Kloian Armenian Genocide Collection Established

Staff Report

Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian, Coordinator of the Armenian Studies Program announced that Fresno State has become the recipient of an important Armenian Genocide collection from the estate of the late Richard Kloian.

Kloian, who passed away in 2010, established and directed the Richmond, California-based Armenian Genocide Resource Center, contributing to the work of organizations pursuing recognition of the Armenian Genocide and to the field of genocide studies.
Kloian’s widow, Mrs. Antonia Kloian, donated the archive to the Special Collections area of the Henry Madden Library, forming the nucleus of what will be known as “The Richard Kloian Armenian Genocide Collection,” a permanent resource for students, faculty, and the community to learn more about the Armenian Genocide.

In 1985 Kloian authored The Armenian Genocide: News Accounts from the American Press, 1915-1922, a landmark publication that consisted of articles on the Armenian Genocide that appeared in the New York Times, as well as other newspapers.

The Kloian Collection includes a wide variety of important documents relating to the Armenian Genocide. There are numerous articles by Dr. Vahakn Dadrian and Dr. Richard Hovannisian, leading scholars in the field, as well as offprints, articles, pamphlets, books, and videos from other scholars.

Work has begun on the cataloging of the collection and when completed, a full list of the collection’s contents will be available online.

Kloian was an advisor to the Genocide Education Project, and was devoted to the work of enabling education and memory about the Armenian Genocide.