Nancy Dupree facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nancy Dupree
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Dupree giving a speech during the International Architectural Ideas Competition at the National Museum of Afghanistan in September 2012 in Kabul, Afghanistan
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| Born |
Nancy Hatch
October 3, 1927 |
| Died | September 10, 2017 (aged 89) |
| Resting place | Kabul, Afghanistan |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Barnard College (B.A) Columbia University (M.A) |
| Occupation | Administrator |
| Title | Director of the Afghanistan Center at Kabul University |
| Successor | Position vacant |
| Spouse(s) |
Alan D. Wolfe
(divorced)Louis Dupree
(m. 1966; |
Nancy Hatch Dupree (October 3, 1927 – September 10, 2017) was an American historian. She spent most of her life in Afghanistan or working with Afghans. She was known for her important work on the history of modern Afghanistan. People often called her the "grandmother of Afghanistan."
Nancy Dupree was the director of the Afghanistan Center at Kabul University. She wrote five books about Afghanistan's history and tourism between 1962 and the late 1970s. Her books covered places like Bamyan, Kabul, Kandahar, Herat, and Mazar-i-Sharif.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Nancy Hatch was born in Cooperstown, New York, in the United States. She grew up mostly in India. At that time, India was under British rule, known as the British Raj.
Her parents worked in Kerala, India. Her father was an adviser to the local ruler, the Maharaja of Travancore. Her mother was a Broadway actress who loved Indian art and dance. She even earned a PhD for her studies on a dance form called Kathakali.
Nancy graduated from Barnard College in 1949. Later, she studied Chinese and Chinese Art at Columbia University.
Career and Work in Afghanistan
Nancy first moved to Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon) with her first husband, Alan D. Wolfe. He worked for the American government. They later lived in Iraq and Pakistan before moving to Afghanistan in 1962.
When she arrived in Afghanistan, Nancy quickly wrote the first English guide to the famous Bamiyan Buddhas. These were giant statues carved into cliffs.
A few years later, she met Louis Dupree. He was a well-known archaeologist and expert on Afghan culture and history. They fell in love and got married in 1966.
Saving Afghanistan's History
In 1979, when another country's army entered Afghanistan, Nancy had to leave. She moved to a refugee camp in Peshawar, Pakistan. Louis joined her there later.
While in the refugee camp, Nancy realized that many important documents about Afghanistan's history could be lost forever. She and Louis decided to save these valuable papers. They started an organization called the Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief (ACBAR).
They began collecting many types of documents. These included government papers and other writings about Afghanistan's history, culture, and the conflicts happening there. Nancy shared that many priceless books were sold for fuel or to wrap food during this time.
After Louis passed away in 1989, Nancy continued her important work.
The Afghanistan Center
In 2005, Nancy moved back to Kabul, Afghanistan. She worked with the Afghan government to find a home for the huge collection she had gathered. The collection was moved to Kabul University. Its name was changed to the Afghan Center at Kabul University (ACKU). A special building for the collection was finished in 2012.
Today, parts of ACKU's collection are available online for everyone to see. This was made possible with help from the University of Arizona Libraries. They worked together to digitize (turn into digital files) many of the documents. Since 2011, over 1.4 million pages have been added online. The Afghan Digital Repository is now the largest online collection of documents related to Afghanistan.
Nancy Dupree divided her time between Afghanistan and her home in North Carolina, USA.
Death
Nancy Dupree passed away in Kabul, Afghanistan, on September 10, 2017, at the age of 89. She had been battling an illness.
Leaders of Afghanistan, including President Ashraf Ghani and CEO Abdullah Abdullah, shared their sadness. President Ghani said that Nancy "considered Afghanistan her real home." She wanted to be buried in Kabul next to her husband. Former President Hamid Karzai called her "a loving daughter of Afghanistan." He said Afghanistan would always remember her. A large painting of Nancy Dupree was made on a wall in downtown Kabul to honor her.
See also
In Spanish: Nancy Dupree para niños
