I’m proud to announce that I’ve introduced a bill to rename the Glendale post office at 6444 San Fernando Road in honor of former U.S. Navy Secretary Paul Ignatius – the son of one of the first Armenian families to settle in Glendale, and at one point the highest-ranking Armenian American in the U.S. government.
Paul Ignatius was born in Glendale in 1920, to Armenian immigrants who escaped horrific persecution overseas. After serving in the Navy during World War II and graduating from Harvard Business School, Paul joined the Department of Defense and quickly rose through the ranks under both Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. In 1967, President Johnson appointed him to be the 59th U.S. Secretary of the Navy – and he became the highest-ranking Armenian American in the U.S. military.
To this day, Paul continues to be a champion of the Armenian community in California, ensuring the Armenian story will be shared with generations of people to come through his work on the USC Dornsife Institute of Armenian Studies National Honorary Council and as a supporter of the Armenian American Museum.
As Paul prepares to celebrate his 102nd birthday next month, I’m thrilled to honor his many years of service to our country, and especially to the Armenian American community.
