Philanthropist's book took years of research

Saturday, June 21, 2008

CANTON Philanthropist Christos Papoutsy will present a lecture and slide show on his new book Sunday following the liturgy at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church at 4705 Fairhaven Ave. NW.

"Ships of Mercy: The True Story of the Rescue of the Greeks, Smyrna September 1922" is based on more than 10 years of research.

Smyrna was the final battleground of the four-year war between the Greeks and Turks following World War I.

The war concluded with Turkish victory and the massacre of thousands of Greek and Armenian Christians. It was the first documented ethnic cleansing of the 20th century.

Those who survived the burning and looting of Smyrna, the largest Greek Christian city in Asia Minor, leaped into the Aegean and were rescued by an international squadron of ships.

The subsequent population exchange administered by the League of Nations resulted in the transfer of nearly 2 million people. Greek Christians living in Turkey were forced to move to Greece, and Turkish Muslims living in Greece were required to do take up residence in Turkey.

With the population transfer, the 3,000-year Greek presence in Asia Minor was ended.

A native of Haverhill, Mass., Papoutsy is archon of the Greek Orthodox Church and a member of Leadership 100.

He writes and lectures on business, entrepreneurship and business ethics. He is an accomplished musician and the founder and conductor of the Hellenic and Near Eastern Musical Society Orchestra.

He and his wife have endowed a professorship in business ethics at Southern New Hampshire University. They are founders and publishers of Hellenic Communication Service. There is no charge for the lecture or the luncheon.

The event is co-sponsored by Holy Trinity, AHEPA Canton Chapter 59, and the Asia Minor Hellenic American Society of Akron.

For information, call William H. Samonides at (330) 452-5162.

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