Photo by Hadi Khalil.

House of Lebanon’s Ray R. Irani ‘Pride of Heritage’ Award Presented to Ambassador Gilbert Chagoury

The Lebanese American Foundation/The House of Lebanon recently held its annual black tie banquet at the Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills, California. Among the distinguished guests was President William J. Clinton.
The Ray R. Irani "Pride of Heritage" Award was presented to Ambassador Gilbert Chagoury by President Clinton and Dr. Ray Irani. The "Pride of Heritage Award" is presented each year "to an individual who best exemplifies those qualities that have distinguished Lebanese Americans, love of family and country, generosity of spirit, dedication to the community, excellence in business or profession and is supportive of the mission and the purposes of the Lebanese American Foundation."
The welcoming remarks were presented by by Amira Matar and Ihsan Nizam, Co-Chairs of the banquet. It was followed by the American and Lebanese national anthems conducted by Dr. Joanna Medawar Nachef.
The master of ceremonies was Judge James Kaddo who, following his introduction remarks, called on Dr. Ray Irani to present the The Ray R. Irani "Pride of Heritage" Award to Ambassador Gilbert Chagoury.
Upon receiving the award, Ambassador Chagoury delivered the following acceptance speech:
"First, I want to thank President Clinton from the bottom of my heart for being here tonight to share with us this Lebanese-American event which we are dedicating to our heritage and aspirations.
"Mr. President, you have, on many occasions, supported our cause and we wish to express our sincere gratitude for the concern you have shown for Lebanon and its people, including of course the Lebanese-American community.
"It is a great honor to receive the Ray R. Irani ‘Pride of Heritage’ Award. This is one of those rare moments in a person’s life when you are recognized for what you believe in and aspire to be.
"I would like to share with you for a few minutes, drawing on my personal experience, what it means to be Lebanese today.
"First, it is a special significance to me that I should receive this honor in America.

President Clinton chats with Dr. H.John Shammas, LAF chairman, Judge James Kaddo and Ambassador Gilbert Chagoury in the background.

