Alex and Marie Manoogian – One truly remarkable marriage
Four Remarkable things about Alex and Marie Manoogian
Family first
Ambitious immigrant
Got their big break and took it
Life-long philanthropists
Alex and Marie Manoogian were both born in Izmir, Ottoman Empire (later Turkey) one year apart. Alex’s father Takvor was a successful grain wholesaler and respected community leader. His mother, Tacouhie was a homemaker and a woman of great faith. Marie Tatian came from a musical family who immigrated to the United States in 1910 and settled in New York City. Marie became an accomplished pianist and along with her brothers and sister took an active role in the artistic life of the New York Armenian Community.
Family First
Alex was the oldest of the five children in the Manoogian household. He spoke five languages and spent his youth as an apprentice in several different businesses. He left Izmir in 1920 and arrived in the U.S. through Ellis Island with $50 in his pocket. He settled in Bridgeport, Connecticut working in small stores and a screw machine business. He wanted to bring the rest of his family to the U.S. from Greece where they had fled from the Turks. He learned that immigration laws were better for Eastern European immigrants in Canada than in the U.S. so in 1924 he chose to move to Detroit, MI right across the Detroit River from Windsor, Canada. In four years, he had accomplished two goals; providing his family with an easier access route to the United States and working within the growing auto industry where he could earn enough money to bring them here.
Ambitious Immigrant
Arriving in Detroit, Michigan Alex worked at a screw machine factory where he learned everything he could about metalworking and the tools involved with the hope of starting his own business. Five years later, in October 1929, he started Masco Screw Products Company with two partners. With the Depression and Stock Market Crash the company struggled and by 1934 the other two partners left the business. A fire in 1937 almost caused the ruin of the company. However, through hard work, ingenuity, and foresight Alex was able to overcome handicaps. In 1936 Masco went public and was listed on the Detroit Stock Exchange.
Alex met Marie Tatian on a visit to New York City in 1930 through a mutual friend who felt she would be the perfect wife for him. They married in 1931 and indeed it was an excellent coupling of two people who would share a vision for the future. They had two children, Louise and Richard, who continued the charitable work and involvement of their parents. 1931 was also the year Alex was able to bring his family to Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
While raising her children Marie Manoogian was also very active in civic and charitable organizations. She served as chairman of the Detroit AGBU Women’s Chapter for many years and was the force behind the compiling and printing of the first Armenian Cookbook in English in 1949. Treasured Armenian Recipes is still in print and can be found on Amazon, the NAASR Bookstore, and the gift shop at St. John Armenian Church in Southfield, Michigan. Most Armenian households are able to produce a well-worn copy.
The Big Break
Twenty-five years after the founding of Masco Alex had a small contract to manufacture machined parts for a new faucet, the single-handle type. Unfortunately, the faucet did not work. Alex bought the sale rights and proceeded to redesign the faucet from scratch and didn’t stop until he had a product that worked. Further growth and diversification of the company was due to the foresight and creativity of its founder. In 1972 Richard Manoogian succeeded his father as President of Masco as his father continued as Chairman of the Board. The following year Masco was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Over the years Masco acquired over 30 companies which put it in the category of a “Fortune 500” company.
Life President of the AGBU
The success of Masco Corporation enabled Alex Manoogian to help the worldwide Armenian communities in many ways. The most obvious is the many schools which he had a hand in building. He set up two cultural funds which provided monies to build many educational and other establishments. In his 37 years as President of the AGBU, the Armenian General Benevolent Union expanded and became the biggest and most influential Diaspora-Armenian organization in the world. When he retired from that post in 1989 Alex was voted in as Honorary Life President. His daughter Louise succeeded him in strengthening the ties between the Armenians of Armenia and the diaspora.
Preserving Armenian Artifacts and Culture
Having personally witnessed the destruction of the Armenians and their culture in their homeland Alex Manoogian wanted to preserve what the Armenian diaspora had and to build on it before it disappeared. How better to achieve that goal than to build Armenian day-schools around the world on every continent. To further their education after graduation he established 2 chairs of Armenian studies at the University of Michigan and contributed to Armenian chairs at other universities. Contributions were made to intellectuals, scholars, educators, and all others who dedicated themselves to the perpetuation and promotion of the Armenian cultural heritage.
He built the Armenian Seminary in Jerusalem where so many of the Armenian priests studied. The Treasury Museum on the grounds of the Mother See of the Armenian Church at Etchmiadzin, Armenia which houses so many priceless treasures and artifacts of the church was opened in 1982.
Entrance to the Alex and Marie Armenian Museum at S. John’s Armenian Church
Ten years later the Alex and Marie Manoogian Museum housed in the complex of St. John Armenian Church in Southfield, Michigan had its grand opening. Its collection spans 3,000 years of Armenian existence and culture from ancient coins to exquisite rugs. He personally was involved with the design and construction of the church itself, having sent two architects to Armenia to study centuries-old church architecture. The AGBU Manoogian school, pre K-12 also occupies a few acres of the church complex.
From the donation of their home to the city of Detroit for the official residence of the Mayor, the Manoogian Hall at Wayne State University and the Armenian Home for the Aged one can see his desire to give back to the city where he made his fortune which enabled him to help so many throughout the world. Alex Manoogian did not do all this alone. His life partner, Marie, was always by his side encouraging and inspiring him, a great lady behind a great man. Together they touched the lives of so many people throughout the world.