Dr. John O. Ounjian

Founder - Dr. John O. Ounjian

The Ounjian Foundation was established and funded by Dr. John O. Ounjian in New York primarily to advance his objective of promoting educational opportunities for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Dr. Ounjian’s parents, Yeghisapet and Armenak Ounjian, were survivors of the Armenian great tragedy and found temporary haven in the city of Bursa, where Dr. Ounjian was born in 1920. The family soon thereafter settled in Istanbul where the Armenian community had mostly survived. He lost his father at an early age. His refugee mother raised him and his sister under very difficult conditions. She valued education and knew that a good education would provide her son the opportunity for a better life for him and his entire family.

Dr. Ounjian graduated from Getronagan Armenian High School in Istanbul. He was admitted to the Medical School of Istanbul University from where he graduated as a physician. He practiced medicine in Istanbul for a number of years before moving to the United States. He specialized in internal medicine and opened his private medical clinic in New York.

Dr. Ounjian’s medical practice was more a community service than a business. During his 50 years of practice he treated patients without questions regarding ability to pay or insurance. He always generously treated and even gave medicines to new immigrants and poor patients.

He became a much beloved and respected figure among his patients as well as the wider community.

Dr. Ounjian always felt he had one more mission than his medical practice and the countless people he had helped through his medical profession. He had a strong desire to further expand his activities and provide opportunities for excellent education to children from disadvantaged families. He never forgot the sacrifices that his mother had made to raise and educate him and the difficult circumstances he had while growing up.

Dr. Ounjian had an equally strong sense of his Armenian identity and had a profound love for Armenian history, language and culture. He was both deeply touched by the multiple sufferings of the people of Armenia from the earthquake, the war and economic collapse and yet a sense of pride in a newly emerged independent republic of Armenia. This love, compassion, and pride gave him the vision to establish the John O. Ounjian Foundation to fulfill this vision he vision that he could bring them all together by carrying out projects in Armenia, especially Gyumri.

Dr. Ounjian boldly acted on his vision and built the Ounjian School in Gyumri in memory of his parents. He maintained close ties to the school and the city and has expanded the programs and other activities in Gyumri to help the students and the people of Gyumri.

Dr. Ounjian has been honored by the Mekhitar Heratsi medal by President Kocharyan, the Gold Medal of the Ministry of Education and Honorary Citizenship of Gyumri.