MPO History

Founded on October 22, 1922, the Macedonian Patriotic Organization of the United States and Canada (MPO) is the oldest not-for-profit organization of Americans and Canadians of Macedonian descent in North America, and is headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The MPO was founded by Macedonian immigrants, including several who fought against the Ottoman Empire during the Ilinden Uprising of 1903.

From its inception to the current day, the MPO has advocated for the establishment of a free, independent and united Macedonia that guarantees the civil and human rights of all of its citizens. In keeping with the dream of a united and independent Macedonia, the founders adopted as the MPO’s slogan the eloquent and simple words of former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom William Gladstone who, in expressing his views on the “Macedonian Issue” in 1897, clearly proclaimed “Macedonia for the Macedonians.” In addition to being the oldest Macedonian organization in North America, the MPO is also the publisher of the MACEDONIAN TRIBUNE, the oldest Macedonian newspaper in the world, published without interruption since 1927.

While the fundamental mission of the MPO remains unchanged, the MPO has evolved and is currently a multi-faceted not-for-profit organization that:

  • Promotes and preserves our Macedonian customs, history, and traditions;
  • Celebrates the achievements of Macedonians and their contributions to the United States of America and Canada; and
  • Engages in philanthropic endeavors in the United States, Canada, and our ancestral Macedonia.