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History of the Lebanon Chapter of the American College of Surgeons
Part I - Origins and Beginnings of the Lebanon Chapter of the American College of
Surgeons.
All successful organizations are the
product of an idea.
In 1910 the idea of forming a College of Surgeons came to Franklin M
Martin while cruising on the Mediterranean Sea aboard the SS. Arabic.
Thus was born the American College of Surgeons (ACS) on May 5,1913.
Fifty years later a similar idea fermented in the mind of Farid Sami
Haddad, an Arab living on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea to create
the Lebanese Chapter of that same College. He, and his brother Fouad,
invited on May 5, 1963 all the fellows of the American College of
Surgeon for a luncheon at the Sheikh and Cousins Restaurant on the
second floor of what is now the Blue Building. Their father happens to
have obtained his diploma in medicine from the AUB in 1913 and became
the first surgeon practicing in Lebanon to obtain the Fellowship of the
College.
Were present at this luncheon in alphabetical order: Bahij Azoury,
Suleiman Abul-Husn, Philip Antypas, Subhi Barmada, William Bickers,
Ibrahim Dagher, Alfred Diab, Saad El-Issa, Farid Haddad, Fouad Haddad,
Joseph McDonald, Sami Obeid, Yervant Jidejian. The guest of honour was
Dr. Donald Maton.
A follow up meeting was called by Dr. Farid Haddad. It was held at the
Alumni Club on November 24, 1963, and was chaired by the oldest member
Dr.Yervant Jidejian.
This meeting was attended by the following: Bahij Azoury, Subhi Barmada,
Saad El-Issa, Yervant Jidedjian (Presiding), Farid Haddad (Secretary),
Fouad Haddad, Khalid Idriss, Alex Kouyoumdjian, Ishak Mikhail Henry
Mishalany, Ramzi Nassif, Afif Nsouli, Sami Obeid, John Wilson. Were
absent : Cesar Abou Jaoudeh, Sulayman Abul Husn, Philip Antypas, Ibrahim
Dagher, Alfred Diab, and Joseph McDonald.
It was voted to “Establish a Chapter of the American College of
Surgeons” and to “Consider, all the above, founding members”. The
by-laws prepared by Dr. Farid Haddad were adopted, and the first cabinet
was voted in:
President Dr. Farid Haddad
Vice President Dr. Sulayman Abul Husn
Secretary-Treasurer Dr. Saad El-Issa
Counselors Drs. Philip Antypas, Bahij Azoury and Sami Obeid.
The secretary received the Charter,
affiliating our chapter, on August 4, 1964, thus formally establishing
the Lebanon Chapter of the American College of Surgeons.
Our first Governor was Dr. Yervant Jidejian
The first Congress was held on February 15-17, 1965, under the auspices
of President Charles Helou at the Phoenicia Hotel. It was then called
for a Surgical Conference and was organized conjointly with the Chicago
Chapter. This conference was a real success as testified by Dr. John
Paul North, the Director to the College, in a communication to the
President of the chapter. In this letter he spoke of the, “Excellence of
the program. Not many long-established Chapters in this country do as
well…We congratulate all of you”.
Since then several excellent Congresses were conducted at two years
interval
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