AUB Libraries Online Exhibits

Who were the Founding Fathers of AUB?

The first group of faculty members were Daniel Bliss, Dr. Cornelius Van Dyck, David Stuart Dodge, Edwin Lewis, Harvey Porter, Dr. George Edward Post, and Dr. John Wortabet, an Armenian from Aleppo who earned his MD from the United States.

The second group was formed of locals and foreign residents that joined the College between 1867 and 1870: Reverand James Robertson, a professor of mathematics and astronomy; Maurice Vairn who taught French replaced by Charlier who left after a year and a half , followed by De Fajal; Asʻad Al-Shadudi a poet, who taught mathematics and science; Sheikh Nasif Al-Yaziji, a poet and writer, who taught Arabic; Maurice Vairn, who gave French; John Fraser, a Scotchman, who taught English and astronomy; Luwis Sabunji, instructor of Turkish and Latin; and Ibrahim Al-Hurani, who taught Arabic and Algebra.[6]

The Arab faculty were instructors and men of the pen, among them were Nassif al-Yaziji, As’ad Shadoudi, Luwis Sabunji, Sheikh Yusuf al Assir and Ibrahim Hourani, that taught in different high schools across the country.

The timeline reveals the years each faculty member both local and American served SPC, but in some cases no clear dates were found.

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Founders' Legacy. 

The Timeline

[6] Penrose, S. (1970). That they may have life; the story of the American University of Beirut, 1866-1941.