A Teachable Memory

Written for AGBU Impact Magazine 2025 by Laura L. Constantine. Illustration by Willa Gebbie.

When Adrienne Alexanian was growing up in her birthplace of New York, she saw her parents Edward (Yervant) and Grace (neé Dadourian) Alexanian fiercely advocate for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide of 1915. And, like many children of Genocide survivors, Adrienne was compelled to carry on their cause—not only on behalf of her parents, but also in memory of her grandparents: Nishan and Hunazant Alexanian from the province of Sepastia, located in central Turkey; and Harutune and Makrouhi Dadourian from Marzovan, situated in the Black Sea region of present-day Turkey. Only Makrouhi escaped the fate of the others, who lost their lives during the horrific years of Turkish brutality against the Armenians in the late 19th and 20th centuries.  She survived and lived with the Alexanian family in the U.S., until she passed away when Adrienne was a young child.

Nishan Alexanian died during the Hamidian Massacres of 1894 and Hunazant perished during the death march across the Syrian desert with the rest of the 51 members of the Alexanian family—all victims of the Armenian Genocide of 1915.  Their son, Yervant, Adrienne’s father, was conscripted into the Ottoman Turkish Army, only one of a few members of his extended family in Turkey to survive and flee to the United States. Eventually, his death-defying story Forced into Genocide: Memoirs of an Armenian Soldier in the Ottoman Turkish Army was published in 2017, a labor of love by Adrienne, who spent many years painstakingly preparing her father’s hand-written recollections into a manuscript for publication. To date, it is the only book on the Armenian Genocide from the perspective of an Armenian soldier who witnessed firsthand the annihilation of his own people. Adrienne then worked tirelessly to promote the book to non-Armenian audiences, embarking on a national book tour that took her to various colleges/universities, Holocaust museums and libraries, as well as Armenian venues across America—a total of over 35 presentations.

Since my grandparents died before they had the chance to establish their legacies, I feel that it’s my responsibility to make sure they are not forgotten.  The scholarships that I endowed in their memories will support those who have the expertise to disseminate the facts of the Armenian Genocide to the world.

As for Adrienne’s maternal grandfather Harutune Dadourian, Adrienne recalls being told that he had been a respected local leader in Marzovan—the “go to” person for any problem that arose in the community. In that role, he was able to secure two audiences with the renowned historical and religious figure Catholicos Mgrditch Khrimian, affectionately called “Khrimian Hayrig.” Tragically, like many other Armenian men living in Ottoman Turkey at the time of the Genocide, Harutune was arrested by Turkish gendarmes late one night, never to be seen again.

Over the decades, Adrienne, an educator by profession, found other ways to advocate for Armenian causes. For eight years, she served as the AGBU and Eastern Armenian Diocese Non-Governmental Organization representative to the United Nations, where she championed Armenian Genocide recognition in addition to advocating for the Republic of Armenia’s agenda. In 2010, she received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, which is awarded to American citizens who have demonstrated outstanding service to the nation through their professional, cultural, or civic achievements, and who embody the spirit of America’s immigrant heritage. She also received the St. Sahag and Mesrob Medal which was bestowed upon her by Vehapar Karekin II in 2021.

In 2025, Adrienne paid tribute to the memory of both her paternal and maternal grandparents with the Harutune & Makrouhi Dadourian Memorial Endowment and the Nishan & Hunazant Alexanian Memorial Endowment. Both support the AGBU Scholarship Program and provide funding for post graduate Armenian students majoring in Armenian history with a focus on the Armenian Genocide.

Adrienne explained her motivation: “Since my grandparents died before they had the chance to establish their legacies, I feel that it’s my responsibility to make sure they are not forgotten.  The scholarships that I endowed in their memories will support those who have the expertise to disseminate the facts of the Armenian Genocide to the world.”

Previously, three other endowments were established at AGBU in her parents’ names and hers. The two recent endowments in the name of her grandparents further demonstrate her enduring commitment to education and Armenian heritage.