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PRESS RELEASE
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
AGBU’s New York Centennial Marks a Century of Achievement
New York – On Saturday, March 3, 2007, over 300 guests joined AGBU’s
Central Board of Directors and Council of Trustees at the New York
Historical Society (NYHS) to celebrate a hundred years of preserving and
promoting the Armenian heritage around the world. The evening included a
special multimedia program, archival photography exhibition and a grand
cocktail reception in the majestic rooms of the city museum on
Manhattan’s Central Park West. Among the evening’s guests were U.S.
Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ); Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate
of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern Diocese); and Archbishop
Oshagan Choloyan, Prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
(Eastern United States).
Guests were welcomed to the festive gathering with a champagne reception
in the NYHS entrance hall prior to the 30-minute multimedia program in
the auditorium. Showcasing never-before-seen film footage and
photographs of AGBU’s early programs in Armenia, Cyprus, Lebanon, Syria,
and elsewhere, the video program, narrated by Alex Sarian, included
three presenters, each of whom outlined a different era of AGBU’s
achievement and recounted their personal connections to an organization
that touches the lives of 400,000 Armenians annually. The presenters
were AGBU Central Board Member Yervant Demirjian, AGBU Camp Nubar
alumnus John Cherkezian, and AGBU Young Professionals of Greater New
York (YPGNY) Chair Natalie Gabrelian.
AGBU President, Berge Setrakian, concluded the evening’s multimedia
program with some words that reflected on AGBU’s unique place in
Armenian history, "As our reputation for integrity resonated, AGBU
emerged as a steadfast champion of the Armenian people in the 20th
century. A chronicle to the times, the organization’s efforts supported
our people faithfully through a tumultuous history of genocide, natural
disasters, repatriation, resettlement, revival and national
independence. Thanks to the steadfast support of our members and donors,
AGBU has flourished into a world-class organization with the resources
and goodwill to serve Armenians across the Diaspora and in our
homeland."
Setrakian encouraged all Armenians to unite under the inclusive umbrella
of AGBU to face the obstacles ahead, "Let us join together in this
universal mission, greater than any one of us…through cooperation and
solidarity…to appeal to all organizations, religious or otherwise, to
work as a collective whole with Armenia to tackle the challenges ahead
of us to preserve our national identity."
A Proud History on Display
After the program, guests were led to a specially prepared exhibition of
archival photographs from the organization’s Nubarian Library in Paris.
Founded in 1927, the Nubarian Library continues to serve as a leading
Armenian resource for researchers and academics. Arranged in the
two-story NYHS library, the exhibition entitled "Picturing A Century of
AGBU" included over 140 photographs, which illustrated ten decades of
making a difference in the lives of Armenians everywhere.
The images told the fateful history of the Armenian people and AGBU’s
constant effort to safeguard the global Armenian community. Today, with
140 AGBU Districts, Chapters, Young Professionals groups, Offices and
Centers globally, the organization continues to flourish as a bridge
between communities in 35 countries unified by a common heritage and
passion for all things Armenian.
The evening’s guests were also treated to a grand cocktail reception in
one of NYHS’s most elegant picture galleries filled with masterpieces of
early American painting. Guests gathered for the ceremonial cake
cutting, with AGBU President Setrakian, AGBU Trustee Nazar Nazarian,
Central Board members, and New York Centennial Chair, Houri Guedelekian.
"It was a magical evening at the New York Historical Society for AGBU’s
Centennial. It was so rewarding to experience the culmination of months
of hard work with an amazing volunteer committee, and particularly the
support of AGBU staff. I thought I knew a lot about AGBU until I
volunteered on the program committee and discovered how truly deserving
AGBU is of all kinds of accolades for what it has accomplished in a
hundred years," Guedelekian said.
The event was made possible through the generous donations of various
corporations and private individuals, including major gifts from
Deutsche Bank, Yervant Demirjian, David J. Greene & Co., Rothschild
Asset Management, Inc., Berge & Vera Setrakian, and additional support
from Alliance Bernstein, Cadence Capital Management, Cooke & Bieler,
L.P., Vahe & Huguette Gabrache, and Rainier Investment Management, Inc.
AGBU’s final centennial event will take place next month in Yerevan
during Holy Week, when AGBU leaders and volunteers from around the world
will come together for a special conference to set the course of the
organization’s future programs and activities on a short- and mid-term
basis. Looking forward to the next centennial, AGBU members will bury a
time capsule in Armenia on Easter Sunday to be opened in 2106.
Additional photos from the March 3rd New York Centennial Celebration can
be viewed at
Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City with an
annual budget of $36 million, AGBU preserves and promotes the Armenian
identity and heritage through educational, cultural and humanitarian
programs, annually serving some 400,000 Armenians in 35 countries.