Professor Bohdan Kowalczyk
Professor Bohdan Kowalczyk, PhD(Eng)
Rector of Gdynia Maritime Higher School, 1969-1972
Youth and WWII
Bohdan Kowalczyk was born on 8th November in Warsaw. He attended the Stanisław Staszica middle school, before studying at a Maths and PE high school in Warsaw. His further education took place in clandestine classes during the German occupation of Poland: he passed his 'matura' high school leaving exams in 1940 and in 1943 he completed undergraduate studies at the H. Wawelberg and S. Rotwand State Higher School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. He also took classes at the State Higher School of Technology.
He fought in the Warsaw Uprising and was seriously injured.
Return to Gdansk
In 1945, he returned to Gdansk with his family and was employed within the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Gdansk University of Technology. During the years 1946-1955, he also held the role of junior assistant within the University's mathematics department.
In 1950, he was awarded a master's degree in technical science and mechanical engineering.
From 1955 until 1962, he was head of the Department of Mathematics at the Navy College of Higher Education in Gdynia, while also holding the post of Associate Dean in the Faculty of Machine Technology at Gdansk University of Technology from 1958 to 1960.
In 1960, he was granted a doctoral degree in technical science. From 1960 until 1969, he worked at the Gdansk University of Technology as a reader.
Rector of the Gdynia Maritime Higher School
On 19th December 1968, he was nominated rector of the Gdynia Maritime Higher School by the Minister of Shipping.
The ceremonial inauguration of the academic year took place on 21st September 1969 and was attended by the Minister of Shipping, Jerzy Szopa, a State Maritime School graduate. The first sitting of the Senate of the Maritime Higher School was held on 20th October of the same year.
On 9th January 1971, The Council of State granted Bohdan Kowalczyk the title of Associate Professor of Technical Science.
In 1972, he returned to work at the Gdansk University of Technology.
Bohdan Kowalczyk was a member of the Science Council of the Maritime Institute in Gdansk and the Main Council of Schooling and Higher Education.
Scientific Publications
He was the author of some 30 publications, including five books, and an academic script, including works such as Suwak logarytmiczny [Slide rules], Zarys teorii planimetrii [Theoretical outline of planar geometry] , Rachunek różniczkowy i całkowy [Differential equations and integrations], Macierze i ich zastosowanie [Matrices and their application], Zbiór zadań wraz z rozwiązaniami z geometrii wykreślnej [Descriptive geometry exercises with solutions], Podstawy teorii drgań układów mechanicznych [Mechanical vibration theory of mechanical systems].
He was awarded The Gold Cross of Merit, the Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, and a Medal “For Meritorious Service to the City of Gdynia”.
He died on 21st April 1977 and was buried at the Witomino Cemetery in Gdynia