Armenian National Committee of America

Armenian National
Committee of America

Formation	1918 (as ACIA) 1941 (as ANCA)
Type	NGO
Headquarters	1711 N Street NW, Washington, DC
Official language	English, Armenian
Executive director	Aram Hamparian
Chairman	Ken Hachikian
Parent organization	Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Website	www.anca.org
Formerly called	American Committee for the Independence of Armenia (ACIA)

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) (Armenian: Ամերիկայի Հայ դատի յանձնախումբ) is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.

The ANCA was founded as AICA in 1918 and was founded as the ANCA in 1941. The ANCA is an outgrowth of the American Committee for the Independence of Armenia (ACIA) which was founded after World War I by Vahan Cardashian, the former Consul of the Ottoman Empire in Washington. Many prominent American and Allied leaders including James W. Gerard, the U.S. Ambassador to Germany, Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, Charles Evans Hughes (later appointed Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court), Elihu Root and others participated to this organization. The goal of ACIA was the independent Wilsonian Armenia. The ACIA had a Central Office in New York City and 23 regional offices in 13 states.

Later, these offices gradually evolved into the Armenian National Committee of America, which expanded its activities to include public relations efforts to acquaint local communities about Armenian issues including the Armenian Genocide and Armenian National aspirations. Other activities included April 24 commemoration activities, public forums, voter registration efforts, support for local and state political candidates, and updating the local community on Armenian issues.