Scholar Will Discuss American Martyred in Iranian Revolution

Howard Conklin Baskerville was an American teacher in Tabriz, Iran, who died in Iran's Constitutional Revolution in 1909. Often referred to as the "American Lafayette in Iran," he is considered an American hero and martyr. On April 20 at 11 a.m. EST (15:00 GMT), in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Baskerville's death, Professor Thomas Ricks will discuss his story and how it is a strong testament to the cultural and historical ties between Americans and Iranians.

Thomas M. Ricks is an independent scholar of the social and cultural history of Iran, the Persian Gulf and Palestine. After two years in Iran as a Peace Corps volunteer, he completed both a master's degree in Persian language and literature and a Ph.D. in Middle East history with a minor in Persian studies at Indiana University. Between 1975 and 2005, he taught and researched at Macalester College, Georgetown University, Bir Zeit University, Villanova University and the University of Pennsylvania. He has written and co-written numerous works on Iran, the Persian Gulf and Palestine.

If you would like to participate in this global webchat, please go to http://statedept.connectsolutions.com/culture/. No registration is needed. Simply choose "Enter as a Guest," type in your preferred screen name and join the discussion. We accept questions and comments in advance of, and at any time during, the program.

The transcript of this webchat will be available on America.gov's webchat page ( http://www.america.gov/multimedia/askamerica.html ), where information about upcoming webchats is also available.

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://www.america.gov)

Source: U.S. Department of State