Summary |
|
| Creator: | Balabanian, Norman, 1922- |
| Title: | Norman Balabanian Papers |
| Dates: | 1953-1967 |
| Size: | 1 box (.5 linear feet) |
| Abstract: | Correspondence, political campaign material, published and unpublished articles and papers, project reports, and newspaper clippings. |
| Language: | English |
| Repository: |
University Archives, Special Collections Research Center Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Ave., Suite 600 Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center/university-archives |
Biography
Norman Balabanian was an American professor of engineering at Syracuse University.
Norman Balabanian was born in Connecticut in 1922. His parents immigrated to the United States from Syria and returned to their home country after he was born. Balabanian was raised in Syria and attended junior college there. After graduating he held a teaching position in Aleppe from 1942 to 1943. He returned to the United Stated in 1943 and joined the United States Army Persian Gulf Air Transport Command. He continued to be employed by the armed services until 1947 when he enrolled at Syracuse University. In 1949, after he graduated with a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree, the University hired him for a teaching position. He turned down a career in industry for teaching because he felt that it was more important to impart knowledge to younger generations. Balabanian continued his education at Syracuse University, obtaining his Master of Electrical Engineering in 1951 and his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering in 1954.
Outside of his academic career Balabanian had a passion for politics, and he was an outspoken supporter of academic freedom and civil liberties. He held a position on the University’s faculty senate subcommittee on academic freedom and campaigned for a Syracuse chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. He advocated for the separation of church and state and promoted the teaching of evolution in secondary school. He led a successful campaign in Syracuse to defeat a controversial New York State constitutional amendment which would permit state aid to church-related schools. At the same time he was a religious man and a devoted member of the May Memorial Unitarian Church. He even taught Sunday school to first and third graders. In 1966, Balabanian ran for Congress on issues of war and peace relating to the Vietnam War. Though unsuccessful in his campaign, Balabanian helped to vocalize issues concerning the Vietnam War within Onondaga County.
Balabanian published over 80 articles throughout his academic career. He was the author of Fundamentals of Circuit Theory, a textbook that was used in over 30 engineering schools after its publication in 1961. He is listed in American Men and Women of Science, Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in the World (1978 to 1979), Men of Achievement, Who’s Who in Technology Today (1984), Who’s Who in the East (1985), and Who’s Who in Engineering (1986).
In 1984, Balabanian was appointed chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. He retired in 1991 as professor emeritus after serving Syracuse University for 42 years.
Norman Balabanian died on December 14, 2009.
Scope and Content Note
The Norman Balabanian Papers contain biographical information, publications, correspondence, and newspaper articles. There are campaign materials from his Congressional run in 1966 which include correspondence, memoranda, newspaper articles, and speeches. A large portion of the collection contains reports for projects he worked on for the United States Air Force. Further, there are several of his proposals to alter the engineering curriculum at Syracuse University and at the national level. In addition, there is a textbook on electrical engineering that he wrote with Wilbur R. LePage in 1970.
Restrictions
Access Restrictions
Please note that the collection is housed off-site, and advance notice is required to allow time to have the materials brought to the Reading Room on campus.
Use Restrictions
Written permission must be obtained from the Syracuse University Archives and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.
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Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Norman Balabanian Papers,
University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries
Acquisition Information
Norman Balabanian donated his papers to the Archives in 1969.
Processing Information
Materials were placed in acid-free folders and box.
Finding Aid Information
Created by: Zachary Burnham
Date: 2014
Revision history: Processed and converted to EAD by Zachary Burnham, 2013.;
December 2019 - Revised to match the style guide (NAW)