Thomas Morris, MD
Chairman of the Board of Trustees

Chair Thomas Morris

For more than 140 years — through two world wars, more regional conflicts than any of us care to remember, and a protracted civil war — this University has stood tall.  It has never wavered from its mission “to provide excellence in education, to participate in the advancement of knowledge through research, and to serve the peoples of the Middle East and beyond.” The members of the AUB family — our students and alumni, faculty and staff, trustees and friends — in Lebanon and around the world have always looked to this University as a symbol of hope. AUB will continue to be that symbol of hope for another 140 years and no doubt beyond — not just for the members of the AUB family but for all those who share our commitment to the values that define this University: freedom of thought and expression, tolerance, and respect for diversity and dialogue.

As the governing body of this University, the Board of Trustees has ultimate authority in the affairs of the University including the selection of the president.  In the appointment of Dr. Peter Dorman as AUB’s 15th president, the board chose a man of integrity and vision, a man with a strong affinity for Lebanon and the region, and someone who shares the enduring commitment of the trustees to the mission of the University.

The beautifully redesigned university mace captures both the hope and the light of knowledge that has guided generations of AUB women and men as they look toward the future.  As an ancient symbol of authority, the university mace also embodies the enduring traditions of the University, the deep roots in Lebanon and the Middle East, the global reach and aspirations, and the commitment of the University to work toward a sustainable and humane world.  On behalf of the Board of Trustees of the American University of Beirut, it gives me great pleasure to present the American University of Beirut Mace to President Peter F. Dorman.