Panarity, Gerim M.

Gerim (sometimes spelled Qerim) Panarity was the editor of the first Albanian-American newspaper in the United States, Dielli ("The Sun"). Taking on the position in the 1940s, he remained there for nearly 25 years, until his retirement in 1963. Started in 1909 by the Society of Besa-Besen in Boston, Dielli is now the oldest continuously-published Albanian language newspaper in the world. In 1912, the Pan-Albanian Federation of America, Vatra ("The Hearth") was formed, becoming one of the most influential voices in the movement for Albanian independence. Dielli became Vatra’s main organ for fostering Albanian nationalism.

Gerim Panarity was dedicated to the cause of Albanian independence his entire life. As a young man in 1911, Panarity left the United States for Albania, to fight with Memet and Faik Konitza for liberation from the Ottoman Empire. He eventually returned to the United States to complete his education, attending the Hitchcock Free Academy in Brimfield, Massachusetts. He graduated from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1926, receiving the Washington Franklin Medal for excellence in history. During World War II, Panarity broadcast through the Voice of America in Albania, encouraging Albanian resistance to the Axis powers. He was also instrumental in post-war efforts to send food, clothing and medicine to the country.

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