Summer 2000

Translation Prompts Scholarship Fund

Joe Capra, brother of famed movie director Frank Capra, was an author and scholar in early 20th century Italy. During World War I, apparently for political reasons, he buried some of his works in a neighbor's backyard.

Capra's family recently recovered one such work, a book of poetry. And its translation by Dr. Francesco Iannuzzi, a tutor of Italian in Samford's Critical Languages Program, has led to the establishment of a language scholarship fund.

Capra's great grandson, Ross Leo of Birmingham, came into possession of the book but discovered it was written in an "almost forgotten Sicilian dialect," said Dr. Iannuzzi. But the tutor, who speaks Calabrese and understands other Italian dialects, translated the book.

Iannuzzi, a senior engineer at Southern Research Institute, refused to accept payment for the translation. Instead, he suggested contributions to a scholarship for the study of Italian. The Leos started the fund with family contributions.

Anyone wishing to add to the fund may send gifts to the Critical Languages Program, Samford University, Birmingham, AL 35229.