ANTANAS RUCEVIClUS,
(1880-1949) publisher, born in Pavembriai, county of Vilkaviskis, on May 30,
1880. As a student at Marijampole high school he distributed illegal
Lithuanian literature, was a founder of an underground patriotic society,
and organized illegal Lithuanian cultural events in the villages. Enrolling
at the University of Kazan' in 1902 he was arrested the next year by Russian
police and after a brief period in prison released on bail. His case was
dismissed in connection with the repeal of the Press Ban in 1904. From 1905
he worked mainly in publishing houses in Vilnius, Seinai, Kaunas, and
Klaipeda. In 1918 Rucevicius and others founded Svyturys (The
Beacon), a publishing enterprise specializing in school textbooks. A year
later the company was transferred from Vilnius to Kaunas, where it published
Lithuanian and foreign works of fiction. From 1928-1938 he was manager of
the government-owned publishing house Spindulys (The Beam) in Kaunas.
During 1940-1941 he was employed by the State Publishing House; from
1945-1949 he worked with the State
Pedagogical Press. He contributed articles and stories to the periodical
press, and published a book of reminiscences from the age of the Press Ban, Sunkiausiais
laikais (In Times Most Severe, 1920). He died in Kaunas on April 11,
1949.
Literature:
ENCYCLOPEDIA LITUANICA I-VI, 1970-1978, Boston
