The paper portion of the collection emphasizes the activities of the Mazur Polish Dancers and of individuals and groups within the Milwaukee Polish community. Files on the Mazur Dancers consist of mimeographed histories of the group, and programs and news clippings from performances. There is also a microfilmed script of a televised dance program presented March 15, 1974. The activities of Milwaukee Polonia are represented primarily by news clippings taken from local papers, with a scattering of correspondence, notes, and other near-print material. Most numerous are papers concerning Representative Clement Zablocki, who was honored in 1979 as Marquette University's Alumnus of the Year. Also present in these files are Sokolnicki's responses to anti-Polish and ethnic humor, photographs illustrating local events, clippings concerning the 1976 visit to Milwaukee of Bishop Ignatius Jez of Poland, and a 1967 history of Federation Life Insurance of America. In an oversize folder is a poster from Milwaukee Summerfest, 1968. That year, Sokolnicki was one of the production staff for the National Folk Festival, held in conjunction with Summerfest. Also included are a few articles and a biographical sketch by Sokolnicki, and a program from the 1949 Chicago world premiere performance of Halka.
On microfilm are materials which further illustrate Sokolnicki's long-standing interest in and work with the Polish heritage of Milwaukee. There is a scrapbook, 1936-1951, of the Milwaukee Polish Summer School (Szkolka Wakacyjna), sponsored by the Pulaski Council every summer since the early 1930s. The School is offered in Kosciuszko Park as a means of teaching children the Polish language, Polish songs, and dances. Sokolnicki taught classes there during the 1930s, and collected news clippings and photographs in a scrapbook depicting teachers and students. Also on microfilm are scripts of plays, and radio and television broadcasts, all apparently written by Sokolnicki. Most are in Polish. The plays were written during the late 1930s and early 1940s, and were presented by the Marshal Pilsudski Club, the Joseph Conrad Club, and similar groups. The radio scripts for “Nasza Mlodziez” were written by Sokolnicki for the Marshal Pilsudski Club, and presented in 1938-1939 at the Forest Home Avenue Social Center. The play was later presented in twelve episodes, December 17, 1939-March 3, 1940, over WEMP radio. Also present are a few scripts written for television productions, concerning both ethnic and speech-related topics.
The tape recording in the collection includes a speech by President Jimmy Carter given March 31, 1979 at the testimonial dinner honoring Rep. Zablocki at Marquette University; the September 16, 1979 Marquette University Carillon Festival, featuring poetry of Jerzy Bojanowski; and music recorded at a Polish Wedding Mass at St. Stanislaus Church, June 16, 1968. Unfortunately, some portions of the recording are distorted and difficult to understand. The originals, and other recordings were retained by Sokolnicki.
