University to Get Endowed Chair in Armenian Studies

The University will become the first in the United states with an endowed chair of Armenian Studies, the newly-formed National Association for Armenian studies and Research announced last night at a special meeting.

A drive to collect the $300,000 necessary for the establishment of such a chair is already under way, and the University was chosen for the endowment "only after prolonged investigation and careful consideration," Manoog S. Young, the Association's Chairman, said.

Replying to young's announcement on behalf of the University, William L. Langer, director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, said, "If the money is collected, I don't know whom we would appoint, but i do know he would be the best man in his field in the world to day."

The drive, which is being conducted with the full support of the department of Middle Eastern studies, aims at establishing a professorship "Certainly within the next three years," and hopes to set up a research fellowship before the end of the Year, J. Mark Kollegian, treasurer of the fund, added.

At present the College offers only one graduate course in Armenian, given by Richard N. Frye, associate professor of Middle Eastern Studies, "We are abysmal in our ignorance of Armenian history," Frye said at last night's meeting.

The association hopes that the establishment of the new chair at the College will merely be the First project in a broad program. "At first we will spend 90 percent of our time on the early endowment of scholarships, fellowships, fellowships, and a professorship at Harvard," Young said, "But later on we intend to branch out considerably."