The Americans of Urumia:

Iran’s First Americans and their Mission to the Assyrian Christians

Hooman Estelami, PhD

Professor of Marketing

The earliest known contacts between Americans and Iranians, dating back to the mid-1800s, reveals a considerably different picture of the relations between the two countries today.

cover of The Americans Of Urumia: Iran’s First Americans and their Mission to the Assyrian Christians

In his book, The Americans of Urumia: Iran’s First Americans and their Mission to the Assyrian Christians (Bahar Books, 2021), Hooman Estelami, PhD, professor of marketing at the Gabelli School, paints a vivid picture of Americans who served as private citizens in Iran between 1834 and 1918. Using missionary memoirs, archival records, and vintage photographs, he profiles four influential Americans and their families who served in remote regions of northwestern Iran. Their humanitarian ambitions forged the earliest connections between America and Iran, and resulted in the establishment of Iran’s first medical college, a massive school system, and evangelical services for Persia’s Assyrian Christian population. However, the partnership came to an abrupt end due to World War I and, until the publication of this book, had received little scholarly attention.

“You can have two populations that have a mutual interest in working together, and the societal outcomes can be quite positive.”

“My initial interest was to explore American-style management and how it interacted with Persian decision-making before World War I,” Estelami said. “However, through this research, it became evident to me that when we strip away all of the current tensions and prejudices and look back at a time when money, trade interests, and regional military ambitions were not part of the conversation, you can have two populations that have a mutual interest in working together, and the societal outcomes can be quite positive.”

The earliest known contacts between Americans and Iranians, dating back to the mid-1800s, reveals a considerably different picture of the relations between the two countries today.

In his book, The Americans of Urumia: Iran’s First Americans and their Mission to the Assyrian Christians (Bahar Books, 2021), Hooman Estelami, PhD, professor of marketing at the Gabelli School, paints a vivid picture of Americans who served as private citizens in Iran between 1834 and 1918. Using missionary memoirs, archival records, and vintage photographs, he profiles four influential Americans and their families who served in remote regions of northwestern Iran. Their humanitarian ambitions forged the earliest connections between America and Iran, and resulted in the establishment of Iran’s first medical college, a massive school system, and evangelical services for Persia’s Assyrian Christian population. However, the partnership came to an abrupt end due to World War I and, until the publication of this book, had received little scholarly attention.

“You can have two populations that have a mutual interest in working together, and the societal outcomes can be quite positive.”

“My initial interest was to explore American-style management and how it interacted with Persian decision-making before World War I,” Estelami said. “However, through this research, it became evident to me that when we strip away all of the current tensions and prejudices and look back at a time when money, trade interests, and regional military ambitions were not part of the conversation, you can have two populations that have a mutual interest in working together, and the societal outcomes can be quite positive.”

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