Office of Advancement, advancement@aub.edu.lb
The year 2024 marked the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the 1866 Society. It was a year that saw some of the most difficult crises to befall Lebanon and the region. Yet it also saw enormous support for AUB in its healing and transformative mission from our worldwide community. The members of the 1866 Society are no strangers to this level of loyalty, contributing consistently to the university and empowering it to continue to lead in both excellence and service, especially during these most critical of times. “The members of the 1866 Society are some of our most loyal and generous supporters," said Senior Vice President for Advancement and Business Development Imad Baalbaki. “We are deeply grateful to all of them for their philanthropy."
There are now over 900 members of the 1866 Society, which recognizes consistent donors who have made a gift to AUB of any amount in at least seven of the last ten years. A recognition pin is awarded to society members when they reach specific milestones: a bronze pin for 7 years; silver for 10 years; gold for 15 years; and platinum for members who have contributed for 21 or more years. There are currently almost 250 donors in the Platinum Circle, showcasing the longstanding support for AUB from our campus and worldwide community.
Due to the harrowing events of fall 2024, the annual reception could not be held. It took place instead on January 28, 2025, hosted by President Fadlo Khuri and Dr. Lamya Tannous Khuri at the Dar Al-Handasah (Shair and Partners) Architecture Building. Looking back on the past ten years since the establishment of the society, President Khuri said “It has been a long,wonderful, difficult, inspiring, and heartbreaking decade – one of great optimism and enthusiasm, and also of enormous sorrow and devastation. There is one thing we have been able to count on throughout this period: the loyalty and generosity of you, our most steadfast donors. The members of the 1866 Society are the ones who responded time and time again – during the thawra, the economic and financial collapse, the pandemic, in the aftermath of the August 4, 2020, Beirut port explosion, and then again this past fall during the war on Lebanon. Together we have weathered 'times that try men's souls'. […] We are looking to all of you for your continued loyalty as we move forward to do what we have always done: to serve, lead, educate, innovate, and heal. Our mission has never changed and will never change."
Keynote speaker and 1866 Society Gold Circle member Ousama Fansa (BE Civil Engineering '86) thanked AUB for providing a platform to give back, stressing that “Education is not a privilege – it's a right. It's our responsibility to make sure that financial barriers do not hold back the next generation of leaders, doctors, and innovators. I often think about what my parents gave me – the gift of education – and how it shaped my life. Now, through [the Fansa Scholarship], I feel lucky to pass that gift forward. To help others rise above challenges and find their own success is a joy I wish everyone could experience. As members of the 1866 Society, we are doing more than making donations. We are building futures. We are investing in a society with strong, contributing members who will carry our legacy forward."
“The support of 1866 Society members has been critical to our university especially in recent years as we have faced some of the most serious challenges in our history," said Associate Vice President for Alumni Relations, Development, and University Events Salma Dannawi Oueida. “The members of the 1866 Society lead the way, inspiring others to give."
Here is a selection of photos taken during the1866 Society reception.