Two RC alumni travelled across the US northeast during their winter break in search of landmarks of their alma mater’s history and familiar flavors from home.
By Tayfun Gür RC 16 and Miraç Süzgün RC 16
It’s almost been a decade since our cohort of RC 16 has flown from the nest, and the winds of serendipity have already scattered us across several continents. For those of us currently perched on the East Coast of the United States, however, this winter offered a rare occasion to catch up, with a road trip spanning a dozen states and connecting just as many hearts. Figuring we might as well hit three birds with one rented car, and inspired by our beloved teacher Önder Kaya’s dedication to documenting history through gravestones, we decided to take this chance to track down the final resting places of the historical personages who shaped Robert College and the American College for Girls. And galvanized further by our stomachs, we also tried to visit authentic Turkish restaurants on our way to determine the best spots for our fellow gurbetçi friends to cure their culinary homesickness. The result was an adventure fusing gastronomic delights and historical reflection, and a pilgrimage that put us on the trail of founders, presidents, and a pioneering educator who changed the course of women’s education in Türkiye.
Setting Off: Durham to Baltimore
The natural starting point for our journey was Durham, North Carolina, since our trip was inspired in part by our visits to Turkish restaurants in the region over the years. Fittingly, the two of us got together in Durham mid-December, finalizing our course over İskender kebab in Chapel Hill’s Tallula’s. (Please refer to the “Kebab Addendum” below for more information on select restaurants.) On December 17, we set out from Durham towards Baltimore, Maryland, stopping en route at Sultan Kebab in Charlottesville, Virginia, where the hearty portions and the warmth of the owners boosted our spirits for the long journey ahead.
We reached Baltimore that evening to stay with our friend Beril Erdoğdu RC 16 for several days, exploring the city and making a quick jaunt to Washington, DC, to catch up with more friends in the area. Then, on December 21, we headed towards NYC after a short stopover at Princeton Cemetery—although the gates were closed when we arrived after 6 pm, thwarting our first attempt to visit the final resting place of Dr. Caleb Frank Gates, RC’s third President.
Onward to New York: Christopher Robert
On December 22, we reached the Big Apple, where we stayed in Brooklyn at our RC 16 friend Şule Kahraman’s house for a few days and enjoyed the bustle of Manhattan in the holiday season with Beril, Velat, and Can Gübür RC 16. Our first historical highlight came on December 23, when we ventured into Brooklyn’s historic Green-Wood Cemetery to visit the grave of Christopher Robert (1802–1878), the merchant-philanthropist whose generosity made our beloved institution a reality.
Despite the chilly weather of around -15°C, we were determined to find his grave before the cemetery closed. The search took almost an hour, and our phones continually threatened to shut down in the cold. Robert had never intended for the college to be named after him, yet Cyrus Hamlin insisted—and so “Robert College” was born. Standing at his gravesite under the wintry sky, we paid our respects to the man who, despite many obstacles, championed the idea of an American institution of higher learning on the Bosphorus. As we trudged back through the biting wind, almost trapped by technology failures, our respect for his vision only grew stronger.
Boston Bound: Cyrus Hamlin and the Christmas Chill
We departed New York on December 24, arriving in Boston, Massachusetts, that evening where we reunited with two other friends, Deniz Kızıldağ (RC '16) and Deniz Keleş (RC '16), resulting in an okyanus. Two days later we set out for nearby Lexington to visit the grave of Cyrus Hamlin (1811–1900) in Munroe Cemetery. Hamlin was a most fascinating figure: originally a Congregational missionary, he was known for his “jack-of-all-trades” talents—baker, engineer, teacher, and even pharmacist during the Crimean War. He was also a cousin of Hannibal Hamlin, the Vice President of the United States from 1861 to 1865 during President Abraham Lincoln’s first term.
When Robert College opened in 1863, it was Hamlin’s effort and energy that sustained it through its challenging early years. Building construction faced delays, funding shortfalls threatened the campus’s future, and diplomacy with Ottoman officials proved grueling. Yet Hamlin persisted, blending a radical scientific spirit with deep religious convictions, and standing before his grave on a brisk December afternoon reinforced for us once more how much he accomplished. He truly laid the foundation for what would become the oldest American college outside the United States.
Visiting Canterbury: Mary Mills Patrick
That same day, we pressed on to Canterbury—a village in rural New Hampshire, about a two-hour drive northwest of Boston—to locate the grave of Mary Mills Patrick (1850–1940). She rests in a quiet village cemetery, surrounded by little more than a small church, a general store, and snow-covered pine forests. Witnessing the modesty of her birthplace, one could forget how Patrick made her enduring mark halfway across the world in Istanbul as the president of the American College for Girls for over three decades. An intrepid scholar and educator, she oversaw the transformation of ACG from a modest high school into a world-class institution of higher learning for women.
