AUB Couples

Susan J. Esseily '61 & Omar Hamza '61

"Omar and I met on an AUB…

Susan J. Esseily '61 & Omar Hamza '61

"Omar and I met on an AUB bench outside of Bliss Hall. We were both at IC and we were reviewing a Tolstoy novel for a literature exam. The bench now commemorates the meeting with a quote by the sage Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, ‘Love is the sweet expression of life’. After graduating first from IC and then from AUB, we got married on September 7, 1962. Over 50 years, and we’re still together!!" Susan

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Raja Ghandour '60 & Andre Dirlik '61

"On the copper plate affixed to the…

Raja Ghandour '60 & Andre Dirlik '61

"On the copper plate affixed to the back of the bench facing the lower campus, west of Jafet Library, one can read 'Andre L. Dirlik and Raja M. Ghandour courted here, AUB 1958-1961.' It is on this bench that we both used to comment on our courses, evaluate our professors, discuss the politics of the day, exchange information about ourselves, and enjoy the magic of the campus grounds. It is on this bench, moreover, that we forged plans to elope to Canada. Raja and I invariably pay a visit to our bench each time we visit Beirut. We also note with pleasure that, more often than not, our bench attracts young couples who, we hope, are also indulging in courtship. I, for one, strongly believe in the powers of that bench and acknowledge how much we have, my wife and I, matured, mentally, ethically and emotionally during those critical years spent at the University. As we look back at the late fifties and early sixties, Raja and I often reflect on what might not have happened in our respective lives had AUB simply passed us by." Andre

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Murshida Shaaban '63 & Usama Al-Azm '64

Usama and Murshida recently celebrated their 50th…

Murshida Shaaban '63 & Usama Al-Azm '64

Usama and Murshida recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They like to visit the campus and sit on their special bench overlooking the Green Field.

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Nada Saab '67 & Walid Abushakra '63

"Walid was my high school math teacher.…

Nada Saab '67 & Walid Abushakra '63

"Walid was my high school math teacher. He was popular with the other students, but not with me. After I graduated from high school and came to AUB, we were both appointed to my school's alumni committee. This was the beginning of our friendship, courtship and partnership. In the decades that followed, we worked together, got married, had three children and founded ESOL education, a company which manages international schools in several countries." Nada

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Violette Hajjar '70 & Iliyya Abi Antoun '69

“My wife and I met in 1962,…

Violette Hajjar '70 & Iliyya Abi Antoun '69

“My wife and I met in 1962, I was the secondary school teacher and Violette was my intelligent student at the College of the Good Shepherd in Achrafieh. Our relationship blossomed during our years of study at AUB from 1967-69 and crystallized with our wedding in Melbourne, Australia in 1972. We are a proud AUB family through and through. Three of our children are AUB graduates: Rola (BA '95), Marwan (BS '97) and Tania (MD '02).” Iliyya

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Amira Zeineddine '68 & Karim Abdulla '67

Amira and Karim met at a Friendship…

Amira Zeineddine '68 & Karim Abdulla '67

Amira and Karim met at a Friendship International gathering in 1965.

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Leila F. George '58 & Munir E. Nassar, MD '59

“I met my wife when I was…

Leila F. George '58 & Munir E. Nassar, MD '59

“I met my wife when I was a student at IC. We started dating when I was an intern at AUB hospital and Leila was a nurse in OB-Gyn. I completed my residency in internal medicine-cardiology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and at AUBMC Hospital. While in Houston, Leila was a nurse of pediatric oncology at the MD Anderson Hospital. Later, I completed my post-graduate fellowship in cardio-respiratory medicine at Columbia University in New York and one year of clinical cardiology with the American Heart Association. Leila got her master’s degree from SUNY and taught nursing as an assistant professor. We are blessed with two children and two grandchildren. Our son, Ramsey, is a board-certified psychiatrist in behavioral medicine and our daughter, Rania, got her bachelor's degree from SUNY. We are both retired, although I am a working medical author, following 50 years of clinical cardiology and internal medicine practice.” Munir

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Zahira Sabai '57 & Khalil Makkawi, PhD '54

"I met my wife Zahira at AUB.…

Zahira Sabai '57 & Khalil Makkawi, PhD '54

"I met my wife Zahira at AUB. The liberal education we recieved and the diversity of the student body we experienced shaped our minds and personalities. To a large extent, it enhanced my performance as ambassador to several European capitals and to the United Nations in New York. As the first president of WAAAUB, I was fortunate to contribute to strengthening the ties between the alumni at large and the University administration. Long live AUB as a beacon of higher education for Lebanon and the whole region." Khalil

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