Mladen Selak

Mladen Selak (1921-2014) was the Serbian businessman and inventor who lived in the USA. He was born in Bosanska Bojna in 1921 which he left after the second grade of the elementary school. He moved to Novi Sad in 1930 where he finished his elementary and high school education. He did not succeed in finishing the Trade Academy due to the beginning of World War II.

Mladen Selak with his wife Melanija, daughters Mirjana, Nadica, Nevenka and Anica, and son George.

At the same time, the Fascist Independant Country of Croatia was createed. Due to tragic occurance Mladen was arrested on his way home and was taken to Glina prison. Incredibly, he was saved, and he was one of only 12 to survive prison. He was in his birth place for only 3 weeks, and after that, with the excuse that he was being recruited to the army he was taken to the Jasenovac concentration camp. He was saved again, in July 1941, and came to Belgrade as a refugee.

After WWII, he declined to become a member of the Communist Party, and in 1955 finally decided to try for a better life and freedom for his family. After 11 months of waiting in Austria he was given the chance to travel to New York. Just like every immigrant, in the beginning he had to do simple jobs - maintaining and painting houses, learning English while working. He was lucky to get a job at Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute, where he studied. Then another unexpected event happened that dictated Mladen's developmental journey. He focused on the graphics industry. Offset printing, which had just started to be used, had become for him a big challenge. In 1968, Mladen made a new a new machine for envelopes, which he patented and quadrupled the production of envelopes.

After the 1972/73 recession he had to move to Chicago and according to his contract, work at a company that bought patents for 5 years. After that, now with his 4 patents and lots of experience in the graphics industry, he started his own company Astro Machine Corporation, which over time was ranked highly in the world industry. The main philosophy for the success of his company was the idea of "advancement through technology". The company at this point has 18 registered patents. They successful make laser ink-jet printers, which are used in more than 500 of the world's largest companies. Mladen Selak was a member of Hewett-Packard's Working Board, which used the technology from his company.

Just how devout a Christian Mladen Selak was, as were Mihajlo Pupin, Nikolaj Velimirović, Savatije Božić,, can be seen in the article he wrote in the newpaper "Politka" published on April 9, 2004.

I did this for you, and what will you do for Me?

Me a Serb - a member of a nation which was recently destroyed by the West - invited to the Stockholm conference for respect and peace. On the third day, meeting were held and they asked me: "Mr. Selak, you suffered so much throughout WWII, who is that you, despite the tragedies you suffered, are filled with happiness, thankfulness and forgiveness? What is it that you learned and could be used to help others?

I had to go though terrible moments, remebering the days which I survied in the concentration camp. It was July 1941, just as I had escaped the horrors of the Jasenovac concentration camp, in which I was a witness to the worst acts, I directed myself to the beautiful Croatian mountains and valleys. At one point, I arrived ata hamlet, which its name I, to this day, was not able to find out. And there, yearning to drink cold spring water, I saw an old, withering tree, where the feet of Jesus Christ stood, a simple phrase "I did this for you, what will you do for Me?"

I was not an atheist. I was raised in a modest Serbian Orthodox family, with all the characteristics of the Orthodox faith. As a child I was very happy during Christmas and Easter. But that day, in which the beauty of nature had shown me something incomparably more sublime than our human intolerance and vengence, while I was looking at Jesus's face, I understood that I was not familiar enough with the Man nailed to the cross, the Man who did so much for mankind. At that moment I decided to learn much more about the meaning of His life and His death. I honestly asked myself: "Alright, you have done this for me. Now what can I do for You?".

The search for this meaning changed my life. After 63 years it still changes me! The answer to the question which I was asked at the Stockholm Conference was very simple: Only thanks to what Jesus Christ did for me, thanks to forgiveness and blessings, I am became capable of offering others forgiveness and blessings.

I am not a religious fanatic. I am and engineer and innovator, working man, founder of the Selak Foundation which awards young innovators in Belgrade. I know we live in a world which is ruled by natural law and that there are cause and effect links between the forces of nature. However, I understood at the same time there is something high above that which we can see, hear, or measure in our laboratories. I also understand that, regardless of my utility, science cannot answer the important questions which move forgiveness and love.

