Dr. Dickran Kouymjian Chosen as Arthur Dadian Armenian Heritage Award Winner

Sevag Tateosian
Editor

On September 6, the Armenian Students Association of America named Dr. Dickran Kouymjian, the Haig and Isabel Berberian Professor of Armenian Studies at California State University, Fresno, as their recipient of the 2003 Arthur H. Dadian Armenian Heritage Award. This award is given annually to individuals who preserve and present the rich Armenian culture to the world. Dr. Kouymjian received a plaque, along with a thousand dollar prize, at the annual ASA Awards ceremony, which was held in Providence, Rhode Island.
This award, established in 1985, was named after and made possible through the generosity of Arthur H. Dadian. Mr. Dadian was born in Caesaria, Turkey and came to the United States in 1920, settling in Watertown, MA. An advocate of higher education, Mr. Dadian graduated from Harvard College, Harvard Business School and Georgetown School of Law.

Since its establishment, the Dadian award has made its mark in the Armenian world. It is one of the most prestigious awards available to those involved in research and teaching in the field of Armenian Studies.

“ I was surprised and pleased to have received the Dadian award, especially because the first one to receive the distinction was my senior colleague Dr. Sirarpie Der Nersessan, the pioneer in the field of Armenian art history,” said Dr. Kouymjian. “Going to Providence to get my award was also special. First I had a chance to meet my old Providence friends Carol Norigian, Ramon Zorabedian, and Michael Eranosian. The three of them accompanied me in 1986 during a tour of six New England chapters of the Armenian Students Association to promote my first volume of William Saroyan’s unpublished plays, An Armenian Trilogy.”

Dr. Kouymjian becomes the 17th recipient of this award. In 2002 the award was given to Dr. Robert Hewsen, who was the Kazan Visiting Professor of Armenian Studies at California State University, Fresno in 2001.

Together they join past recipients Dr. Sirarpie Der Nersessian, Manoog S. Young, Dr. Avedis K. Sanjian, Dr. Nina Garsoyan, Dr. Richard G. Hovannisian, Dr. Robert W. Thomson, Dr. Ronald Suny, Dr. Dennis R. Papazian, Michael E. Nahabet, Ambassador Rouben Shugarian, Dr. Levon Avdoyan, Dr. Roger W. Smith, Dr. Marc Nichanian, Dr. Nishan Parlakian, and Dr. Kevork Bardakjian.
Dr. Kouymjian made his presence known in Armenian Studies early on. He received his doctorate in Armenian Studies from Columbia University in 1969, making him the first to do so from an Armenian Studies Program in the United States. Along with teaching Armenian studies courses at California State University, Fresno, he has taught at the University of California, Berkeley, Institut national des langues et civilizations orientales (INALCO) at the University of Paris III, Yerevan State University, American University in Paris, American University in Beirut, American University in Cairo and Haigazian College. At several points in his career he has also been invited to teach at the Oriental Institute at the University of Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium and at the American College in Thessaloniki, Greece as a visiting Professor.

Dr. Kouymjian has written more than 100 academic articles and 15 books. The Dadian award is one more form of recognition to add to the renowned professor’s record of achievement.