The Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA — March 12, 2026 — The UCLA Promise Armenian Institute hosted its third annual Kerr Family Endowed Lecture at the UCLA James West Alumni Center on the evening of Thursday, March 12, 2026. The Kerr lectures have the aim of amplifying the stories of often-unsung heroes and heroines who provided humanitarian support for victims and survivors of mass atrocities. The third Kerr lecture, which garnered around 70 in-person attendees, focused on the enduring and inspiring legacy of Rev. Dikran Antreasian, one of the heroes of the resistance at Musa Dagh during the Armenian Genocide.
Titled “Rev. Dikran Antreasian: A Leader of the Musa Dagh Resistance to the Armenian Genocide,” the lecture was delivered by Prof. Vahram L. Shemmassian, director of the Armenian Studies Program at California State University, Northridge. Introductory remarks and further historical context were provided by Dr. Rouben Adalian, director of the Armenian National Institute (ANI) in Washington, DC.
Prof. Shemmassian’s presentation examined the life and work of Armenian Evangelical pastor Rev. Dikran Antreasian, whose heroic contributions in Musa Dagh led to the survival of thousands of Armenians in 1915. Facing active deportation orders in which forced expulsion would lead to certain death, the mere 5,000 remaining Armenian villagers from Musa Dagh refused to comply and instead organized a defensive strategy against the Ottoman troops.
Holding the key role of Chairman of the General Administrative Body, Rev. Antreasian and his companions’ efforts were instrumental in turning the tide of the resistance movement. The group, composed of both a civil and military wing, was responsible for designing, implementing, and overseeing nearly all components of day-to-day survival, such as shelter construction and aid distribution, as well as future battle plans against the encroaching Ottoman soldiers.
The Armenians’ success in establishing contact and securing international assistance from the Allied governments was in no small part a result of Rev. Antreasian’s leadership and ingenuity. His letter, sent to Allied navy ships, explained both the situation in Musa Dagh and described the greater suffering of Armenian deportees in Cilicia, the untold number of violations against them, and the massacre and death of survivors in the desert, stating powerfully, “We know certainly now that the Turkish government has decided to annihilate the Armenian nation.” Eventually, the rescue process was initiated, transporting and thus saving an estimated 4,200 people out of Musa Dagh.
To those who knew him, “[Rev. Antreasian] was endowed with a daring spirit bordering on adventurousness, complemented by a logical mind, level-headedness, and clarity of vision, (...) [commanding] respect among a broad spectrum of fellow countrymen,” said Prof. Shamassian, which extended beyond the Protestant community over which he ministered.
The lecture also highlighted Rev. Antreasian’s humanitarian efforts, such as his lecture at the American Mission in Cairo, translated and published into well-sold booklets to generate life-changing monetary aid for his fellow refugees, his spiritual care for the growing Armenian community newly settled at a camp near Port Said, Egypt, as well as his advocacy on behalf of his compatriots for assistance from the American Near East Relief and the British Friends of Armenia Society.
Prof. Shemmassian also noted that Antreasian’s eyewitness account of the deportations from Zeitoun and the revolt in Svedia/Musa Dagh, originally published in Western Armenian in 1935 and since translated into Eastern Armenian and English by the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA), is considered “one of the most reliable and balanced primary sources about the factual events of the Musa Dagh resistance.”
In special attendance were several distinguished members of the local Armenian clergy, including Rev. Hendrik Shanazarian, representing the Armenian Evangelical Union of North America, as well as Rev. Antreasian’s granddaughter, Dr. Ani Darakjian, who thoughtfully remarked on the bravery and resilience of this small group of villagers who held their own against much greater powers poised for their annihilation. Dr. Darakjian noted that this memory “always makes me wonder what I would have done in the same situation,” continuing, “perhaps [it is] a question all of us should ask ourselves.”
The speakers then opened the floor for further discussion, facilitated in question-and-answer format with the audience and moderated by The Promise Armenian Institute’s director, Prof. Ann Karagozian, who both opened and concluded the event: “It behooves us all to learn about, appreciate, and remember the sacrifices made by such heroes.”
The event was graciously co-sponsored by the Ararat-Eskijian Museum (AEM), the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR), Haigazian University, and the UCLA Center for Near Eastern Studies.
The video recording of this lecture is now available on the event webpage and on the PAI YouTube channel.
The Kerr Family Lectureship, established by the UCLA Promise Armenian Institute in 2023, is named in honor of the Kerr family, whose progenitors include Professor Stanley and Elsa Reckman Kerr, who helped to rescue and provide exemplary humanitarian care for survivors of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-23. In their honor, the annual lectureship aims to amplify the stories of heroes and heroines who dedicated themselves to saving and supporting victims and survivors of violence and mass atrocities in times of crisis. This year’s focus on Rev. Antreasian’s enduring and immeasurable legacy continued that mission.
For more information on this event, please contact The Promise Armenian Institute at armenian-info@international.ucla.edu or visit its website at www.international.ucla.edu/armenia.