Fanning the Greek studies flame
Professor Michael Cosmopoulos talks about the 30-year-old program he helped nurture
“We strive to keep the spark of Hellenism alive in the United States, in this great melting pot, in an environment that does not favor the preservation of the Greek cultural identity. Securing the continued survival of Greek studies abroad is a battle,” says Michael Cosmopoulos, professor of Greek history and archaeology at the University of Missouri-St Louis and holder of the Hellenic Government-Karakas Family Foundation Professorship in Greek Studies. One of the first ever established in the United States, the program celebrated its 30-year anniversary on September 22.
The sailing has not always been smooth, but hard work, persistence, passion and vision have helped overcome the obstacles along the way and resist the tides wiping out linguistic and cultural diversity.
Thanks to his rich body of publications and work, Cosmopoulos kept the beacon alight. His initiative to expand the program in 2001, which until then was restricted to teaching the Greek language only, helped boost the number of students a year from 15 in 1994 to more than 300; to date, over 5,000 students have explored the fascinating universe of the Greek civilization, learning Ancient and Modern Greek, history and mythology, to archaeology, religion and the experience of war. The program also offers online classes and opportunities for studying in Greece.
Cosmopoulos further established the Nicholas and Theodora Matsakis Hellenic Culture Center at the same university, accomplishing all three of the goals it set out to meet. The first was to offer knowledge but also a place where participants can gather, exchange thoughts and ideas, and learn more about ancient Greek and Byzantine art through its collection of copies. The second was to bring the university and the Greek community closer by organizing lectures, seminars, conferences and performances, and publishing studies. “There’s a very dynamic Greek community in Saint Louis that thirsts for Greek culture and traditions, even though many of its members are third and fourth generation,” notes Cosmopoulos.
‘There’s a very dynamic Greek community in Saint Louis that thirsts for Greek culture and traditions, even though many of its members are third and fourth generation’
The center’s third objective is to study and preserve the Greek community’s history. The research has been completed and an archive has been created with the oral histories of older and younger members of the community, documents and other material that has been collected. This archive will be kept at the university.
“The chair is endowed by the Greek state and the local Greek community and the center’s operation has been ensured in perpetuity. The interest on the endowment goes towards scholarships to youngsters who study in our country, to organizing events, many of which have their own endowment, and to supporting primary research in Greece,” explains Cosmopoulos.
The archaeologist and historian is also founder of the Center for Hellenic Civilization in Manitoba, Canada, another accomplishment on a long list that has put him in a position to ensure the longevity of the Missouri university’s seat and center.
Both programs are also attended by youngsters who do not have any family connections to Greece, creating new generations of philhellenes. The archaeological summer school at the Mycenaean capital of Iklaina in Messinia in the southwestern Peloponnese is particularly popular, says Cosmopoulos, who directed the interdisciplinary excavation at the site, as are the six-month study programs in Greece.
“The students who take part in the dig never forget the area after that. The same goes for the students in all the other fields who take our classes in Greece. They travel to the country, become acquainted with its culture and fall in love with it. So far, more than 1,000 young men and women have come to Greece [with the program],” says Cosmopoulos.
The event celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Hellenic Government-Karakas Foundation Endowed Chair in Greek Studies included officials from the University of Missouri-St Louis and the state government, as well as the Greek general consul in Chicago and members of the local Greek community.
Cosmopoulos spoke about the program’s history and accomplishments, and presented the work that has been done to preserve the Greek diaspora’s history and identity. His talk was followed by a screening of a film by the center on the Greek community in Missouri as well as of the website hosting the digital exhibition of oral histories from members of the community and local Greek societies and organizations, which Cosmopoulos has put together.
In tribute to Greece, the country’s flag flew over the university’s main building.
