Casimir Sienkiewicz (1890-1974)
Doylestown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Prominent economist and banker who emigrated from Poland in 1906. He was an advisor to federal, state, and local governments, an active civic and community leader, and was also a well-known impressionist painter. In 1964, he was named first chairman of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), one of the largest urban mass transit agencies in the nation. He resided here, 1938-1974.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Casimir Sienkiewicz arrived from Poland in 1906 amid the great wave of European immigration and built a public-minded career as an economist and banker in the Philadelphia region. Advising governments at every level, he was tapped in 1964 to be the founding chairman of SEPTA, then among the nation's largest public transit systems. He was also, unexpectedly, a respected impressionist painter, and he made this Doylestown house his home for the last thirty-six years of his life.
Why it matters
His life bridges the immigrant striver's story and the mid-century push to save America's aging cities through modern public transit, a challenge every metro region still faces.
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Related people
- ¡ Casimir Sienkiewicz
Related events
- ¡ Founding of SEPTA
Themes & tags
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