Meet Research Grant Recipient Armaghan Ziaee | July 18, 2018
Each year some two dozen historians, writers and scholars receive Research Grants to explore the archives at the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum. These prestigious research grants are made possible thanks to the generosity of Truman Library Institute members and donors.
Donors have made it possible for the Truman Library Institute to give out nearly $2.7 million over the years for researchers all over the world to travel to Independence to immerse themselves in archival research and further our understanding of the Truman era.
Meet one of these grantees, Armaghan Ziaee, who recently traveled to the Truman Library from the University of Cincinnati to research for her project focused on the Point Four Program in Iran. We took a few minutes of Armaghan’s time to learn about her research and what she learned while on site at the Truman Library.
Tell us a bit about your research project.
My research project is about the Point Four Program in Iran. The program was one of the most impactful and well-known Cold War policies in Iran. My research focuses on the proposed educational curriculum, home-economic schools and home-extension education.
Why do you think it’s important to study Truman-era history?
Since the beginning, Point Four has been described as a cooperative plan, with both sides, Iran and the U.S., collaborating on the development goals. The Point Four Program agenda covered a vast body of collaborative works including, for example, agricultural improvements, scientific projects, public health, educational advancement, the modernization of social institutions, and a variety of cultural and educational activities. Given the focus on collaboration between the U.S. and Iran, I believe the Truman era is an important part of history to study.
What is the coolest discovery (or discoveries) you found during your research at the Truman Library? What does that discovery mean to your research?
I found a good amount of materials on the Middle East and Iran. I also found a very interesting short black-and-white movie about President Truman’s development on Iran. These research materials would all help me to develop my research project.
What did it mean to be awarded a Truman Library Institute Research grant?
My research is based on qualitative research and the study of historical archives. Without studying the archives, I would be unable to finish my research. The grant provided me an opportunity to visit and access the primary archives. Through studying these archives my research can contribute to the understanding of Point Four Program activities in Iran.
Thank you to the generous members and donors who have made it possible for researchers like Armaghan to conduct their research! Are you interested in ensuring that important research like this continues? Donate today.
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