Associated Files
Title
WBUR Oral History Project: Mark Hagopian
Creator
Hagopian, Mark (Interviewee)
Contributor
O'Brien, Joanna Shea (Interviewer)
Girdharry, Kristi (Recordist)
McDonough, Ryan (Contributor)
Girdharry, Kristi (Recordist)
McDonough, Ryan (Contributor)
Language
English
Date created
March 14, 2013
Type of resource
Sound recording
Genre
Interviews
Oral histories (document genres)
Oral histories (document genres)
Format
Sound Recording
Digital origin
born digital
Abstract/Description
Countless lives were affected by the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings and their
aftermath. The WBUR Oral History Project collects stories from individuals whose lives were
immediately and irrevocably changed by these events. Thanks to the generous sponsorship
of WBUR, our team of oral historians, and the participation of these interview subjects, Our
Marathon has tried to ensure that these stories are not forgotten. We believe that these
stories matter, and that they demonstrate the ways historical events transform the lives of
the people who lived through them. Oral historians Jayne K. Guberman, Ph.D., and Joanna Shea
O'Brien conducted the interviews for this project. Oral History Project Manager Kristi
Girdharry, Our Marathon Project Co-Director Jim McGrath, and Community Outreach Lead Joanne
DeCaro recorded the interviews and provided research assistance and post-interview processing.
McGrath and Our Marathon Audio Technician Ryan McDonough provided sound editing and processing
for all of the interviews and clips. Mark Hagopian grew up in Back Bay and is the owner of two
independent Boston hotels. His boutique hotel, the Charlesmark, is on Boylston Street right by
the finish line, and it is booked a year in advance by marathoners every year. The hotel also
hosts parties for runners and guests. In his oral history, Mark discusses his professional
background and what led him to hotel ownership, his love of Boston, his personal experience
running the Boston Marathon four times, and what marathon day is typically like every year.
Mark describes the bomb going off in front of Marathon Sports and how he and the guests
reacted, what it looked like, and what they did in the immediate aftermath and the days that
followed. He details how long it took for the hotel to be opened again and how he and his
managers helped guests locked out of the Charlesmark cope by getting them back into the hotel,
rebooking their rooms, or shipping their bags back to them. He discusses the financial impact
on his business as well as the impact on his staff. Because the hotel was shut down for nine
days, and he was responsible for his staff's salaries during that time, Mark is able to share
an important perspective of how Boylston Street businesses were affected by the bombings.
Notes
The opinions and statements expressed in interviews and related
content featured in the WBUR Oral History Project do not necessarily reflect the opinions of
Our Marathon, WBUR, Northeastern University, or any employees or volunteers affiliated with
these institutions and projects. Our Marathon and The WBUR Oral History project make no
assertions about the veracity of statements made by participants in this project.
Source note
The WBUR Oral History Project. Mark Hagopian (Interview Subject),
Joanna Shea O'Brien (Oral Historian), Kristi Girdharry (Recorder), Ryan McDonough (Sound
Editing and Processing)
Related item
Our Marathon The Boston Bombing Digital Archive
Subjects and keywords
Boston Marathon Bombing, Boston, Mass., 2013
Permanent URL
Location
Northeastern University Library
Use and reproduction
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Requests for permission to publish material should be addressed to Northeastern University Library's Digital Scholarship Group (dsg@neu.edu).