And we? What shall we bequeth to our children? Forgiveness or hate? Do we want our children, and their childred to continue conflicts initiated in hate, revenge, wrath, or will we teach them love and forgiveness.

I have a gorgeous grandson who is not that tall - it's on me: I want to leave an inheritance exactly as I learned, and not hate and prejudice that they tried to instill onto me through those tragic events. I could not choose what I would give my grandson, in the physical sense: but his other inheritance, that I can.

I was hurt when I heard that recently in Belgrade and Niš, mosques were set alight, and that in Kosovo 24 orthodox churches were burned to rubble. When will it stop? When will the religious-nationalistic hate which has existed for centuries and destroyed our nation finally come to an end?

Maybe this will not happen until it does not stop in the human heart. As far as I'm concerned, this new revelation I lived though when they asked me the question: "I did this for you - what will you do for Me?"

Možda se to neće dogoditi sve dok to ne prestane u ljudskom srcu. Što se mene tiče, to novo saznanje doživeo sam kada mi je postavljeno pitanje: “Ovo sam učinio za tebe – šta ćeš ti učiniti za Mene?”

Communication with the family after the death of Selak,

Text In Memoriam

Published in the newspaper "Politika" on 11.02.2014

The Foundation "Mladen Selak" is notifying all the friends, friends of science and technology, in the name of Mihajlo Pupin and the young innovators, that our dear Mr. Selak, founder of the Foundation, has passed away on 08.02.2014 in Chicago, where he will be buried. The man without which there would be no Innovation Movement in Yugoslavia and Pupin as a symbol of the Movement, the man which founded the Foundation with the primary goal to study Pupin's works, the man who helped thousands of young students and entrepreneurs, the man which we loved Mladen Martin Selak very much, left us for the sky kingdom.

We lost a great man and benefactor, but his works, his Christian values, enable us to live forever.

Mladen Selak Foundation

Febrauary 8, 2014, Belgrade

Dear Nevenka, Dear Aunt Meli,

Only our Dear Lord knows how hard we took the news that Mr. Selak has left us. For me and my closest associates, especially both Rada's, he was more than a parent. For these 30-ish years that we knew him, that's how we experienced him, and he us, just as his children. We always tried, through the Foundation's Messenger, to highlight everything he did for his family, for the affirmation of science and technology and humanitarian work, we deeply respect and affirmed though national institutions, in the first place through the Serbian Academy of Science and Arts.

Mr. Selak helped over 1,500 students in various ways and that is why today he is a symbol of worth for young innovators in Serbia. His actions are appreciated by all the Yugoslav greats and Serbian science, and great friends of mine, Nikola Hajdin, Slobodan Simić, just as many others. Novi Sad, Idvor, Zrenjanin, Vevčani, Pančevo, Užice, Banja Luka, Podgorica, Ljubljana, and not to keep counting, with much love always asked about Mr. Selak. For everything he was the personification of modesty and honesty and everyone knew very well that he was not that rich, but yet how much he helped the country. In that help he never showed his pride nor bragged.

Mr. Selak will be remembered by the Serbian people as the person who stopped one of the biggest and most important scientists in the world, Mihajlo Pupin, from being forgotten. Idvor knows this well, of which he is an honorary citizen, who also mourns with us. You've met Prof. Hajdin, Slobodan Simić, Prof.Branko Kovačević, General Branko Krga, and others who have helped the Foundation the most over the years. Please tell your entire family that Mr. Selak in Belgrade started the Foundation with modest and pure people. A man who in his life has made just large acts as Mr. Selak, all the while highlighting his family and children, will live forever amongst his people.

His wish was to assist young and talented people in the fields of research by starting the "Mladen Selak" Foundation. It helps young researchers. Throughout the years Mladen Selak paid special attention to the Serbian collective in the United States and the people back home, whom he helped in various ways. Just how loved he was in the Foundation by his colleagues is best exemplified in the newspaper "Politika" after his death.