"The American dream has always been in my heart. The worship of liberty, the freedom of enterprise, the opportunity to share a better future for ourselves and our children, the acceptance of human diversity, this is what America is made of and this is what makes America the great nation that it is.
"As I speak these words, I am reminded of great Americans of Lebanese descent, of Gibran Kahlil Gibran, of my friend Ray Irani, of course, of our beloved Danny Thomas and of other great men and women we are honored to count as members of our community.
"It is interesting to draw a parallel between our two cultures and histories, the Lebanese and the American.
"The American Revolution brought on American independence and put an end to British colonization. Yet a hundred years later the American Civil War would claim 620,000 dead from combat and disease and some 500,000 wounded.
"Historians agree that Civil War dead top the total number of Americans killed in all other wars leading up to and including World War I, World War II and the Korean War.
"Two percent of America’s population had perished in military service in four years time between 1861 and 1865.
"The challenge facing America was best described by Abraham Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address. Please let me quote the first lines of this memorable address given on Nov. 18, 1863 at Gettysburg, Penn., by President Lincoln: ‘Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.’
"Later peace came to America and with it prosperity. And with prosperity, a powerful America.
"But all the while America has religiously honored the principles laid down by the Founding Fathers, and enshrined in its Constitution and made part of its culture, the principle of equality of citizens of the Republic.
"The history of our dear Lincoln is of course much more ancient. And when Abraham Lincoln speaks in historical terms of ‘four score and seven years ago,’ it is more appropriate for a Lebanese to speak in terms of four thousand years ago.
"Our Phoenician ancestors sailed the seas and conquered foreign shores bringing civilization to unchartered territories. Some even claim that Phoenicians were the first ‘immigrants’ to reach the shores of the Americas, predating Vikings, Basques, Christopher Columbus and other Europeans.
"Later our land was to be occupied by successive waves of invaders: Romans, Arabs, European crusaders, Turks, to be replaced by the French under a mandate of the League of Nations. More recently our struggles have involved our somewhat overbearing neighbors.
"But I ask you, what has become of Lebanon since it declared its independence in 1943?
"Have we made any real progress in instituting a sense of equality and unity among Lebanese?
"Why have we not achieved in our long history the unity which America found 100 years after its birth?
"We have inherited centuries-old divisions between Christians and Muslims, each group including several sub-groups. Our politics have been little separated from religion.
"Let us remind ourselves of the day in 1916, when 21 courageous patriots were ordered to be hanged by the Ottoman Governor Jamal Bacha in the main square of Beirut, now known as The Martyrs’ Square.
"The sacrifices of our national revolution against the Turkish Government were exemplified by the sacrifice of those Christians, Muslims and Druze whose love of the land and fight for long-sought independence transcended the limitations of religious affiliation. Their struggle has too often been forgotten. Their unity against the invaders is now a distant memory.
"Where the foreign tyrant has exploited internal divisions in order to rule, we have perpetuated the system by systematically inviting foreign pressure and often occupation in order to support the short-term ambitions of political groups and religious factions.
"Religious differences have deepened, partisanship has intensified and a sense of division has aggravated the political climate.
"Can being Lebanese have a different meaning inside and outside of Lebanon? Are we Lebanese in the U.S.A., Canada, Brazil, France, Australia, Africa, but primarily identified by our religious affiliation in the country of our forebears?
"Our civil war, which was caused by foreign intervention, claimed 200,000 dead, 5 percent of the population of Lebanon.
"More recently, the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri provides a tragic illustration of the forces threatening democracy and national unity.
"His death was a great loss to the whole of Lebanon. His murder stands as an outright insult to every individual of Lebanese descent.
"I suggest to you tonight that we should build on the cry for independence which has now been heard in Beirut to support the forces of freedom which have been unleashed, not as Christians, Muslims, Druze, but as Lebanese, proud of our heritage, generation after generation, no matter where we live.
"I ask you today to pledge your support for peace and democracy in Lebanon in remembrance of our fathers and mothers, grandparents and ancestors.
"Our divisions of the past need not be destructive.
"But let us learn from America that its citizens are Americans first, regardless of their race, religion or origin.
"And that, instead of being Christians, Muslims, Druze or Arabs, we should be first and foremost Lebanese.
"I pray God that the Lebanese people, with the support of all Lebanese around the world, will now have a chance to shape a durable, democratic and prosperous Lebanon."

Biography – Ambassador Gilbert Chagoury
Gilbert R. Chagoury is President and CEO; Adviser to the Head of State of Benin Republic; Ambassador of Saint Lucia to the Holy See; Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of St. Lucia to UNESCO, Permanent Representative of St. Lucia to UNOG Geneva, Personal Representative of the Prime Minister of the Francophone.
Gilbert Ramez Chagoury, son of Ramez and Alice Chagoury, was born January 8, 1946 in Lagos, Nigeria, West Africa.
His parents sent him to study at College de Freres Chretiens in Lebanon. When he returned to Nigeria, he began a careen in business and became Director of Sales for a Nigerian company.
In 1969, Chagoury married Rose Marie Chamchoum, the daughter of an important businessman in Niger and Benin.
The Chagoury and Chamchoum families are both natives of Miziara, a village in Northern Lebanon.
Rose Marie had four children with Gilbert: Ramez, Gilbert-Antoine, Christopher and Anne-Marie. All four of the children went on to study at the American University of Paris. Gilbert-Antoine and Christopher graduated in New York universities.
Over the years, Gilbert built an industrial and commercial group, which is among the most important in Africa. First as a manufacturer of flour in Nigeria and Benin, buying huge quantities of wheat from the United States, and also having a presence in other branches of industries. It is also one of the first groups in the construction industry in Nigeria that built in 1998 the National Assembly in Abuja. Besides civil engineering and public works, C&C takes part in the construction of specialized factories to the petroleum industry. Today the company is represented by investments, not only in Africa, but also in Europe and South America.
In 1995, Gilbert Chagoury was appointed Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of Saint Lucia to UNESCO. Impelled by the same will for success that he had in business, he successfully ran a candidacy of Saint Lucia to the Executive Board of UNESCO in 1996 and to the World Heritage Committee in 2001 to which Saint Lucia was elected with the highest score.
Since 1996, Gilbert Chagoury became the Economic Adviser to the Head of State of Benin Republic of President Mathieu Kerekou.
Certainly, the most remarkable quality of Gilbert Chagoury is his generosity that goes hand-in-hand with his profound religious convictions. In 1990, acknowledging his merit, the Vatican awarded and bestowed upon him The Order of Saint Gregory the Great at the rank of Commander. The Pope gave him and his family a private audience in October 1998.
Committed to the welfare of his community, Gilbert Chagoury is very active in charity contributions in health, education and infrastructure in Miziara, Lebanon.
Among the several works to which he contributed, he is especially fond of St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital in Tennessee, founded by Danny Thomas, a free of charge hospital that takes care of ill children and is recognized for pioneering treatments for leukemia and other cancers affecting children.
In 1986, St. Jude’s Hospital honored him with the Founder’s Award. In 1987, Rose Marie Chagoury was honored as Woman of the Year and in 1990, Gilbert Chagoury was named Man of the Year in recognition of the extraordinary contributions made to St. Jude’s.
As an avid lover of the arts, Gilbert Chagoury became a great benefactor to the Louvre Museum in Paris. He donated a famous six-part tapestry representing sea divinities, executed in Paris for Colbert de Seignelay, Secretary of State for the Navy, sewn in the 16th century with gold and silver threads. As a result of his gift to the Louvre, he was awarded in May 2000 a new distinction from the French Government. He was appointed Commander at the Order of Arts et Des Lettres.
In order to thank him for his generous contributions, which allowed France to keep and save these priceless works, the Louvre Museum inaugurated, in September 2000, the Gilbert et Rose Marie Chagoury gallery to display these tapestries.
In 2002, he made another decisive contribution to the Louvre with the acquisition of an exquisite pair of pink-ground Sevres vases that formerly graced the Palais Bourbon under the reign of Louis XVI.
In 2001, he was awarded the "Ordre National du Benin" with the rank of Commander and in 2004, he was appointed Ambassador of Saint Lucia to the Holy See, Vatican.

