Parseghian was the youngest of three children born to an Armenian father and a French mother in Akron , Ohio . His father , Michael , had come to the United States from the Ottoman Empire in 1915 , fleeing the Armenian Genocide during World War I and settling in Akron where there was a large Armenian population . Despite his mother 's protectiveness , Parseghian became involved in sports from an early age , and developed a reputation as the toughest kid in his class . He was hired by Akron 's Board of Education in the eighth grade to patrol his school 's grounds at night to deter vandals
Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
Ara Parseghian