PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: jakeg@armeniandiocese.org
Website:
June 3, 2004
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DADOURIAN RECEIVES ELLIS ISLAND MEDAL
Haig Dadourian, chairman of the Diocesan Council, was honored with
the Ellis Island Medal of Honor during a ceremony on Ellis Island,
on May 15, 2004.
The medal, presented by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations,
is presented to Americans of diverse origins for their contributions
to their own ethnic groups and to American society. About 3,500 people
are nominated for the medal each year.
Dadourian is an owner and director of the Dadourian Export Corporation.
He is also a real estate developer. A graduate of Columbia Business
School, Dadourian is also the past president and owner of Deluxe
Storage Systems, a manufacturer of commercial steel shelving and
storage equipment, and the InterRoyal Corporation, a maker of
commercial furniture.
He has served the community at the local level, at the St. Mary Church
of Livingston, NJ, as parish council member, assistant music director,
and delegate. He has also assumed a variety of leadership roles within
the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern). Currently,
he is chairman of the Diocesan Council and a member of the Board of
Directors of the Armenian Church Endowment Fund, the Fund for Armenian
Relief, and St. Nersess Seminary.
Despite all his accomplishments, Dadourian said that when he was
onstage at Ellis Island being honored, he kept thinking of someone
else’s success.
“I was thinking of my father. I wish he were there, because he was the
one who went through the massacres, and went through Ellis Island as
a 10-year-old,” said Dadourian of his father, Dadour, who came from
the village of Gurin in historic Armenia. “He was more than just a
survivor. He became successful in this country and continued to be
very supportive of his church and his whole ethnic community.”
The Ellis Island Medal of Honor was created in 1986 to honor the many
ethnic groups who have made America a strong nation. More than 1,300
individuals have since been honored with the award since its inception.
The award is recognized by both the U.S. Senate and House of
Representatives, and the names of award recipients are listed in the
Congressional Record.
“We need to recognize Armenians who have built successful lives in
America,” said Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern
Diocese. “We need to praise them and show that they have made this
country richer, while honoring their ethnic origins and their church.”
— 6/03/04
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