The August Zaleski Memorial Lecture in Modern Polish History is named after August Zaleski, a Polish economist, politician and diplomat who served as President of the Polish Republic in Exile in from 1947 until his death on April 7, 1972. The lecture series was established in 1983 through a generous gift from the estate of Zaleski's widow Countess Evelyn Komorowski with the goal to "organize lectures on modern Polish history from the year 1795 to the present time." In addition to hosting an annual lecture, this event series hosts occasional symposiums on developments in modern Poland.