He started his career as a chief magistrate of a Hungarian administrative district in Rátót. In 1869 he was elected a representative of the district. In appreciation of his work he was asked for a home-affairs under-secretary of state at the age of 28, but he refused it. On Ferenc Deák’s advice he started financial studies. Soon he became the most well-known financial expert in the country. He joined the life of the Parliament, he acted mainly in the Financial Committee. In 1875 in Wenckheim government he was elected Minister of Finance. He resigned in 1878 after Bosnia-Hercegovina occupation to prevent a war conflict. After having retired from politics he managed two important financial institutions for request of banks from Vienna. He kept his seat in the Parliament and had fate of Szentgotthárd at heart. He was a devoted follower of the modern agriculture. The animals of breeding from his farm got a prize at the exhibition in Vienna in 1890.
The statues of his two animals which were presented at the millenium animal exhibition decorated the entrance of Budapest Slaughter-house. At the age of 56 Kálmán Széll – from1899 to 1903 – was the prime minister in Hungary. His modern and aimed law-preparing work was remarkable in the point of European view,too. The introduced new taxforms, the management of finance and bank matters show his competence. During his representative period for more decades – between 1869 and 1911 – he did a lot for development of Szentgotthárd. He urged the building Győr-Szombathely-Graz railway line and he played an important role in quick accomplishment of authorizations. Because of his personal intervention Tobacco factory was established in Szentgotthárd, the first factory of the town. The first state secondary grammar school of the county was also opened here in 1893. The inauguration of the new building of the secondary grammar school happened wit magnificient formalities in 1895. Kálmán Széll praised in an extremely modest way not his but local people’s efforts. In 1902 the school got its chief secondary grammar school status in which he gave a hand a lot. The secondary grammar school took Mihály Vörösmarty’s name in 1947 not only for the token of the poet’s appreciation but also to return thanks to Kálmán Széll for helping to establish the secondary grammar school, whose wife was Ilona Vörösmarty, the famous poet’s daughter.
His works in the cultural life of Szentgotthárd are also undeniable. The Reading Club working in Szentgotthárd chose him the honorary member of the club on the 50th anniversary of its existence. After his death a goblet was dedicated to his memory on which inscriptions were graved following his career:
’law, act, justice’. This inscription could be read on the wreath, which was sent onto Kálmán Széll’s catafalque by the National Independent and Forty-eight Party. They paid their respects to him this way.

Tibor Gécsek
athlete, hammer-thrower
Tibor Gécsek was born in Szentgotthárd on 22nd September 1964.
1986-90: national champion
1990: European Championship – silver medalled
1993,1995: World Championship – bronze medalled
1998: European champion
1998: Sportsman of the year
1999: National champion, winner of the world gala
Since 2003: Vice president of the Hungarian Athletics Association

Géza Fülöp
librarian
Hegyhátszentmárton, 5 March 1928 – Budapest, 13 May 1998

He passed his final exams at Mihály Vörösmarty Secondary Grammar School in 1947. He is a dominant figure of higher librarian training and even he was one of the most understanding cultivators of the historic branch of this special science.