Dear Nevenka I know it is hard and we share your pain and that of your family. We are sure the Mr. Selak is now amongst the angels, because he was an angel here on earth. I hope for eternal celebration and thank you to him.

Milan Božić, with associated

February 08, 2014. Chicago

Dear Milan,

In my mother's name, Melania, brother George, sisters Mirjana, Nadica and Anica, we wholeheartedly express our thanks for the kind words you spoke to us. We truly lost a unique man, father, and husband, who loved his people with his whole heart. We will miss him greatly, but, may the Lord be merciful and quell the sadness which we are experiencing and will stay with us forever. Thank you for the support you provided my father in everything he did. We remain thankful for your great effort for the foundation. Greetings to you and your colleagues.

Best Regards,

Nevenka

Unfortunately after the death of Mladen Selak masive problems arose with regards to funding the Foundation. For four years the Foundation was without any funding, but survived. Selak's family is starting to provid aid again in 2019, but it is quickly coming to an end. Just after the October Conference 2020 we received word that the Selak family has decided to stop helping the Foudnation due to the difficulties brought on by the Coronavirus.

August 20, 2020 Chicago

Dear Milan,

A long time has passed since we last spoke, and I hope that you and your family are healthy and have not been affected by the pandemic.

As you know, this pandemic has caused uncertainty between us, as it has globally. As a result, we and Astro, were hit by the uncertainty as far as teh business is concerned. Unfortunately, the time has come, with a very difficult decision, that the Foundation is nearing an end, which nobody foresaw. This was a tough decision but very necessary for our future. I hope that you will understand that after all these years, with much work and effort, our decision was necessary.

With that being said, we will continue to maintain the Foundation until the end of this year (2020).

If you have any questions, please call me.

With warmest regards,

George Selak.

For all of us this was a surprise but it was clear that we will have to continue by ourselves the fight to keep the Foundation from shutting down. All the work that was invested in the past 30 years would be destroyed. We are thankful to the family for everything they have done and they have helped cement the work of their father in the minds of the Serbian people. Here is our reply:

August 25, 2020. Belgradegrad

Dear George,

Thank you for everything, what else can I say, not another word can better express my thankfulness to Mladen Selak.

I had the privilege to lead Selak's Foundation for so many years, fighting to keep Mihajlo Pupin from being forgotten and the name Mladen Selak remains remembered to the Serbian people as a huge benefactor. These past few years I have been preparing the people who will continue the work of the Foundation after me. I think that we would not have done anything if after us the Foundation was closed. I am not the only one who thinks this, rather everyone on the Board of Directors thinks this too.

Doing this job, the Lord has awarded me by introducing me to a huge Serbian benefactor just as: Patriarch Pavle, academic Nikola Hajdin, Mladen Selak, and many others, which at my age presents a huge satisfaction.

Thank you for giving me a little time to organize Idvor 2020 and complete the serious preparations for marking the 100 year anniversary of Mr. Selak's birth next year. We are working seriously onthe Foundation's monograph. We are also very glad that Nevenka represented Selak's family last year, at the the 40th year of October Conferences. Nevenka could see for herself how serious the Foundation is working at sorting Pupin's museum in Idvor, which will forever show Selak's contributions.

We wish the entire Mladen Selak family lots of luck and good health and believe in us when we say you have the right parent.

Best Regards to all,

Milan Božić.

P.S. Sent to Nevenka and Dragan for their records.

When you do good deeds the Lord will never leave you. This was shown with the Foundation where we have been, despite all the problems throughout 2020, to hold the 41st October Conference. Pupin's medal was awarded: an incredible creator, retired university professor Milorad Obradović, who was a General and for many years the head of the Military-Technical Institute and the newspaper "Politika"

Very quickly after holding the October Conference the General Assembly of the city of Belgrade after 6 years of being on hold, the act of placing a monument to Pupin next to Nikola Tesla in front of the University of Electrical Engineering, at he suggestion of the Foundation. This would be Selak's greatest act because he started this campaign at the October Conferences on October 9, 2012.