Buffalo Bills President and co-owner Terry Pegula is very visible in the national sports media. Pegula is a second-generation Rusyn American who was born March 25th, 1951, in the former anthracite coal town of Carbondale, Pennsylvania. Pegula’s paternal grandparents, Andrew and Ana (Cheko) Pegula, came from Hanigovce, Sabinov District in the Prešov region of Slovakia. From a blue collar upbringing in Carbondale, located 15 miles north of Scranton, Pennsylvania, Pegula has become one of the most recognizable figures in the American sports world. He owns the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL) and, with a consortium of private equity firms and athletes, the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). Pegula serves as the President of both teams. In 2022, Forbes Magazine ranked Pegula number 128 among the top 400 billionaires in America, placing his net worth at more than $7 billion. He has interests in natural gas development, real estate, entertainment, and his major league football and hockey teams. Pegula grew up in the Upper Valley of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Scranton Preparatory School in 1969. His father, Myron, worked for a coal mining company as a truck driver. Pegula’s first job as a teen was driving a watering truck in the mines around Carbondale—a 1949 Brockway tractor-trailer without doors or windows. After high school, Pegula received a scholarship to Penn State University, where he started as a mathematics major before switching to petroleum and natural gas engineering. After graduation, he joined Getty Oil in Victoria, Texas. With a $7,500 loan from his family and friends, he founded East Resources in 1981. Over the next three decades, Pegula built his business into one of the largest privately held companies in the country. By 2000, the company had made its first gas discoveries in Central New York State and in North-Central Pennsylvania, a region increasingly known for its rich Marcellus shale gas, a mile or so beneath the surface. Pegula sold East Resources to Royal Dutch Shell in 2010 for $4.7 billion and he used the proceeds to build his sports empire. He bought the Buffalo Sabres for $189 million in 2011, and outbid other groups to buy the Buffalo Bills for $1.4 billion in 2014. In 2010, he and his wife donated $88 million to Penn State University for what is now the Pegula Ice Arena, a premier ice facility for the community and […]
Studium Carpatho-Ruthenorum 2026
The Institute of Rusyn Language and Culture invites you to participate in the International Summer School of Rusyn Language and Culture, Studium Carpatho-Ruthenorum, which will take place at the University of Prešov in Prešov, Slovakia from June 7 to June 27, 2026. The International Summer School of Rusyn Language and Culture is intended for anyone who wishes to learn Rusyn and explore the history and culture of Rusyns of the Carpathians. The goal of the summer school is to develop communicative competence in the literary Rusyn and to broaden and deepen understanding and knowledge of the history, literature, culture, and ethnography of the region. The courses are conducted by professors, Slavists, and specialists in Carpatho-Rusyn studies from Slovakia, Ukraine, Canada, and the US. Applications for Studium Carpatho-Ruthenorum 2026 are accepted online no later than April 1, 2026. The form to apply can be found at: https://www.unipo.sk/en/center-for-languages-and-cultures-of-national-minorities/institute-of-ruthenian-language-and-culture/summerschool We look forward to seeing each of you at the 14th annual International Summer School of Rusyn Language and Culture at the University of Prešov in Prešov!
Carpatho-Rusyn Society 9th Annual Genealogy Conference
Join us for a day of heritage, learning, and community as we celebrate the richness of Carpatho-Rusyn culture and explore the importance of keeping our traditions alive for future generations. This special event will bring together wonderful speakers and conversations that honor our past while inspiring the future. When: Saturday, October 11th, 2025 10AM – 3:30PM (Registration starts at 9:00AM). Where: King’s College, 133 N. River St. Wilkes-Barre, PA Sheehy-Farmer Campus Center, (Snyder Room on the 3rd floor) Cost: $65 per person to be paid on the day of the event by cash or check (cost includes breakfast and lunch ) Featured Speakers: If you are looking for lodging the best place to stay is at the Best Western Genetti Hotel and Conference Center which is a walking distance to campus. Whether you are deeply connected to your Rusyn roots or simply curious to learn more, this conference will offer a meaningful opportunity to connect, reflect, and celebrate. Deadline to register is October 5th. Email easternpacrs@gmail.com to secure your spot. If you have any questions, please reach email easternpacrs@gmail.com.
