Cornelius Van Dyck (1818-1895)
Physician, translator of the Bible, and Academic
Dr. Cornelius Van Dyck (1818–1895) was an American missionary, physician, scientist, and educator who made lasting contributions to education and medicine in Syria. After studying medicine in Philadelphia, he arrived in Syria in 1839, where he mastered Arabic under the guidance of Butrus al-Bustani and Sheikh Nassif al-Yaziji—both of whom became his close associates. He co-founded the Abeih Seminary for Boys, contributed to the renowned Arabic Bible translation, and authored numerous Arabic scientific and educational works.
In 1867, Van Dyck joined the Syrian Protestant College (SPC) as a professor of pathology, helped establish its Observatory, and edited Al-Neshrah newspaper. Following his resignation in 1882 over the “Darwin issue,” he continued his medical service at Saint George Hospital for another decade. Deeply immersed in Arab culture, he wrote prolifically in Arabic, adopted local customs, and earned widespread respect. Honored in 1892 for fifty years of service, Van Dyck died in Beirut in 1895 and was buried in Furn al-Shubbak. He was married to Julia Abbott, daughter of the British Consul, and they had six children.
Cornelius Van Dyck married on December 23 , 1842 to Julia Abbott Van Dyck (1827–1918),daughter of the British Consul Peter Abbott, who was 60 years old and her mother, Maria Assunta Davitti, was 26. Cornelius and Julia raised a family deeply involved in intellectual and social pursuits. Among their children were Henry L. Van Dyck (1843-1883), Ellen Maria Van Dyck (1848–1849), Edward Abbott Van Dyck (1846–1938), Eliza Ann Van Dyck (1851–1936), William Thomson Van Dyck (1857–1939), and Florence Katherine Van Dyck Bucher (1871–1908)
Born in Beirut in 1857 to Cornelius V. A. Van Dyck and Julia Abbott, William T. Van Dyck was educated at home and gained early experience in Arabic type-setting and bookbinding at the American Mission Press. He studied medicine at the Syrian Protestant College and in New York, earning his M.D. in 1880. Returning to Beirut, he practiced medicine, taught Materia Medica and Hygiene at the SPC, and later became Professor of Zoology. He married Helen Calhoun, daughter of Rev. S. H. Calhoun, and between 1882 and 1884 focused on private practice. Deeply interested in animals and natural science from childhood, Van Dyck retired in 1923 as Professor Emeritus and lived in Mount Lebanon until his death in 1939.