Dr. William A. Shedd and his wife Mary Lewis Shedd were longtime missionaries to Persia. Dr. Shedd died on the flight from Urumia to Hamadan. He is credited with saving the lives of thousands of Assyrian and Armenian Christians.
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Refugees fleeing Urumia, Persia
When the Russian army withdrew from Persia, the Assyrian and Armenian minorities were totally vulnerable. The invading Ottoman army drove the remaining Christians out of Persia.
Dr. William A. Shedd
Dr. William A. Shedd was a Near East Relief worker in Persia. He died during the evacuation from Urumia to Hamadan. He saved the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, of refugees. Image from his wife Mary Lewis Shedd’s 1922 book, The Measure of a Man.
Near East Relief ambulance, Urumia
American relief workers used this horse-drawn ambulance during the siege of Urumia in February 1918. The Russian army withdrew from northwest Persia in 1917. This left Urumia vulnerable to attacks from the Ottoman Turkish army. Miraculously, the local Persian population defended the city against invaders until July 1918.
Near East Relief headquarters, Urumia
The main building at the American College of Urumia served as Near East Relief headquarters for the region. This building was one of the few important structures left standing after the devastating siege of Urumia.
