Campus Times
April 8, 2005
The American Armenian International College building’s name may officially be changed to Leo Hall if the University of La Verne’s Board of Trustees agree at their May meeting.
The University of La Verne’s Space Committee recommended that it be renamed after the University purchased the building last year.
That suggestion to rename the building will be taken to the Board of Trustees, said President Steve Morgan.
“Legally, they have the right to call it anything they please,” said Seta Whitby, associate professor of computer science.
“However, I do not know who made the decision of calling AAIC the Leo Hall,” she added.
Student Jeanne Rolsen agreed.
“I don’t think Leo Hall is a good name for the building,” Rolsen said.
“Even though I only know a little about AAIC, to me, that name makes more sense than simply calling it Leo Hall,” she added.
The AAIC building, located on the corner of Second and D streets, represents a rich, yet somewhat turbulent history.
The American Armenian International College was established in 1975 as an affiliated college of ULV.
George Keeler, professor of journalism, wrote a book documenting AAIC’s history and its impact on the La Verne community.
“AAIC gave people a successful education – a ULV education with specialties that ULV did not have,” Keeler said.
The college established majors that differed from ULV, including Armenian studies and computer science.
Students who graduated from AAIC received two separate diplomas—one from AAIC and one from ULV.
Keeler said that many students came from overseas due to the world events occurring at the time, such as the Beirut Crisis.
Beirut, the capital and largest city in Lebanon, suffered from civil warfare between Christians and Muslims during the Lebanese Civil War.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, rival Christian and Muslim militias destroyed the once-prosperous port, leaving the city in ruins.
“Most of the students were either from Lebanon or Armenians from all over the world,” said Ray Ahmadnia, associate professor of computer science at the University, who worked part-time at AAIC since 1984.
AAIC did not have its own building for a number of years. The institution operated out of rented spaces, such as the Church of the Brethren’s Sunday school classrooms and storefronts throughout downtown La Verne.
Overtime, AAIC struggled to maintain students, leadership and accreditation.
For instance, there were numerous lawsuits that plagued the institution.
Additionally, there was little support from its own country.
However, it continued because its founders and supporters desperately wanted to be a separate institution.
In the 1990s the AAIC finally acquired a building of it’s own.
However, one year later, the AAIC closed due to multiple lawsuits.
According to Keeler, AAIC not only influenced the University but the La Verne community as a whole.
Many of today’s ULV professors and staff either graduated and/or taught at AAIC.
The institution also created a rich Armenian community in the city of La Verne that still is present today.
Keeler is not happy with the name change “because of all the blood on the floor from people trying to make it work, who sacrificed and died.”
Keeler suggested that the building should be named in someone’s memory who supported AAIC, which would preserve the institution’s history.
“The building stands 20 years of Armenian students who introduced a different culture, enriched ULV and opened eyes much wider than city limits of La Verne,” Keeler said.
Tracy Spicer can be reached at okcomputerfan01@aol.com.