Establishment, development and activity of Tarsus American College

This study narrates the process of the Tarsus American Collage fromestablishing until today while involving American missionaries? activities in Tarsus.The idea of establishing an American School in Tarsus begins with the visit of ColonelF. Shepard to Tarsus. After the meeting between Shepard and Dr. Christie who was oneof the American Board missionary Institute of St. Paul is established 22nd onNovember of 1888 in Tarsus. Although it is an American School, the first director ofthe school was Harutiyan Jenanyan who was Armenian. The second manager of theschool was Dr. Christie who worked for 20 years in Tarsus American Collage in hisleadership, the school began growingIn the First World War Ottoman territories were invaded by England, Italy andFrance. In this century, Armenians in Anatolia were supported by the Americanmissionaries. After the founding of Turkish Republic, the effort of missionaries wereunder control by government. In the Republican Period, the school was bounded toNational Education Ministery by the law of Tevhid-i Tedrisat. The school has beenexisting over a hundred years although it had financial problems sometimes.Key Words: Missionaries, Ottoman, Tarsus, Turkish Republic, Education