Haroutioun Hovanes "H.H." Chakmakjian (20 October 1878, in

Adana Adana is a large city in southern Turkey. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, inland from the northeastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the administrative seat of the Adana Province, Adana province, and has a population of 1 81 ...

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

− 22 May 1973, in

Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts Jamaica Plain is a Neighborhoods in Boston, neighborhood of in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Settled by Puritans seeking farmland to the south, it was originally part of Roxbury, Massachusetts, Roxbury. The community seceded from Roxbur ...

, US) was a published scientist, as well as the father of American composer

Alan Hovhaness Alan Hovhaness (; born Alan Vaness Chakmakjian; March 8, 1911 – June 21, 2000) was an American composer. He was one of the most prolific 20th-century composers, with his official catalog comprising 67 numbered symphonies (surviving manuscripts ...

. A professor of chemistry at

Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university in Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts, United States, with additional facilities in Boston and Grafton, as well as Talloires, France. Tufts also has several Doctor of Physical Therapy p ...

, Chakmakjian wrote numerous books in several languages. His notable publications included an English-

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

dictionary which is believed to be the first of its kind in the modern Armenian language. The dictionary has become an enduring work of Armenian

lexicography Lexicography is the study of lexicons and the art of compiling dictionaries. It is divided into two separate academic disciplines: * Practical lexicography is the art or craft of compiling, writing and editing dictionaries. * Theoretical le ...

and remains regularly used today. His other publications included a 700-page history of Armenia.

Family / Early background

Chakmakjian was of

background and was born in

on 20 October 1878. His surname means "

gunsmith A gunsmith is a person who repairs, modifies, designs, or builds guns. The occupation differs from an armorer, who usually replaces only worn parts in standard firearms. Gunsmiths do modifications and changes to a firearm that may require a very ...

", a name given to one of his ancestors who had been skilled in creating finely engraved and decorated

firearm A firearm is any type of gun that uses an explosive charge and is designed to be readily carried and operated by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see legal definitions). The first firearms originate ...

s. Born in 1878, his parents were Hovanes L. Chakmakjian and Cohar Garabed Janbazian, both farmers. He studied at the Abcarian (Apcarian) High School in Adana, then studied for just over one year at the Antoura French Missionary College in

Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...

Career

Chakmakjian began his career as a teacher and taught in Gesaria (

Kayseri Kayseri () is a large List of cities in Turkey, city in Central Anatolia, Turkey, and the capital of Kayseri Province, Kayseri province. Historically known as Caesarea (Mazaca), Caesarea, it has been the historical capital of Cappadocia since anc ...

today) and in

Giresun Giresun () is a city in the Black Sea Region of northeastern Turkey, about west of the city of Trabzon. It is the seat of Giresun Province and Giresun District.Ottoman

massacres of Armenians This is the list of massacres of ethnic Armenians. List See also * Anti-Armenian sentiment * List of massacres in Azerbaijan * Massacres in the course of the Nagorno-Karabakh War Notes References

{{massacres Massacres of Arme ...

. Rather than return to his birthplace of Adana, he decided to take a ship to France. He subsequently moved to

Stamford, Connecticut Stamford () is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, outside of New York City. It is the sixth-most populous city in New England. Stamford is also the largest city in the Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, Weste ...

and eventually settled in

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, where he studied at

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

from fall 1905 to spring 1908. He re-enrolled at Harvard again in February 1912, obtaining an AB degree in June 1913 (as a member of the class of 1909). He later served as a professor of

chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

and

biochemistry Biochemistry, or biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology, a ...

Tufts College Tufts University is a Private university, private research university in Medford, Massachusetts, Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts, United States, with additional facilities in Boston and Grafton, Massachusetts, Grafton, as well as Talloire ...

, and was affiliated with the Tufts Medical School on Huntington Avenue in Boston. He retired from the medical school in 1949. Thereafter, in 1955, Chakmakjian retired from Tufts University as a

professor emeritus ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retirement, retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". ...

Literary work

In addition to his scientific work, in 1908 Chakmakjian became the chief-editor for ''The Hairenik'' newspaper while studying at Harvard, remaining in that position until February 1912. He also authored
A Comprehensive Dictionary English-Armenian
' of approximately 1,600 pages published under the name H. H. Chakmakjian, printed in 1922 by Yeran Press in Boston. The dictionary was republished several times till that date. Other scholarly articles included topics related to chemistry, biochemistry, and the Armenian language. Among his other publications was a book of about 700 pages on the

history of Armenia The history of Armenia covers the topics related to the history of the Armenia, Republic of Armenia, as well as the Armenians, Armenian people, the Armenian language, and the regions of Eurasia historically and Armenian Highlands, geographica ...

published in 1917.

Personal life

On May 28, 1910, in

Somerville, Massachusetts Somerville ( ) is a city located directly to the northwest of Boston, and north of Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the city had a total population of 81, ...

, he married Madeleine Scott (died October 3, 1930), an American woman of Scottish and English descent who had graduated from

Wellesley College Wellesley College is a Private university, private Women's colleges in the United States, historically women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1870 by Henr ...

. They had one son, Alan Hovhannes, a future composer who reached international fame, who was born on 8 March 1911. Chakmakjian died of

bronchopneumonia Bronchopneumonia is a subtype of pneumonia. It is the acute inflammation of the Bronchus, bronchi, accompanied by inflamed patches in the nearby lobules of the lungs. citing: Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition, Copyright 2014 ...

on May 22, 1973, aged 94.

Honors

Chakmakjian was a member of the

American Chemical Society The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 155,000 members at all ...

, was a Fellow of the

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is a United States–based international nonprofit with the stated mission of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsib ...

, and a member of the New England Association of Chemistry Teachers.

Publications

Some of Chakmakjian's publications include: *Sahmanadrakan kaṛavarutiunner, Volume 1 (English: Constitutional Governments) (1910: Boston)
Armeno-American letter writer, containing a large variety of model letters adapted to all occasions letters of friendship, letters of congratulation and condolence, letters of love, business letters.
(1914: Boston) *Skapeni charachchi hnaramtutiunnere: katakergutiin erek araruatsov (Armenian translation of Molière's play

The Miser ''The Miser'' (; ) is a five-act comedy in prose by the French playwright Molière. It was first performed on September 9, 1668, in the Théâtre du Palais-Royal (rue Saint-Honoré), theatre of the Palais-Royal in Paris. This is a character com ...

) (Boston: 1914) *Kerakan-entertsaran: kerakan ev mayreni lezu (English: Literary reader: Literature and the mother language) (Boston: 1916)
Endardzak patmutiun hayots: skizbēn minchev mer orere patkerazard
(Comprehensive history of Armenians: from the beginning till today) (Boston: 1917)
A Comprehensive Dictionary, English-Armenian
(Boston: 1922) *Hairenik and Its Workers: Memories of Seventeen Years (Published in the

Armenian Review ''The Armenian Review'' is an academic journal that has been published in Watertown, Massachusetts, since 1948. It publishes articles on topics related to Armenia and Armenians Armenians (, ) are an ethnic group indigenous to the Armenian ...

: 1979)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chakmakjian, Haroutioun Hovanes 1878 births 1973 deaths People from Adana People from Adana vilayet Armenians from the Ottoman Empire Emigrants from the Ottoman Empire to the United States Harvard University alumni Writers from Boston Tufts University faculty People from Arlington, Massachusetts Historians of Armenia Armenian lexicographers American chemists Ethnic Armenian historians