The cultural headquarters of the Iran America Society

The Iran–America Society was founded in the 1950s in

Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

to promote understanding between the people of Iran and the people of the United States of America. The founding Chairman of the Board was Ralph E. Becket. David Nalle was one of its early directors. The Iran-American Society's office in

Washington, DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

arranged educational exchanges for Iranian students. The Society's cultural center in Tehran became a gathering place for Iranian students and intellectuals in the 1960s, who were drawn by the liberalizing influence of American culture on Iran. A second branch was founded in

Isfahan Isfahan or Esfahan ( ) is a city in the Central District (Isfahan County), Central District of Isfahan County, Isfahan province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is located south of Tehran. The city ...

a few years later as well as a third in

Mashad Mashhad ( ; ), historically also known as Mashad, Meshhed, or Meshed in English, is the second-most-populous city in Iran, located in the relatively remote north-east of the country about from Tehran. In the Central District of Mashhad ...

. All three centers included English language schools. The Iran–America Society also had a branch in Shiraz. The society sponsored an exhibit of Iranian art and cultural artifacts which toured the United States in 1964. The Cultural Center in Tehran was bombed in 1978 as part of the uprising against the Shah. The Cultural Centers in Tehran and Isfahan were both closed in November 1979, when the attack on the US Embassy occurred. The last IAS director in Tehran, Kathryn Koob, was held hostage at the US Embassy for 444 days. In 1970, Richard Gilbert wrote:

"The cultural headquarters of the Iran America Society (IAS) was a modernistic domed structure in the northern part of the city, up Television Street, where the TV and radio studios and transmitters were located. The aims of the Society seemed many and varied to us but it was officially to promote understanding and cultural bonds between the two relevant nations. It was obviously solidly supported by US Government funds, closely attached to the Peace Corps and the diplomatic service, while some other rather clandestine activities may have operated under its cover. They ran classes in English and other subjects, held public exhibitions and educational films, had an amateur dramatics group and a host of other activities. The IAS building became a social hub for Iranian students and various international young folk who were in town. We were to visit the place quite frequently during our time in the city and it soon became apparent that many people associated with the IAS were in the US armed forces, which suggested that perhaps the Society was a useful facade for US intelligence activities."

References

External links

Statement from President Lyndon Johnson on the society on the occasion of its national exhibit in 1964.
Defunct organisations based in Iran United States friendship associations Iran–United States relations Organizations established in the 1950s 1950s establishments in Iran {{Iran-stub