2 replies to this topic

[MosJan]

The Fresno Unified School Board has voted to rename Forkner Elementary School to Roger Tatarian Elementary.

Tatarian, a Fresno native, was considered a world-renowned journalist.

He was the former editor-in-chief at United Press International, where he worked for 34 years.

 

Tatarian was recently considered -- and was passed over -- when naming was being considered for Fresno Unified’s newest campus, now under construction in Southeast Fresno

https://kmph.com/amp...7Fs1qWriGR5AvKc

[MosJan]

Roger Tatarian (1917–1995) was vice-president and editor-in-chief of United Press International, a worldwide news-reporting service that supplied stories to thousands of newspapers, magazines, and broadcast outlets

 

Background and youth
Tatarian's family came to the United States from Bitlis, Turkey. The son of a shoemaker, he grew up in Fresno, California amid the same Armenian-American community that produced Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright William Saroyan. At Longfellow Junior High School, Tatarian's English teacher asked him to write for the school paper, the Longfellow Poet. He became sports editor and set his sights on a career in journalism.

With UPI
Tatarian graduated from Fresno State College in 1938 with a degree in political science. He went to work for UPI that same year and became a war correspondent during World War II. His career as a news reporter and editor took him to farflung outposts. Over 34 years with UPI, he worked his way up through the organization, becoming general news manager for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa; bureau chief in both London and Rome; and news editor in Washington, D.C. (During his residency in Rome he became fluent in Italian.) Tatarian eventually became the top editor of the news service, which at the time was a rival to the Associated Press.

Recognition
Tatarian served as a Pulitzer Prize nomination juror in 1960, 1961, and 1985. Awards and honors included the Elijah Parrish Lovejoy Award, a special citation by Ohio University, and an honorary doctorate in law from Colby College in Maine in 1980. He was named a fellow of the Society of Professional Journalists-Sigma Delta Chi in 1972 and was among the first group inducted to the Hall of Fame of the society's New York chapter.

Active retirement
After his retirement from UPI, Tatarian returned to his hometown and joined the journalism faculty of California State University, Fresno. He also served as a writing coach and consultant to newspapers, notably the hometown Fresno Bee. He wrote a regular column for the paper and delivered commentary on local public television. He also served as advisor to various local and state governmental boards. Tatarian was especially well known for reaching out to talented young news professionals with advice and encouragement.

Tatarian wrote Day of Mourning, Day of Shame, a collection of essays published by Word Dancer Press.

He and wife Eunice were married for 55 years until his death. Their only child, son Allan Tatarian (1941-2007), was a longtime Fresno radio personality, also known by the on-air name Allan Rogers.

 

https://en.wikipedia.../Roger_Tatarian

[MosJan]

Fresno Unified renames school for Roger Tatarian. First in district named after an Armenian
Isabel Sophia Dieppa, The Fresno Bee  

 

Oct. 14—Following an emotional debate late Wednesday, the Fresno Unified school board changed the name of Forkner Elementary School to H. Roger Tatarian Elementary School.

It's the first Fresno Unified school to be named for a member of the Armenian-American community.

The board's vote was unanimous.

Many in Fresno's journalism and education communities cheered Wednesday's board decision, including Jim Boren, who described Tatarian as a mentor when they worked together at The Fresno Bee.

"This is a long overdue honor that recognizes Roger Tatarian's important work in journalism and education," said Boren, the executive director of Fresno State's Institute for Media and Public Trust and a former executive editor of The Bee. "It also finally honors an Armenian-American in the Fresno Unified School District by naming a school after someone from that community. The school board did the right thing with this important vote."

The vote came after more than a dozen people spoke out on the issue, with several speaking in favor of keeping Forkner's name on the school, a first since the renaming issue emerged over the summer.

Jeff Wilson, a parent of a Forkner student, said he wanted the board first to establish a formal process for renaming a school that includes more public input. He called Wednesday's vote "very disappointing."

"As I noted, they never reached out to the Forkner community," Wilson said following the vote. "They did not have any onsite meetings. Which makes it seem like they didn't want Forkner's input."

It wasn't immediately clear when a new sign would appear outside the school. Several district officials, including Forkner Principal Ryan Duff, advised waiting until after the current school year before putting the name change into effect.

Duff said he wouldn't weigh in on the renaming debate but said he hoped the board would consider student impacts.

"This has caused a lot of emotional stress on our students on our campus. It's hard to tell a 7-year-old that their school name might be changed," Duff told the school board. "It's greatly confusing to them."

'Long overdue honor' for Tatarian and Fresno's Armenian community

The move to change the school's name comes about five months after a controversial debate over the naming of Fresno Unified's newest school campus.

Despite a district survey showing overwhelming public support to name campus at Ventura Avenue and 10th Street for Tatarian, a divided school board named the campus after Francine and Murray Farber, a philanthropic couple who've given hundreds of thousands of dollars to local education causes over the years.

And while many supported the Farbers, many in the Armenian community were frustrated by the vote. Despite Fresno's large Armenian community, many noted that none of the district's schools carried an Armenian name. They also questioned why the school board went against apparent public sentiment.

However, on the same night the school board cast its vote in May, Fresno author and journalist Mark Arax suggested renaming Forkner Elementary School for Tatarian and noted namesake J.C. Forkner's racist history.

Arax researched Forkner extensively and wrote about him in his latest book, "The Dreamt Land," where he chronicles the racist past of Forkner's developments and discrimination against Armenians and communities of color.

Forkner is known chiefly for developing Fig Garden, which spans 12,000 acres.

Speaking before the board Wednesday, Arax again described Forkner as "the most consequential racist" in the city's history who affected "countless" families.

Who was H. Roger Tatarian?

Supporters of the movement to name a school for Tatarian noted his many contributions to local education and journalism.

After graduating from Fresno State in 1938 with a political science degree, Tatarian began his journalism career at the United Press International, a worldwide news organization and competitor of the Associated Press.

During Tatarian's 34 years at UPI, he was in leadership positions worldwide, including Europe, the Middle East, Africa, London, Rome, and Washington, D.C. — ultimately becoming the wire service's editor in chief.

After retirement, he taught journalism at Fresno State for 15 years and did some newspaper consulting for various papers, including The Bee, where he also had a regular column.

Tatarian passed in 1995 at the age of 78. A year later, a book of his essays was published, "Day of Mourning, Day of Shame."

Fresno State established the Roger Tatarian Journalism Grant and the Roger Tatarian Endowed Chair in Journalism in his honor. Tatarian was awarded the Elijah Parrish Lovejoy Award and was named a fellow of the Society of Professional Journalists Sigma Delta Chi. He was also among the first to be inducted into the New York SPJ Hall of Fame.

This story was originally published October 13, 2021 7:55 PM.

CORRECTION: This story initially reported incorrectly that H. Roger Tatarian Elementary would be the first school in Fresno named for a member of the Armenian community. It's the first school named for an Armenian in the Fresno Unified School District.

Corrected Oct 13, 2021

 

 

https://www.msn.com/...nian/ar-AAPwtid