Hye Sharzhoom Armenian Action
Ruzan Orkusyan
Staff Writer
Photo: Barlow Der Mugrdechian
What do the spiritual leader of the Salvation Army, the inventor of the MRI, the creator of automatic transmission, and the founder of GNC have in common? Along with countless intellectuals and public figures, they share a unique American-Armenian heritage and serve as prominent reminders of Armenians’ survival, growth, and civic contributions.
In a two-part lecture on Thursday, October 3, talk-show host and founder of the Armenian Arts Fund, Stepan Partamian, spoke about “The Armenian World,” in a presentation sponsored by the Armenian Studies Program of Fresno State and supported by the Leon S. Peters Foundation. Specifically, Partamian covered American-Armenian contributions to humanity and his extensive journey to document 21st century Armenian landmarks in America.
As a child, Partamian dreamed of a planet of Armenians. Since childhood, he has collected information about Armenians who have made a difference to humanity. Recently, he compiled the various stories into the book Yes, We Have (Armenian Arts Fund, 2009), which chronicles the contributions of over one hundred American-Armenian scientists, artists, musicians, politicians and other public figures who changed American history through their inventions, discoveries, and reforms.
The book opens with a picture of the 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama, and the quote from his April 24th Armenian Genocide commemoration speech stating that the “United States of America is a far richer country because of the many Americans of Armenian descent who have contributed to our society…”
After setting this tone for the lecture, Partamian offered brief glimpses into his book by mentioning some of the more distinguished individuals. Notable figures included Nishan Der Garabedian, also known as “Joe the Turk,” who was the spiritual leader of the Salvation Army; Gabriel Kazanjian, inventor of the hair dryer; Varaztad Hovannes Kazanjian, a dentist who established the first reconstructive surgery department at Harvard; and Raymond Vahan Damadian, inventor of the MRI machine.
In the second half of the lecture, Partamian described and displayed photos from his self-funded, cross-country travels in 2009 and 2012 to document 21st century Armenian landmarks consistent with one of his three criteria: they had to depict the Armenian alphabet, the Armenian tricolor, and/or Armenian words or names in public view.
Of the 568 American locations, many included street signs, memorials dedicated to war heroes or Genocide victims, Armenian churches including Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church in Fresno, trees dedicated to Genocide victims, cross-stones or khachkars, and much more.
Partamian also briefly mentioned his travels to Europe and the sites he visited in Switzerland, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, and Greece.
In all, Partamian has documented over 1,100 identifiable Armenian locations in eleven countries. Partamian’s ultimate goal is to create an “Armenian Empire” with pictures to preserve our language, culture, and heritage, and to ensure that the Armenian culture lasts another 100 years.
As controversial as it may sound, he aims to spread knowledge of Armenian culture by making it “sexier” and more marketable. Furthermore, he is working on apps for the iPhone and iPad to provide the public all of the information contained in his books and future discoveries for free.
Overall, the lecture was intriguing and eye opening. Many in the audience were pleasantly surprised by all the contributions by American-Armenians and actively asked questions and purchased Partamian’s books to learn more.
Partamian’s focus on Armenian culture and identity and his emphasis on positive contributions by American-Armenians inspired the audience to further research the topics and pay closer attention to their surroundings.