On March 29, 2026, in Dallas, Texas, President Karol Nawrocki met with representatives of the local Polish community. During the ceremony at the Hall of State, he presented state decorations to individuals particularly distinguished for their contributions to the Polish diaspora, the promotion of Polish culture, and the strengthening of Polish-American relations.
One of the important highlights of the ceremony was the decoration of Fernando (Fred) Schmidt – the grandson of the eminent Polish scientist, Professor Jan Czochralski (the inventor of the Czochralski method, which forms the basis of modern silicon and semiconductor production).
Fred Schmidt was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland for his outstanding contributions to the development of international cooperation in the field of technology and creativity.
A video from the award ceremony can be found below, followed by several photos from the event.
Photos from the ceremony:
The full photo gallery is available on the official website of the President of Poland:
→ https://www.prezydent.pl/aktualnosci/wizyty-zagraniczne/spotkanie-prezydenta-z-polonia-w-dallas,117844
The photos were taken by Mr. Mikołaj Bujak / Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland. We sincerely thank him for beautifully capturing this moment!
Among those decorated were also, among others:
- Jimmy Mazurkiewicz – Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
- Waldemar Biniecki, Krzysztof Gajda, Jolanta Mazewski-Dryden, Rev. Jacek Wesołowski – Knight’s Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
- Piotr Rej – Gold Cross of Merit
- as well as Alicja Futoma and Katarzyna Włodek.
The President emphasized that the Polish diaspora is a living image of Poland – ambitious, attached to tradition, and at the same time open to the challenges of the 21st century.
This is a beautiful distinction for Fred Schmidt and at the same time a tribute to the legacy of Professor Jan Czochralski – one of the most outstanding Polish inventors, whose achievements continue to shape global technology to this day.