Patrick also championed the cause of educating Ottoman women of all backgrounds, influencing and forging relationships with prominent figures such as Halide Edip Adıvar (ACG '01). After a fire ravaged ACG’s old Üsküdar campus, she relentlessly raised funds to help move the college to Arnavutköy, a contribution which would turn out to be decisive for RC’s own future. As we cleaned the moss and snow from Patrick’s tombstone, surrounded by the tranquil atmosphere of Canterbury, we were humbled to realize that we would not be the people we are today without this pioneering woman, and reminded of how vision and tenacity can reshape entire societies.
While we were staying in Cambridge, MA, we also made an impromptu stop to a non-RC grave at Mt. Auburn Cemetery, to pay our respects to the Harvard philosopher John Rawls.
Return to Princeton: Caleb Frank Gates
Early on December 28, we finally started the long journey back south toward Durham, stopping for dinner at Bereket Restaurant in Bridgeport, Connecticut, to reward ourselves with some İskender kebap.
December 29 found us back in Princeton, where we arrived early in the morning to ensure the cemetery was open, to finally pay our respects to Caleb Frank Gates (1857–1946). Gates’s presidency began in 1903, at an extraordinarily tumultuous juncture for the Ottoman Empire. By the time he stepped down in 1932, he had guided RC through the Balkan Wars, World War I, the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, and the early years of the modern Turkish Republic.
Gates originally came to Turkey in 1881. He had taught at Mardin from 1881 to 1894 and served as President of Euphrates College in Harpoot from 1894 to 1902. His knowledge of Turkish culture and history, along with his administrative acumen, pragmatism and empathy, proved crucial at RC: through diplomacy with both the Young Turks and later republican leaders, Gates preserved the institution’s academic mission amid decades of upheaval. (In a surprising twist, we also discovered that Gates’s resting place neighbors those of towering intellectual figures of the 20th century: Kurt Gödel, John von Neumann, and Alonzo Church.)
Crossing the Finish Line
After spending the remainder of December 29 and the next two days visiting Beril and other friends in Baltimore, we returned to Durham at precisely 11:59 pm on December 31—an appropriately cinematic conclusion to a journey which reminded us just how interconnected the RC family continues to be, no matter how far we scatter. We traveled hundreds of miles to place roses by gravestones and sample kebabs in cozy diners, but in each stop, we also discovered something intangible—an echo of the shared values instilled in us during our student days.
As you read this account, we hope you’re reminded that the legacy of RC and ACG never ends with graduation. It lives on in our memories, in road trips that blur the line between pilgrimage and reunion, and in moments of camaraderie amid unexpected freezing weather or hearty Turkish meals. Robert and Hamlin built the foundations, and Patrick and Gates expanded and protected it through adversarial times. We, the alumni, continue the story and legacy in our own wanderings, mapping old ties onto new landscapes and discovering that the RC and ACG spirit thrives whenever we gather to recall the ambitions, labors, and humanity of those who came before us.
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Kebap Addendum:
Though we do not have space to describe all the kebabs which became fuel for our journey, we have selected three Turkish restaurants out of eight to highlight here and recommend to other “gurbetçi” travelers who have a hankering for a taste of home.
Talulla’s (Chapel Hill, NC)
Over the past 18 years Talulla’s has established itself as a staple of fine dining on the main street of Chapel Hill, and is frequented by locals as well as students and faculty from nearby UNC, including the Nobel-laureate chemist Aziz Sancar. Ali Bey and Canan Hanım offer their patrons a variety of authentic mezes and traditional Turkish dishes, delicious tırnak pide baked in house, and on the weekends, İskender kebap served in copper trays brought from their native Malatya. The combination of colourful wall rugs, warm orange lighting, and wooden panelling makes for a memorable and cozy aesthetic. The establishment includes a bar.
Sultan Kebab (Charlottesville, VA)
Located in the center of town in Charlottesville, Sultan Kebab combines the best of Turkish cuisine for an American context under its co-proprietors Gökhan Bey (pictured) and Serkan Bey, as well as the culinary strengths of their respective hometowns, İzmir and Adana. Their meat dishes are served with a hefty side of delicious salad and rice, making for a balanced and filling plate. The generosity of their portions is matched by their generosity of spirit, which has further established their restaurant as a home away from home for students from Turkey studying at the nearby University of Virginia, serving as a spot for them to congregate or find employment after graduation. We recommend especially their künefe, baked hummus casserole, and Adana kebap.
Bereket Turkish Restaurant (Bridgeport, CT)
Tucked away inconspicuously behind a gas station on the main street, Bereket Restaurant has become a favourite of the locals in the small town of Bridgeport. Run by a family from İskenderun, the quality of the dishes is matched only by the enthusiasm of the proprietor for Beşiktaş SK. For those travelling between NYC and Boston, it is well worth taking the short detour to eat some high quality İskender (with generous helpings of butter), alongside their delicious salad with authentic nar ekşisi. Their Turkish coffee was also among the best we’ve had on our trip, making this establishment a true gem for road-weary travelers craving the flavors of home.
Published May 2025
