American University of Beirut

 ​

​

​

​Founded in 1866, the American University of Beirut (AUB) has had a positive and transformative impact on Lebanon, the Middle East, and the world. Published on the occasion of AUB's 150th anniversary, this commemorative volume serves as a lasting testimony to the extraordinary influence of AUB in its first 150 years and sets the stage for its future. 

This volume examines AUB's history from diverse perspectives and points of view. It deals with key moments in the early history of the University, and with its current position as a local agent with global concerns, also focusing on its complex relations with the USA and the rest of the world. Some of the chapters highlight salient personalities and important constituencies who have contributed to the legacy of AUB. Parts of the book also focus on the campus and its location within Ras Beirut, as well as their resulting interaction and mutual impact over years of growth and transformation. The book is organized according to five themes:

Early History offers different views on the changing role of the University, the efforts of its faculty and staff during World War I, and its leading role in advancing the education of women in the region.

AUB, the USA, and the World examines the founding of AUB's Arab Studies program, the development and decline of the Economic Research Institute, struggles for academic freedom, the Thomas Aquinas Affair of 1966, and the soft power wielded by AUB and other transnational universities.

Space describes the influences of New England educational institutions on the early construction of the University, the evolution of the landscape of AUB, a history of the founders of AUB in relation to that of the Anglo-American Cemetery, and changes in the Ras-Beirut neighborhood since the Lebanese Civil War.

Academic/Scientific Contributions looks at the critical work of Cornelius Van Dyck, Mansur Jurdaq, and Edward Stewart Kennedy in promoting Arabic and Islamic sciences. The work of AUB archaeologists is highlighted, as are the contributions of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences to the region and the wider world. 

Lastly, Salient Personalities pays tribute to several distinguished individuals: Bulus Khauli, Jurji Zaydan, Anis Frayha, Kamal Salibi, Constantine Zurayk, and Wadad Kadi. The last chapter celebrates three artists with an intimate connection to AUB; namely John Carswell, Helen Khal, and Huguette Caland. ​