Vartan Gregorian
Academy of Achievement
Vartan Gregorian is President of Carnegie Corporation of New York and is the former President of Brown University as well as the former President of the New York Public Library. Born in Tabriz, Iran, at age six, his mother died of pneumonia and his grandmother raised him. At age ten, he got his first job as a page at the Armenian Library in Tabriz and made a discovery that would change his life. Awakened by books, he found a wonderful outlet to see the world. As a teenager, he obtained a passport to Lebanon, and then with the help of the American University in Beirut, received a scholarship to Stanford University. After earning his doctorate, in the 1970s, Gregorian became a professor, dean, and provost of the University of Pennsylvania. In 1981, he was appointed the President of the New York Public Library, a "national treasure" with 44 million books and manuscripts. With a legendary flair for management, salesmanship, and showmanship, he "worked his magic" in restoring this cultural