Haroutioun Hovanes Chakmakjian facts for kids

Haroutioun Hovanes Chakmakjian (born October 20, 1878, died May 22, 1973) was a smart scientist and writer. He was also the father of a famous American composer named Alan Hovhaness. Chakmakjian taught chemistry at Tufts University.

He wrote many books in different languages. One of his most important works was an English-Armenian dictionary. People believe it was the first of its kind for the modern Armenian language. This dictionary is still used a lot today. He also wrote a big book about the history of Armenia.

Early Life and Family

Haroutioun Hovanes Chakmakjian was born on October 20, 1878. His family was Armenian, and they lived in Adana, which was part of the Ottoman Empire back then. His parents, Hovanes L. Chakmakjian and Cohar Garabed Janbazian, were farmers.

His last name, Chakmakjian, means "gunsmith". This name came from one of his ancestors. That ancestor was very good at making beautiful firearms.

Haroutioun went to Abcarian High School in Adana. After that, he studied for a little over a year. He attended the Antoura French Missionary College in Beirut.

Becoming a Teacher and Moving On

Chakmakjian started his career as a teacher. He taught in places like Gesaria (now called Kayseri) and Giresun. In the early 1900s, he taught in Beirut. During this time, there were difficult events happening to Armenians in the Ottoman Empire.

Instead of going back to his hometown of Adana, he decided to travel. He took a ship to France. Later, he moved to Stamford, Connecticut, in the United States. Eventually, he settled in Boston, Massachusetts.

Studying and Working in America

In Boston, Chakmakjian studied at Harvard University. He was there from 1905 to 1908. He went back to Harvard in 1912 and earned his degree in 1913.

While he was studying, he also worked as an editor. He was the chief-editor for The Hairenik newspaper. He held this job from 1909 to 1912.

Later, he became a professor at Tufts College. He taught chemistry and biochemistry there. He worked at the Tufts Medical School in Boston. He retired from the Medical School in 1949. In 1955, he fully retired from Tufts University as a respected professor.

Marriage and Family Life

On May 28, 1910, Haroutioun Chakmakjian got married. He married Madeleine Scott in Somerville, Massachusetts. Madeleine was an American woman with Scottish and English family. She had graduated from Wellesley College.

Haroutioun and Madeleine had one son together. Their son, Alan Hovhannes, was born on March 8, 1911. Alan grew up to become a very famous composer around the world. Sadly, Madeleine passed away on October 3, 1930.

Important Writings

Besides his work in science, Chakmakjian was also a dedicated writer. His most famous book is A Comprehensive Dictionary English-Armenian. This huge dictionary has about 1,600 pages. It was first published in 1922 in Boston. This dictionary has been printed many times since then and is still very useful.

He also wrote other academic papers. These articles covered topics in chemistry, biochemistry, and the Armenian language. In 1917, he published a book about the history of Armenia. This book was about 700 pages long.

Chakmakjian was a member of several important groups. He belonged to the American Chemical Society. He was also a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. And he was a member of the New England Association of Chemistry Teachers.

Later Years and Death

Haroutioun Hovanes Chakmakjian lived a long life. He passed away on May 22, 1973. He was 94 years old when he died in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts.