He was the son of Western Armenia. But it was in the deserts of another land, on the other side of the world, that he built his empire. He conquered the casinos, the movie studios, the airlines. More importantly and everlastingly, he captivated our hearts and inspired our conscience. Nothing was beyond him. The American desert was his.
Still, Kirk Kerkorian remained a great believer in the rebirth of Armenia—and he was there, at the dusk of the Soviet Union, to invest in the sweet possibility of it. In 1991, when I served as the new Republic’s first foreign minister, he led the way and by example in launching a strategic program for Armenia’s long-term advancement, prosperity, and security. Some time later, when we established ACNIS, Armenia’s first independent research center, Kerkorian stood by us again, generously and anonymously. He expected the miracle of Homeland to be translated into a daily reality of democratic development, top-notch education and economic opportunity, and leadership as true and humble and visionary as his.
Kirk Kerkorian was the ultimate patriot, a man larger than life, an adventurer endlessly reinventing himself out of 1915, but returning there in this centennial year to tell the story of our tragedies and triumphs, our eternal dance on the face of adversity, our promise for the future.
Raffi K. Hovannisian
Founding Director, Armenian Center for National and International Studies
Chairman, Heritage Party
