File 111 - Correspondence concerning Madame Regina Łukasiewicz’s accusations of the theft of her late husband’s papers

Correspondence concerning Madame Regina Łukasiewicz’s accusations of the theft of her late husband’s papers by Fr Aubrey Gwynn SJ and Prof. E. O'Doherty of U.C.D. (her late husband was Jan Łukasiewicz, Professor of Mathematical Logic at the Royal Irish Academy (a special professorship) ). Madame Łukasiewicz was suffering from ‘paranoid psychosis with delusions of persecution’ and was admitted to St Vincent’s Private Mental Home for a number of weeks until Fr Gwynn helped to arrange her removal to the house of her nephew in England. The papers had in actual fact, been deposited by herself in the R.I.A. Library in 1956. Documents include:

• copies of letters sent by Madame Łukasiewicz to the Taoiseach and the Commissioner of the Gardai stating her case and seeking help with living expenses and the return of her husband’s manuscripts (15 and 18 July 1957, 2 items, 2pp each);
• letter from the Slavic Assistant in Rome to Irish Fr Provincial Michael O'Grady SJ (8 December 1957, 2pp);
• statement of Fr Gwynn made for the Provincial explaining his ‘connection with the sad history of Madame Regina Łukasiewicz’ (11 December 1957, 4pp);
• statements of Dr Mary Sullivan and Dr John Malone on the mental health Madame Lukasiewicza (13, 16 December 1957, 4pp);
• statement by Dr Farrington, Librarian and Assistant Secretary, R.I.A. (13 December 1957, 1p.);
• copy of statement made by solicitor Arthur Cox ‘acting as Madame Lukasiewicza’s legal advisor’ for the Provincial (16 December 1957, 1p.);
• letter to Fr Gwynn from Fr Stanislaus Wawryn SJ (Polish Provincial) (23 December 1957, 1p.);
• letter to the Provincial from the Society’s Curia in Rome (26 December 1957, 1p.);
• copy of letter of Taoiseach Éamon de Valera to Fr Gwynn on the matter, in which he states ‘I know that since Prof. and Madame Lukasiewicz came here you have been one of their kindest friends…I regret very much that you should be subject to the annoyance which these charges cause you; and I would be glad to assist in any way in making it known, to any one who may be concerned, that I regard these charges as altogether without foundation and, indeed, in the circumstances, as outrageous’ (30 December 1957, 1p.).