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PRESS RELEASE
For Further Information, please contact:
Ms. Gloria Caudill, Administrator
Armenian Studies Program
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Tel: (734) 763-0622
Email: [email protected]
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN UNVEILS ARCHIVE OF HUNCHAKIAN LEADER
Ann Arbor. At a special event organized on October 31, the
Armenian Studies Program and Special Collections of the University of
Michigan unveiled the archive of Hamparzoum Arzoumanian, a leader of
the Hnchakian Party from 1891 to 1909.
The Arzoumanian Archive, consisting of some 1200 pages of
party related and personal correspondence, Hnchakian Center circulars
and related materials, mostly in Armenian, had been donated to the
University of Michigan by the granddaughter of the Hnchakian leader,
Mrs. Marguerite Harms, and the Arzoumanian family, some time ago. The
archive was organized and documents classified recently.
Hamparzoum Arzoumanian was born in historic Gantzak; he
started his political activities in Tabriz, Iran, as a field worker
for the party and continued as organizer, propagandist and ideologue
in Russia, Europe, and the United States until his death in New York
in 1909, where his life ended at age 43 as a factory worker. His
archive spreads light on a variety of issues, including the battles
within the Hnchakian Party, the organization of chapters in places
like Baku, Novorossisk and cities in the US. Throughout his life he
remained a staunch believer in socialism and its relevance to the
Armenian struggle for liberation. Throughout his career Arzoumanian
had the full support of his wife Sona.
More than 60 faculty members, students, administrators and
members of the family participated in the presentation of the
archives. Fifteen grandchildren and their offspring had traveled to
Ann Arbor from California, Pennsylvania and other states to attend the
event and learn about the Arzoumanians.
Ms. Margaret McKinley, Director of Development of the
University Libraries opened the evening with remarks on the value of
special collections and archives. Ms. Peggy Daub, Director of Special
Collections discussed the place of the Arzoumanian Archive in the
Special Collections. Historian Dr. Nora Nercessian, special consultant
for the project and organizer of the Arzoumanian Archive, presented
the life of the Arzoumanians and the contents of the archive, while
Prof. Gerard Libaridian, Director of the Armenian Studies Program,
assessed the value of the archive for Armenian and regional history.
The Arzoumanian Archive is currently being digitized and
placed on the website of the University Special Collections
gradually. Information regarding the Arzoumanian papers and the
documents themselves can be accessed on the web at
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/f/findaid/findaid -idx?c=sclead&idno=umich-scl-arzoumanian
or through the University Special Collections (History) and Armenian
Studies Program websites; the archive is also open to researchers who
wish to access them at the Special Collections.
"One reason we wanted to organize this event and present the
Arzoumanian Archive is to encourage others to preserve family papers
and prod organizations to open their archives to researchers," stated
Prof. Libaridian. "The Armenian Studies Program and the Special
Collections at the University of Michigan are ready to assist in
achieving these goals, including receiving papers, organizing them and
making them available to researchers in a safe and professional
environment."
For Further Information, please contact:
Ms. Gloria Caudill, Administrator
Armenian Studies Program
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Tel: (734) 763-0622
Email: [email protected]
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN UNVEILS ARCHIVE OF HUNCHAKIAN LEADER
Ann Arbor. At a special event organized on October 31, the
Armenian Studies Program and Special Collections of the University of
Michigan unveiled the archive of Hamparzoum Arzoumanian, a leader of
the Hnchakian Party from 1891 to 1909.
The Arzoumanian Archive, consisting of some 1200 pages of
party related and personal correspondence, Hnchakian Center circulars
and related materials, mostly in Armenian, had been donated to the
University of Michigan by the granddaughter of the Hnchakian leader,
Mrs. Marguerite Harms, and the Arzoumanian family, some time ago. The
archive was organized and documents classified recently.
Hamparzoum Arzoumanian was born in historic Gantzak; he
started his political activities in Tabriz, Iran, as a field worker
for the party and continued as organizer, propagandist and ideologue
in Russia, Europe, and the United States until his death in New York
in 1909, where his life ended at age 43 as a factory worker. His
archive spreads light on a variety of issues, including the battles
within the Hnchakian Party, the organization of chapters in places
like Baku, Novorossisk and cities in the US. Throughout his life he
remained a staunch believer in socialism and its relevance to the
Armenian struggle for liberation. Throughout his career Arzoumanian
had the full support of his wife Sona.
More than 60 faculty members, students, administrators and
members of the family participated in the presentation of the
archives. Fifteen grandchildren and their offspring had traveled to
Ann Arbor from California, Pennsylvania and other states to attend the
event and learn about the Arzoumanians.
Ms. Margaret McKinley, Director of Development of the
University Libraries opened the evening with remarks on the value of
special collections and archives. Ms. Peggy Daub, Director of Special
Collections discussed the place of the Arzoumanian Archive in the
Special Collections. Historian Dr. Nora Nercessian, special consultant
for the project and organizer of the Arzoumanian Archive, presented
the life of the Arzoumanians and the contents of the archive, while
Prof. Gerard Libaridian, Director of the Armenian Studies Program,
assessed the value of the archive for Armenian and regional history.
The Arzoumanian Archive is currently being digitized and
placed on the website of the University Special Collections
gradually. Information regarding the Arzoumanian papers and the
documents themselves can be accessed on the web at
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/f/findaid/findaid -idx?c=sclead&idno=umich-scl-arzoumanian
or through the University Special Collections (History) and Armenian
Studies Program websites; the archive is also open to researchers who
wish to access them at the Special Collections.
"One reason we wanted to organize this event and present the
Arzoumanian Archive is to encourage others to preserve family papers
and prod organizations to open their archives to researchers," stated
Prof. Libaridian. "The Armenian Studies Program and the Special
Collections at the University of Michigan are ready to assist in
achieving these goals, including receiving papers, organizing them and
making them available to researchers in a safe and professional
environment."