Thomas D. Christie papers

Excerpted with edits from: Beloit Daily News (May 28, 1921)

The Rev. Thomas D. Christie was a graduate of Beloit College in the class of 1871 and was famous as president of St. Paul's College at Tarsus, Asia Minor, for many years.

Dr. Christie was a student at Beloit college at the outbreak of the Civil war. He abandoned his studies to enlist in the army and saw service with the Union forces. At the close of the war he returned to college and graduated in the class of 1867. Shortly afterwards he went to Tarsus and became head of the famous school of which Paul Nilson, another Beloit alumnus, is now president.

Early in the World War the Beloit alumnus went to Constantinople to plead the cause of the oppressed Armenians. After his arrival at the Turkish capitol, Turkey went into the war on the side of the Central Powers and Dr. Christie was not allowed to return to Tarsus. Finally he succeeded in making his escape from Turkey and returned to the United States.

He was in Beloit on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of his graduation from Beloit college and was a guest for two weeks of Prof. and Mrs. W. A. Hamilton. Dr. Christie wrote several authoritative books on the subject of Armenian history and aspirations and was regarded as one of the best informed men in the world on Near Eastern affairs. At one time he occupied a chair at the University of Wisconsin.