Cross Professorship Set Up By New York Financier

A gift of $300,000 by Curt H. Reisinger '12, New York financier, for he establishment of the Samuel Hazzard Cross Professorship of Slavic Languages and Literatures was announced last night by Provost Buck.

The Cross Professorship is named in honor of the late Professor Samuel H. Cross '12, who was for many hears prior to his death in 1946 a leading American authority on the languages and cultures of Eastern Europe.

Professor Cross served as Chairman of the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures for many years, and was in large part responsible for the development of the College's programs of study in the culture and language of the Soviet Union.

Active in Russian Affairs

Outside, as well as within the University, Professor Cross was active in Russian affairs. He served on many American missions to Europe and was President Roosevelt's interpreter during White House Conferences with Foreign Minister Molotov in 1942. After World War I he was detailed to the American Commission to Negotiate Peace and also served as American Trade Commissioner to Belgium in the early '20s.

Mr. Reisinger is a member of the Visiting Committee to the Department of German and the Germanic Museum, a position he also held in 1921-28, and 1936-44, and a member of the Visiting Committee to the University Library. His home is in New York City.