Iran-America Society
Encyclopedia
The Iran-America Society was founded in the 1950s in Tehran
, Iran
to promote understanding between the people of Iran and the people of the United States of America. The founding Chairman of the Board was Ralph E. Becket. David Nalle
was one of its early directors. Its office in Washington, DC arranged educational exchanges for Iranian students. Its Cultural Center in Tehran became a gathering place for Iranian students and intellectuals in the 1960s who were drawn by the liberalizing influence of American culture on Iran. A second branch was founded in Isfahan a few years later as well as a third in Mashad. All three centers included English language schools.
The society sponsored an exhibit of Iranian art and cultural artifacts which toured the United States in 1964.
The Cultural Center in Tehran was bombed in 1978 as part of the uprising against the Shah. The Cultural Centers in Tehran and Isfahan were closed in 1979. The last IAS director in Tehran, Kathryn Koob, was held hostage at the US Embassy for 444 days.
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
to promote understanding between the people of Iran and the people of the United States of America. The founding Chairman of the Board was Ralph E. Becket. David Nalle
David Nalle
David Nalle is a retired American diplomat, writer and lecturer and the former editor of Central Asia Monitor.Born in Philadelphia, his study of Engineering at Princeton University was interrupted by World War II where he served as a Naval Aviator. He returned to complete a degree in English...
was one of its early directors. Its office in Washington, DC arranged educational exchanges for Iranian students. Its Cultural Center in Tehran became a gathering place for Iranian students and intellectuals in the 1960s who were drawn by the liberalizing influence of American culture on Iran. A second branch was founded in Isfahan a few years later as well as a third in Mashad. All three centers included English language schools.
The society sponsored an exhibit of Iranian art and cultural artifacts which toured the United States in 1964.
The Cultural Center in Tehran was bombed in 1978 as part of the uprising against the Shah. The Cultural Centers in Tehran and Isfahan were closed in 1979. The last IAS director in Tehran, Kathryn Koob, was held hostage at the US Embassy for 444 days.