We are pleased to announce that the ACG Archives participates in the Benaki Museum exhibition ASIA MINOR HELLENISM: Heyday – Catastrophe – Displacement – Rebirth to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the Asia Minor Catastrophe. ACG’s history is deeply rooted in Smyrna, and we have contributed to the exhibition’s primary archival sources related to the tragic events of 1922.
The American College of Greece, established in the Armenian district of Smyrna in 1875 as the American Collegiate Institute for Girls, found itself in the eye of the storm as the frightful events of September 1922 unfolded, changing the course of the history of the school and thousands of people. The College’s premises were burnt, and it was forced to move to Athens.
In the exhibition, you can find material about the growth of the College before the Smyrna Catastrophe, correspondence with information from eyewitnesses of the Catastrophe, and documents manifesting the active presence of the College in its support and protection of the refugees in Athens.
At the Aghia Paraskevi campus, you can visit a special display about Smyrna at the J.S.B. Library Digital Museum. There you will find two documents of an eyewitness account by Minnie B. Mills presenting a day-by-day narration of the catastrophic events.
“OUR GIRLS … They are the vanguard of thousands of young women seeking a higher education.”
— Brochure, An American College for Women in Ancient Smyrna, 1922
