nicholas Balabkins of Bethlehem. Dr. Balabkins was born in 1926 in Latvia and immigrated to the United States after World War II, where he received his masters and doctorate degrees in economics.
For decades, Dr. Balabkins was a staple of the Lehigh University community, known for his ready smile and colorful bowties, and recognized by awards for his teaching excellence. He wrote a dozen books and over forty published professional economics articles, earning worldwide recognition for his work.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Dr. Balabkins received the highest civilian honor from his home country of Latvia: Order of the Three Stars.
Dr. Balabkins will be remembered as an extraordinary professor, neighbor, colleague, and friend– and we honor his lifelong dedication to shaping the lives of the students lucky enough to pass though his classroom.
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Original source can be found here.
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