Dr. Ray Irani
Dr. Ray Irani has been Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Occidental Petroleum Corporation since 1990, and assumed the additional position of President in 2005.
Dr. Irani has played a key role in creating and developing commercially viable products and processes and holds 50 U.S. patents and more than 100 foreign patents. He authored the book Particle Size and has published over 50 technical papers.
He was born in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1935 and received a B.S. degree in chemistry from the American University of Beirut in 1953 and a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Southern California in 1957.
Dr. Irani introduced President Clinton.

President William Clinton, in his speech said:
"I want to thank, first of all the Lebanese-American community for your contributions to our country and for your continuing task and loyalty to your native land
"Thank you for mentioning the late Rafik Hariri, who was also my friend and with whom I shared a precious two hours of conversation just a few weeks before he was killed. How he dreamed of Lebanon being free, and whole, and at peace again. And he must be smiling that in his death, he achieved something that he could not achieve in his life.
"I have known about Lebanon for a long time. One of the best students in my high school was a Lebanese orphan who came to America and was raised by his uncle and aunt. I remember when I was a young man starting out in politics when Beirut was turned to rubble in the civil war. I have always been interested in and pulling for the people of Lebanon.
"And then when I became president, of course, I had a chance, repeatedly and without success, to urge the late president Assad of Syria to come on home with the troops. But finally it happened."
President William J. Clinton, 42nd president of the United States, established the William J. Clinton Foundation to construct and endow the Clinton Presidential Center and to strengthen the capacity of people in the United States and throughout the world to meet the challenges of global interdependence. One area that the foundation focuses on is racial, ethnic and religious reconciliation.
Clinton’s core values of building community, creating opportunity and demanding responsibility resulted in unprecedented progress for America, including moving the nation from record deficits to record surpluses; the creation of over 22 million jobs – more than any other administration; low levels of unemployment, poverty and crime; and the highest home ownership and college enrollment rates in history.
Most recently, Clinton worked with President George H.W. Bush to lead a nationwide effort to help bring much-needed relief to the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami disaster.

