In memoriam: Nejat N. Korman, Civil Engineer, Passionate Reader, Collector, 1924–2018
by Can E. Korman (Son)
My father was a longtime resident of the Washington, DC area. He was born in 1924 in the then very young capital of Turkey, Ankara. He grew up in an enlightened environment, in a household that valued science and reason above everything else. His passion for knowledge and reading started at a very early age and lasted until his very last days. In his long life he also loved, traveled, pursued his hobbies, and collected stamps, coins and books. Somewhere in the interim he also got a degree in civil engineering and was indeed a good civil structural engineer. But books and reading were his real passion. For this reason, we sent him off on his journey with one of his favorite books: Şu Çılgın Türkler (Those Crazy Turks) by Turgut Özakman; a thrilling novel describing the Turkish war of independence that set the stage for Atatürk’s Republic.
Upon graduating from elementary school in Ankara, he continued his studies at Galatasaray Lisesi. where the language of instruction was French and Turkish. Upon graduation in 1942, he passed the entrance exams, and was allowed to start year 2 of İstanbul Technical University (İTÜ). His major of choice was Civil Engineering. However, he did not stay at İTÜ very long. Upon passing scholarship examinations, he was given a fellowship by the Turkish railroad authority to study in Switzerland. He traveled by rail in 1943, through the Nazi Germany occupied Balkans, and eventually made his way to study at ETH Zurich, the school where Albert Einstein studied physics about 40 years before. Of course, studying in the German part of Switzerland, he first had to learn German (his third language after Turkish and French). After the end of WW II, he transferred to Universität Karlsruhe (now KIT), one of the largest technical institutes in Europe. He traveled in Europe, attended possibly every single classical music concert and studied when he had some spare time. He graduated with a Diplom-Ingenieur degree in Civil Engineering.
He returned to Ankara in the early 1950’s, working first for the Turkish railroad authority (TCDD) and then the Turkish airport authority. It was there in Ankara where he met my mother, Gülsevil, and got married. In 1961 they decided to come to the US and first settled near Dupont Circle. When he came to the States, he had to learn his fourth language, this time English, thus becoming fluent in 4 languages. They very much enjoyed their life in the States, raising me in suburban Maryland, and established many endearing friendships. After living in the US for almost 10 years though, they decided to move back to Turkey. My father resigned from his job at Bechtel Corp., and packed all our belongings and our car on a transatlantic cruise back to Turkey. We lived in Ankara from 1970 to 1980. Due to the tumultuous political atmosphere of Turkey in the 70’s, they decided to move back to the States, once again, and made it back here in 1980. My parents once again reconnected with old friends and made new friends. My father worked for Bechtel for another 14 years, eventually retiring in 1994. Unfortunately, my father had a massive stroke soon after his retirement. Despite the stroke, yet thanks to his determination and my mother’s efforts, he continued to travel and read his books for the next 20 years. We will remember him for his independent mind, his skepticism of commonly held beliefs, and his curiosity for new knowledge. He is survived by his wife Gülsevil, son Can, daughter-in-law Nurhan, and his granddaughters Alya and Liva.
Dear Friends,
Thank you all very much for your generous contributions to the Bridge to Turkiye Fund (BTF) in memory of my Father, Nejat Korman. I am pleased to report that BTF, in consultation with its partner organization in Turkey, has selected a female student. Supporting women students in higher education is believed to have the most social impact among all needy student categories in Turkey. It is especially befitting to my Father’s memory that the student selected is majoring in Civil Engineering.
The selected student’s name is Yasemin, and she is from the eastern Turkish city of Van, a relatively underdeveloped part of the country. She is one of five children, her father is a worker and her mother is an housewife. The funds you have so generously donated will provide a three year scholarship to Yasemin. She is currently a sophomore, and her plans are to pursue a Masters degree upon the completion of her undergraduate Civil Engineering degree. I hope to keep you updated on the progress of her education.
Thank you again for your generous support of BTF in memory of my Father.
Kind Regards,
Korman Family
Since 2003, BTF has bridged $ 3 million in funds to Turkiye and BTF’s Empowerment Scholarship Program had reached 2428 annual scholarships. During the 2017–2018 academic year BTF continues to provide more than 709 scholarships to low income university students.
We are truly thankful for all our donors in supporting girls education.
$50 provides a scholarship for one university student in Turkey for 1 month
$600 provides a scholarship for one university student in Turkey for 1 year
On July 26th 2016, Bridge to Türkiye Fund (BTF) has been granted to the United Nation-accredited Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in Special Consultative Status to the United Nation Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Consultative Status to the United Nations ECOSOC is the highest status granted by the United Nations to NGOs and granted upon recommendation of the ECOSOC Committee on NGOs, which is comprised of 19 Member States.
Bridge to Türkiye Fund (BTF) is a 100% volunteer-run, charitable non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization. Our operational overhead is 2.5% (funded in full by board members).Contributions made to BTF are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by IRS. BTF’s tax identification number is 58–2678580.
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