Alfred Sokolnicki was born in Milwaukee, May 21, 1918, and was educated at St. Adalbert's School (from which he graduated in 1933), South Division High School (1937), the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee (1939), and Marquette University (1942), Ph. B. in speech correction. Sokolnicki served in the Army during World War II as a sergeant. After his return from Europe following the war, Sokolnicki was appointed to the faculty of the School of Speech, Marquette University and director of its Speech Correction Clinic. As of 1981, Sokolnicki was still at Marquette, and had become dean of the College of Speech and Secretary of the Slavic Institute.
Throughout his lifetime, Sokolnicki was interested in speech and drama, and in maintaining Milwaukee's Polish ethnic heritage. He organized and advised many youth clubs and organizations presenting Polish-language plays and musicals, and Polish folk dances; among these were the Polish Club at South Division High School, the Mazur Dancers (formed in 1940), the Marshal Pilsudski Club (1935) and its forerunner, the Polish Youth Circle, and the Joseph Conrad Club at Marquette University (1920). Sokolnicki's major participation was with the Mazur Dancers, which was organized to take part in the 1941 American Legion Convention. During the 1950s the dance group performed with Jerky Bojanowski at Mitchell Park concerts and in 1970 began the first of the “Hi Neighbor” concerts. Sokolnicki was also the first choreographer for the Mazur dancers, and he traveled in Poland to collect information on the different styles of dance used in performances. The Mazur Dancers distinguish themselves from other folk dance groups by linking dances and scenes into elaborately staged pageants.
Alfred Sokolnicki passed away in St. Louis, Missouri on April 12, 2002.