Following dinner, Dr. H. John Shammas, LAF chairman, delivered the following speech:
"My dear friends, one of the major achievements of the House of Lebanon has been the successful grouping of Lebanese Americans irrespective of their religion and political affiliation.
"Indeed we are proud of being Lebanese Americans because we have been double blessed. We are blessed to be Americans living in this beautiful country of peace and freedom and we are blessed with our Lebanese heritage that we so cherish.
"The Board members of the Lebanese American Foundation are very fortunate to have an outstanding role model, our Honorary Chairman, Dr. Ray Irani. Ray, we thank you for your continued support.
"The House of Lebanon has also been very successful in creating a support system that allows our children to keep a cultural awareness of their heritage.
"Talking about the children, two weeks ago, we were attending the St. Jude Gala, a very worthy cause that was spearheaded by one of the most famous Lebanese Americans, Mr. Danny Thomas.
"I welcome with us tonight the Thomas family. I was very touched by Marlo’s remarks when she was talking about her dad and how he used to call her "Ya Ayouni" which means "my eyes". A better translation is "you are the apple of my eyes".
"Indeed, our children are the apple of our eyes and they are our future. They have formed the House of Lebanon Young Adult and Young Professional Group. It is very uplifting to see them take charge and you should see how successful their activities have become. I tell you their enthusiasm has taken us and the community by storm.
"But most importantly, these young Americans of Lebanese descent, in other words my children and your children, are making us realize that the House of Lebanon project is indeed a worthy cause that WILL carry on.
"I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for believing in our mission and for sharing our vision:
"The vision to have a cultural center that will not only showcase our Lebanese heritage but that will also honor those prominent Lebanese Americans who have significantly contributed to their new homeland.
"And God knows we have many of you with us tonight.
"It is also the vision to have a Community Center that will conduct educational and medical programs to the members of our community so they can better integrate in the American society.
"And it is the vision to have a senior home where our elderly can live in dignity among people of their own background.
"Your support tonight is putting us one step closer to our goal.
"In his book "Homesick in Heaven", Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote: "Where we love is home; home that our feet may leave but not our hearts."
"On behalf of all our Board members, we promise you that the House of Lebanon project will always remain our priority
"And we pledge to make it the pride and joy of our community. God bless you and God bless the United States of America."
Kenan Hamza, LAF President in his speech said:
"It is my distinguished honor to welcome you to the House of Lebanon’s Annual Banquet.
"Tonight’s event is a dream come true. We have just honored Ambassador Chagoury, a most distinguished person, and we are truly proud that he is the recipient of our first award, the Ray R Irani "Pride of Heritage".
"And most amazingly, our keynote speaker was non other than President Clinton, a friend of Mr. Chagoury and Dr. Irani, and an ally of the Lebanese people.
"I am here to tell you very briefly about what we did last year. It has been a great year for us. We had several community events, and for the first time in a long time, these events were heavily attended by Lebanese Americans from all factions and walks of life. Also we enjoyed having many of our American and Arab friends share the joy with us. Our people have rediscovered that it is really fun to be with each other, like it was in the old days of our grandfathers.
"This year the Young Adults and Young Professionals Groups have really come to life, with many social events. The last one three weeks ago was tremendously successful with over 250 attending. It was really a pleasure seeing so many young Lebanese Americans getting to know each other and making lasting friendships. Stay tuned for the next event coming soon. Lina Shammas and Zeina Hamzeh the chairwomen for these committees did a great job and received lots of help from many, and I like to mention a few: Lina Israwi, Dina Tabish, Julie Alexander, Lana Kriedie, and Michel Chagoury.
"We are also proud that the President of Lebanon has recognized the House of Lebanon as a noble project and awarded our Chairman Dr. Hanna Shammas The Decoration of the National Order of the Cedar.
"The House of Lebanon has teamed up with the American Lebanese Medical Association to organize a series of free Health Screening days. The first was at Our Lady of Mount Lebanon Church in Los Angeles and the second at Omar Al Farouk Mosque in Anaheim. These events were very well attended and more are planned for the near future. We want to thank for this community joint venture Dr. Paul Wakim, President of ALMA, and the attending doctors Nabil Feghali, Imad Asmar, Rabih Hamzeh, Michel Kahwagi and Hanna Shammas and his medical staff.
"I would like to offer my sincere thanks to Dr. Ray and Mrs. Ghada Irani for being pillars of Lebanese-American society and ardent supporters of our cause. They have always devoted generously of their time and efforts, and for this we owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude.
"Our Master of Ceremony the Hon. Judge James Kaddo, for the last six weeks, has given us so much of his time, and helped us tremendously. It has been a pleasure working with you Judge, thanks for hosting committee meetings, and we sincerely appreciate you being our M.C. for this evening.
"The Officers of the LAF, in addition to Dr. Shammas and myself, are Ihsan Nizam, Dr. Paul Wakim, Dr. Mohammad Ahmar, Joseph Karaki as Vice Presidents, Rachid Eletel, Chief Financial Officer, Talal Beydoun, Treasurer, Wafa Hoballah, Secretary and Legal advisor.
"Finally, I would like to thank the Co-Chairs of this event, Amira Matar, and Ihsan Nizam, and the banquet committee members. Also Sanaa Abu Younis and Robbie Matar for the Program Book. But most of all I would like to offer our special thanks and gratitude to Amira for working day and night to make sure that this banquet is flawless, and along side her every step of the way Gisele Chagoury. Thank you Amira and Gisele, we truly appreciate your tremendous devotion and hard work."

