Just about six weeks ago, I had the honor of participating in a tribute at Ashland University for Peter Schramm, who had been diagnosed with a terminal disease. It was a very moving event, and Peter summoned all his energies to give truly wonderful and memorable remarks (which you can and should watch here).
Peter passed away today, peacefully, cared for by his wife and friends, at home in Ashland, Ohio.
Peter was born December 23, 1946, in Gyor, Hungary, son of the late William Joseph and Rose Anna Schramm. He and his family risked their lives to flee communist Hungary in 1956 to come to America.
Peter’s family started Schramm’s Hungarian Restaurant in Studio City, California, and he worked there as a waiter while attending Hollywood High School and California State University, Northridge. His love of books and learning led to a B.A. in History in 1971; an M.A. in Government from Claremont Graduate School in 1975; an M.A. in International History from The London School of Economics, in 1976; and a Ph.D. in Government from Claremont Graduate School in 1980.
Out of gratitude for the freedom that had been given to him, and love for all that was worthy of love in his adopted country, Peter devoted his life to studying and teaching the principles of American freedom—especially as the long-time executive director of the Ashbrook Center at Ashland University, where Peter was a beloved teacher, a mentor to generations of students, and a great friend to legions of conservatives and patriots around the country.
Peter wrote to a friend in his last days, “I cannot believe my great good fortune that nearing the end of life I can—with friends and happy allies—employ whatever gifts I have left on behalf of saving our country and making it worthy of the saving.” Some of that remarkable spirit of enlightened patriotism is captured in a piece Peter wrote for us in 2007, where Peter describes coming to America as a ten-year-old. His family was fleeing Hungary in the aftermath of the 1956 uprising, and he asked his father where they were going:
Peter continues:
Peter proved worth of our country. Our challenge, going forward, is to prove worthy of his achievements and his memory.
