The Haddad Family Papers (1894-1950) collection was recently published in The Hoda Z. Nassour and Herbert R. Nassour Jr., MD, Archive of Lebanese Diaspora at the Khayrallah Center in July 2025. This collection contains materials collected by Robert Haddad and his family.

Robert Haddad (1930-2024) was passionate about education. He served as the president of the American University of Beirut (1993-1996), and he was the first president of Arab descent. Dr. Haddad also worked at Smith College for more than 30 years. He was born in New York City to Syrian immigrants. He attended the University of Pittsburgh (B.S., Psychology), the University of Michigan (M.A., Near Eastern Studies), and Harvard (PhD, History/Middle Eastern Studies). Dr. Haddad is survived by three daughters: Emily, Leila, and Josette, and by eight grandchildren. He is predeceased by his wife of 56 years, Helen Rogerson, and by his son, George.

The collection comprises 9 unique items, including: 

Magazine: Character (Al Akhalaq) Vol. 15 No. 4 (1935)

• This magazine was published by Jacob George Raphael in New York City. It was an Arabic cultural journal that was both literary and historical. It featured fiction and creative writing.
• “It had its headquarters in 94 ½ Greenwich Street in Lower Manhattan, a building that is now a small Korean business called Café de Novo. In 1920, though, it was in the heart of the Syrian district of New York. Jibran, Rihani and Naimy all lived in the area and, round the corner on Washington Street, the old Syrian church still stands (although it is now a bar and Chinese restaurant)” (http://mulosige.soas.ac.uk/arabic-story-new-york-city-prohibition/).

Banquet Program: Dinner in Honor of His Royal Highness Prince Abdulilah by the Institute of Arab American Affairs Program and two Office of War Information Photographs of Prince Abd El Ilah (1945)

• A program for a dinner honoring His Royal Highness Prince Abdulilah, hosted by the Institute of Arab American Affairs Program and including lists of speakers, guests of honor, and a photograph of the prince. A photograph showing Prince Abd El Ilah with Abd El Latif Talaat Pasha, representative of King Farouk, Tahseen El Askary, Iraqi Minister to Egypt, and Nourry El Said Pasha, ex-premier of Iraq. A photograph showing Prince Abd El Ilah standing outside the Iraqi Legation in Cairo, Egypt, with Nourry El Said Pasha, Daoud El Hidary Pasha, ex-Iraqian Minister to London, Mohamed Yaseen Bey, and Tahseen El Askary, Iraqi Minister to Egypt.

Music Program: One of the Arabian Nights – an Arabian Play Given by Homsian Fraternity of New York Souvenir Program Brooklyn Academy of Music

• A souvenir program for Arabian Nights, concerning the play’s synopsis, actors, committees, officers, and patrons.

Book: Letters of Abū al-ʿAlāʾ al-Maʿarrī

• A poetry and philosophy book published in Beirut, Lebanon, including a collection of writings of Philosopher Abū al-ʿAlāʾ al-Maʿarrī from 1894.

To view the rest of the items, check out the finding aid for this collection or view the digitized collection on our archive website. You can also view our podcast interview with Bob Haddad on SoundCloud.