Hye Sharzhoom Armenian Action
Photo: ASP Archive
Staff Report
Armenian Studies Program Coordinator Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian announced that the Leon S. Peters Foundation has continued their generous support of the Armenian Studies Program with a grant of $30,000 for 2023. The Peters Foundation support for the Program over the past eleven years has reached $330,000.
This continues the tradition of the Peters Foundation in supporting the Armenian Studies Program Annual Lecture Series, as well as a variety of other activities, including scholarships, outreach activities, an Armenia Summer Study Trip, and general support for the Program.
Leon S. Peters was respected as a businessman, civic leader, and philanthropist who lived and worked according to the highest ethical standards. He cherished his community and considered its well-being his personal responsibility.
Soon Mr. Peters assumed leadership positions in numerous organizations and also partnered with Fresno State to support a variety of initiatives. The Leon S. Peters Business Building at Fresno State honors the spirit of the man who served on the University President’s Advisory Board, the Fresno State Foundation Board of Governors, the University’s Agricultural Board, and the Business Advisory Council of the School of Business and Administrative Sciences. For his many contributions to Fresno State, Leon S. Peters was posthumously awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters by The California State University in 1997.
Since 1984 the Leon S. Peters Award has been presented annually to a Central Valley business leader whose work exemplifies the values, ethics, and character of Leon S. Peters.
The Leon S. Peters Foundation was established in 1959 and since then, the Peters Foundation has become one of the community’s biggest benefactors, giving to higher education, hospitals, and arts organizations.
The Armenian Studies Program expresses its appreciation for the continued support of the Leon S. Peters Foundation.