NEWPORT BEACH, CA–The Orange County Armenian Professional Society will host its annual Armenian Christmas party on Saturday, January 15 at the exclusive Pacific Club, located at 4110 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach 92660.
The event will honor UCLA Armenian History Prof. Richard Hovannisian and World Affairs Council of Orange County member Serge Tomassian.
Cocktail reception is at 7:00-7:45 p.m. Dinner will be served at 8:00 p.m., to be followed by the program. To R.S.V.P., visit www.ocaps.org, call 714-546-1105 or mail checks to OCAPS, P. O. Box 3455, Newport Beach, CA 92659. Ticket prices are: $65:00/members, $75:00/nonmembers and $35:00/students.
Prof. Hovannisian was appointed the first holder of the Armenian Educational Foundation Endowed Chair in Modern Armenian History at UCLA in 1987. As the patriarch of modern Armenian History, he has taught generations of both Armenian and non-Armenian students at the same university.
Prof. Hovannisian is the author of many books on Armenian History, beginning with the First Republic of Armenia in 1918. In addition to educating UCLA students, he has attracted the Armenian community to UCLA, by organizing semiannual symposia for the community on Western and modern Armenia.
Hovannisian is also the head of an illustrious family, that among others includes his son, Raffi Hovannisian, the first Foreign Minister of independent Armenia in 1991, and his young grandson, Garin, the author of the recently released book, “Family of Shadows.”
Serge Tomassian, an Orange County attorney, has been a long time active member of the World Affairs Council of Orange County. For the first time in the history of WACOC, he was able to include the Armenian Genocide on a Genocide/Holocaust panel in April 2010. At the same panel, Prof. Hovannisian gave a powerful and moving speech on the Armenian Genocide, before an audience well versed on world affairs.
In November of the same year, Tomassian, despite all odds, was instrumental in materializing the invitation of the President of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Bako Sahakyan, to address the prestigious organization’s forum. In his speech, President Sahakyan made a strong case for the self-determination of the people of Karabakh.
Mr. Tomassian’s notable contribution to the Orange County Armenian community and to the Armenian nation has been the introduction of pertinent Armenian issues to the mainstream of the Orange County non-Armenian community.
