A letter by Princeton Vice President and Secretary Thomas Wright on the Itzkowitz matter. Note that it fails to acknowledge anything wrong with Professor Itzkowitz's remarks.
Mr. Dikran Kaligian
Armenian National Committee
80 Bigelow Avenue
Watertown, MA 02172
Dear Mr Kaligian,
I am responding to your recent letter addressed to President Harold Shapiro, regarding reported remarks by Professor Norman Itzkowitz at a conference held November 22, 1997, regarding the Nanking massacre in China. The topic of Professor Itzkowitz's talk on that occasion was "Healing Past Wounds: >From Conflict to Cooperation." From a recent conversation that I have had with Professor Itzkowitz, I know that his intention was to discuss in his address the depths of feeling created by intergenerational transmission of attitudes towards ethnic groups other than one's own. Professor Itzkowitz did not intend to address directly the terrible and tragic historic events that occurred for the Armenian people. He deeply regrets the misunderstanding in this regard that has resulted from circulated transcripts of a portion of his remarks.
In addition, I wish to assure you as emphatically as I can that Princeton University does not embrace, endorse, or condone anti-Armenian remarks or behavior.
Thank you for calling this matter to our attention.
Sincerely,
Thomas H. Wright