Harry der Boghosian

A Sister’s Tribute

“Doing this in my brother’s name makes me teary-eyed and happy all at once. Syracuse University made it easy and so meaningful for me—I could never thank you enough.”

Paula der Boghosian

A watercolor painting of the Western Canneries in San Diego, California, by Harry der Boghosian.

While on a trip to Rome, Italy, Harry der Boghosian photographed the city’s many fountains for The Fountain Festival of Rome, a book published in 2002.

Harry der Boghosian ’54, a graduate of Syracuse University School of Architecture, was not only a professor of architecture at the University of Arizona, but also a talented watercolor artist and world-traveling photographer.

Born and raised in Syracuse, he and all four of his sisters were Syracuse University alumni. When Harry passed away, his surviving sister, Paula ’64, decided the best way to use the funds from his estate would be to give a gift to the School of Architecture in his honor. Thanks to her generosity—the largest gift in the school’s history made by a living donor—the Harry der Boghosian Endowed Fellowship has been established.

The one-of-a-kind fellowship is designed to give faculty members, early in their careers, the opportunity to spend a year developing a body of design research while teaching at the School of Architecture.

Students will have the chance to collaborate with the professor on projects, opening exciting possibilities for research and learning. Following a competitive application process, the first der Boghosian fellow was chosen in the spring of 2016, and began teaching in the fall semester.

An Outstanding Alumnus

After graduating from Syracuse University, Harry der Boghosian served in the U.S. Army as a communications specialist in Landshut, Germany. Upon completing his service, he worked at two Syracuse architectural firms—Sargent, Webster, Crenshaw & Folley, and King & King Architects.

He became a tenured faculty member at the University of Arizona in Tucson in 1970. “Harry der Boghosian was an outstanding alumnus of the Syracuse University School of Architecture, an accomplished teacher and academic,” says Dean Michael Speaks. “We are thrilled that his legacy will continue with the creation of this generous gift.”