Attorney Richard Shadyac, Retired Executive Director of ALSAC/St Jude’s Hospital, wrote the following comment:
"Gilbert Chagoury has been a friend of mine for over 25 years. He is an extremely generous man, born in Nigeria, had huge financial interests in Nigeria and other European countries. Gil was a very close friend of Danny Thomas and sponsored the Hollywood party Danny and Rosie held every year in their home, the night before the Thomas Gala Ball. Gilbert loves St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and has been a major contributor to the hospital. When Danny died in 1991, Gilbert became close to Danny’s children and when they decided to sell the house, Gilbert bought it. I am very lucky to call Gilbert Chagoury my friend."

House of Lebanon
The House of Lebanon’s mission statement reads: "At the Lebanese American Foundation (LAF) we believe that all of us share a common vision for our community. Though we may be of different ages, religions and professions, we have all been influenced by Lebanon’s glorious history, vibrant people and diverse culture. Our vision for our community is to create a bridge that would connect future generations of Lebanese Americans with their roots, while strengthening our ties with the American society."
Its ultimate objective "is to be a place of pride for all our people regardless of religion, political affiliation, age or nationality." The House of Lebanon hopes "to create a space free of religious and political influence that welcomes and encourages all our people and their friends to meet, socialize and enjoy sharing Lebanon’s unique culture and heritage. The LAF is committed to generating progressive and functional programs to address the specific needs of the Lebanese-American community, and to insuring that the House of Lebanon is utilized to its fullest potential."
The Board of Directors for the House of Lebanon include Dr. Ray Irani, honorary chairman of the board; H.E. Ambassador Gilbert Chagoury, honorary board director; and George Hage, honorary board director. Its executive officers are: Dr. Hanna Shammas, chairman; Kanan Hamzeh, president; Ihsan Nizam, vice president; Dr. Paul Wakim, vice president, Dr. Mohammad Ahmar, vice president; Joseph Karaki, vice president; Rachid Eletel, chief financial officer; Talal S. Beydoun, assistant treasurer; and Wafa Hoballah, Esq., legal counsel/secretary."
Banquet Committee
The banquet committee included: Sanaa Abuyounes, Talal Beydoun, Gisele Chagouri, Rachid Eletel, Abeer Hage, Hanan Hamzeh, Zeina Hamzeh, Wafa Hoballah, Esq., Hadi Khalil, Aida Madi, Ilham Nizam, Dr. Joanne Medawar Nachef, Hoda Nasser, Maha Salaymeh, Lina Shammas, Dr. Najwa Shammas, Connie Wakim, Dr. Paul Wakim and Lama Zein El Deen.
Hadi Salem and his company take credit for covering this historic events with hundreds of photos, a video and broadcasting the event on the ART satellite. This includes most of photos covering this event for this article.
Mrs. Gisele Chagoury, the sister of Ambassador Chagoury was very instrumental in providing the special photo collection of the Chagoury family and friends for this article.

For more information about the Lebanese American Foundation/House of Lebanon, visit their website at: www.houseoflebanon.com.