Habib Lajevardi, founder of the Iranian Oral History Project at Harvard, passes away

Habib Lajevardi, director of the Iranian Oral History Project at Harvard University's Center for Middle East Studies, died on Sunday, August 23, at the age of 86 in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Lajevardi was a graduate of Harvard University in economics and, after the 1979 revolution, founded the Iranian Oral History Project, whose success and impact have been acknowledged by many historians and critics.

This project includes interviews with dozens of historical Iranian figures who played a role in Iranian political events from the 14th century to 1988, including Shapour Bakhtiar, a prominent figure of the National Front and the last prime minister of the Pahlavi government, Ali Amini and Jafar Sharif Emami, two other prime ministers of Iran during the Pahlavi era, Mozaffar Baghaei, a former member of the National Assembly, Karim Sanjabi, the leader of the National Front of Iran and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the interim government, and Nasser Qashqai, a member of the Qashqai tribe and a supporter of Mohammad Mossadegh during the nationalization of the oil industry.

Mr. Lajevardi was also one of the managers of the Behshahr Industrial Group before the revolution, which his family had founded. After the revolution, the Iranian government confiscated his family's assets.

Source: Radio Farda