Eva Haller
| Eva Haller | |
|---|---|
Haller on May 3, 2013
|
|
| Born |
May 9, 1930 Budapest, Hungary |
| Nationality | Hungarian-American |
| Alma mater |
The New School For Social Research (B.A., Social Research) Hunter College (MSW., Social Work) Theodor Reik Clinic for Psychotherapy |
| Occupation | Activist |
| Notable work | Board Chair, Free the Children, Trustee, UCSB Founder & President, Campaign Communications Institute, |
| Spouse(s) | Dr. Yoel Haller (1987-present) |
Dr. Eva Haller (born May 9, 1930) is a Hungarian-American philanthropist, activist, executive and Board Member. Notable positions include Board Chair of Free the Children, Trustee of the University of California, Santa Barbara, co-founder and President of the Campaign Communications Institute of America, Visiting Professor at Glasgow Caledonian University and the 2014 Magnusson Fellow.
Haller was born on May 9, 1930 in Budapest, Hungary.
In 1942, she joined her older brother underground in the Hungarian resistance. Haller’s first activism experience was creating anti-Hitler leaflets. When German forces occupied her city, her parents feared for her safety, and brought her to the Scottish Mission to be hidden among the students, she was 14 at the time. Along with her was a family friend’s 10-year-old son whom they told her to watch and keep safe. When it was discovered that the Institute was hiding Jewish students, German soldiers raided it. During the raid, Eva managed to convince a Nazi officer that she was too young and too beautiful to die and to let her escape, and she also negotiated the life of a 10-year-old who’s care she was entrusted. Eva remained in hiding throughout World War II; but her brother, John, was killed crossing the Yugoslavian border to join Tito’s forces months just before Hungary was liberated. Haller hid in Jane Haining's mission during the German occupation of Hungary. In 2014, Haller visited a church where Haining is honored in Glasgow to pay tribute.
Eva later moved to New York, where she cleaned houses and concurrently earned a master's degree in social work from Hunter College. In 1965, she joined Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the Selma march.
Along with her late husband, Murray Roman, Eva co-founded the Campaign Communications Institute of America, a marketing and research company that revolutionized the use of telemarketing in political campaigns. In 1968 Murray and Eva Roman set off to volunteer with UNICEF in Southeast Asia for close to a year. The couple returned to the United States with a renewed commitment to social issues. She and her husband re-opened their business, which became one of the first to advocate for women’s rights. With help from the proceeds of their successful business, they continued the pursuit of their philanthropy.
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