facebook-pixel

Letter: Jon Huntsman Sr. provided much succor for Armenia and Armenians

FILE - In this Oct. 1, 2015, file photo, shows Jon Huntsman, Sr., during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Jon M. and Karen Huntsman Basketball Facility at the University of Utah, in Salt Lake City. Utah billionaire and philanthropist Jon Huntsman Sr. has died. Huntsman's assistant Pam Bailey confirmed he died Friday, Feb. 2, 2018, in Salt Lake City. He was 80. Bailey declined to name a cause of death. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

FILE - In this Oct. 1, 2015, file photo, shows Jon Huntsman, Sr., during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Jon M. and Karen Huntsman Basketball Facility at the University of Utah, in Salt Lake City. Utah billionaire and philanthropist Jon Huntsman Sr. has died. Huntsman's assistant Pam Bailey confirmed he died Friday, Feb. 2, 2018, in Salt Lake City. He was 80. Bailey declined to name a cause of death. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

Armenians in Utah and around the world lost a great friend in Jon Huntsman Sr. He was one of the first non-Armenians to reach out to Armenia after the devastating earthquake in 1988 which killed up to 45,000 people and caused 500,000 to become homeless.

Even though he could have very easily donated money to help the rescue efforts, he decided to spend millions of dollars to build a cement factory instead to provide much needed jobs and materials for the survivors to build better and sturdier homes.

His commitment to help the Armenians didn’t stop there. Because he knew Armenia’s survival after the Soviet Union break-up would depend on her population’s knowledge of international business concepts, he sponsored hundreds of college age students from Armenia to come to Logan to attend USU to study economics, agriculture and international trade.

Mr. Huntsman, the Armenian community of Utah and around the world thanks you. May you Rest In Peace!

Ohannes Megerdichian, Sandy

Support free news for Utah

sltrib.com is now free to access — no subscription required. We made this decision because we believe access to trustworthy, independent news shouldn’t depend on what you can afford — especially as misinformation and AI-generated content continue to rise.

Free to read doesn’t mean free to produce. Our reporters show up every day to ask hard questions and hold powerful institutions to account. That work takes resources. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on support from people who believe it matters. Make a donation today to fund local news that serves Utah communities.

You can help us bring more local news to more communities today.

$15$25$35

MOST VIEWED

By Ohannes Megerdichian | The Public Forum