Ambassador Kirakossian Guest Speaker at ASP 17th Annual Banquet

On the evening of Sunday, February 9, 2003, Armenian Studies Program faculty, as well as student scholarship recipients and supporters of the program came together at the Residence Dining Facility to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Armenian Studies Program at California State University, Fresno.

Among the distinguished guests were: Arman Kirakossian, the Ambassador of Armenia to the United States, Valery Mkrtoumian, Counsel General of the Republic of Armenia to the United States (Los Angeles), Dr. John Welty, President of Fresno State, Dr. Luis Costa, Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, and California State Senator Chuck Poochigian: all were present to honor the success of the Armenian Studies Program.

The banquet began with a reception, which included appetizers and refreshments and provided an opportunity for people to socialize with one another. Following the reception was dinner, during which Dr. Dickran Kouymjian introduced the guests of the evening. To honor the presence of the ambassador, Dr. Kouymjian presented a photograph of John Kirakossian, a former Foreign Minister of Armenia and father of the Dr. Kirakossian, who was invited to speak at Fresno State twenty-five years ago. The photo was taken by Prof. Kouymjian in 1982 when he returned half of William Saroyan’s ashes to Armenia.

Ambassador Kirakossian began his keynote address by explaining how he became interested in foreign affairs and was offered a position as an ambassador by the first president of Armenia, Levon Ter Petrossian. In addition, his father being a diplomat contributed to the ambassador’s interest in political affairs. Dr. Kirakossian also held a position as the first deputy minister to Greece in 1994.
When asked about the relationship between the United States and Armenia and the general outlook of Americans towards Armenians, he responded by saying that the United States has a responsibility to support independent republics such as Armenia. “Armenia is important to the United States as the homeland of the Armenian community in Fresno,” pointed out the ambassador. In addition to holding a position as an ambassador, Dr. Kirakossian is also an author and a historian, which are two accomplishments he takes great pride in.

President Dr. John Welty gave a short welcome saying that the Fresno State Armenian Studies Program was “the best Armenian Studies Program in the United States.”

One of the main purposes of the evening was to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Armenian Studies Program. The Program began in 1977 with the arrival of Dr. Dickran Kouymjian from Paris; he had been a professor of history and Armenian studies at the American University of Beirut until the Lebanese civil war broke out in 1975. Upon his arrival during the spring semester of the 1976-77 academic year, no Armenian courses were being offered. After working as a professor within the Department of History, the Ethnic Studies Program, and later the Department of Foreign Languages, he eventually established an independent Armenian Studies Program in the College of Arts and Humanities and launched a minor in Armenian Studies. Soon, the Armenian Students Organization was reactivated and the newspaper Hye Sharzhoom was founded. The program has been going strong since then with the support and the contributions of many people.

There was a rousing series of guitar selections by Beniamin Hakopyan, a virtuoso from Yerevan, now settled in Fresno.
The banquet concluded with another significant reason for the night, which was to recognize over 60 hard working Armenian Studies Program students, who have received scholarships for showing interest in the classes having to do with different aspects of Armenia. The scholarships and grants range from $500 to $1500 and more than $40,000 was awarded for the 2002-2003 academic year.
Professor Barlow Der Mugrdechian announced the names of the students present and provided brief background information about the goals and achievement of these students. The recipients were acknowledged with a round of applause and afterwards photographs were taken.

The banquet was definitely a successful event. People were extremely satisfied with all the features of the evening. “This was a very nice event, the ambassador appeared happy to be where his father has been” and “It was an inspirational evening,” were among the comments Dr. Kouymjian received just after the event.