Assad Rizk (1931–2020) was a Lebanese physician and politician. He taught at the Saint Joseph University for thirty years and also, held various cabinet portfolios. He was the founder of the Lebanese American University Medical Center-Rizk Hospital.

Assad Rizk
Minister of Industry and Petroleum
In office
1992–1995
Prime MinisterRafic Hariri
Minister of Oil and Industry
In office
20 December 1978 – 16 July 1979
Prime MinisterSelim Hoss
Minister of Education
In office
9 December 1976 – 16 July 1979
Prime MinisterSelim Hoss
Minister of Social Affairs and Labour
In office
9 December 1976 – 16 July 1979
Prime MinisterSelim Hoss
Personal details
Born
Assad Toufic Rizk

23 July 1931
Beirut, Lebanon
Died11 December 2020(2020-12-11) (aged 89)
SpouseColette Le Breton
Children3
Alma materSaint Joseph University
OccupationPhysician
Awards

Early life and education

edit

Rizk was born in Beirut on 23 July 1931.[1][2] He hailed from a Greek Catholic family.[3] His father, Toufic, was a surgeon.[2]

Rizk obtained a degree in medicine from the Saint Joseph University in the late 1950s and completed his medical training at a urology clinic in Paris.[2][4]

Career

edit

Following his return to Lebanon Rizk taught courses on urology at the Saint Joseph University from the mid-1960s.[4] He retired from his teaching post in the mid-1990s.[4] Then he was named as an emeritus professor.[4] He established the Rizk Hospital which was later named as Lebanese American University Medical Center-Rizk Hospital.[4]

Cabinet posts

edit

Rizk was named as minister of social affairs and labour and minister education on 9 December 1976 to the cabinet led by Salim Hoss.[3] Rizk was also appointed minister of oil and industry on 20 December 1978 in a cabinet reshuffle.[2] He succeeded Selim Hoss in the post who had been serving as minister of petroleum and minister of industry since 9 December 1976.[3] Rizk's term in all offices ended on 16 July 1979 when a new cabinet was formed by Selim Hoss.[5]

Rizk was named as the minister of industry and petroleum in 1992 and served in the cabinet led by Rafic Hariri until 1995.[6] Rizk served as the minister of justice in 2005.[2] The same year he also acted as an interim minister of culture and interim minister of education and higher education.[2]

Personal life and death

edit

Rizk married Colette Le Breton in 1959.[2] They had three sons: Toufic, Fady and Sami.[2]

Rizk died on 11 December 2020.[1]

Awards

edit

Rizk was awarded the Knight rank of the Legion of Honour.[4] He was also recipient of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.[2]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "In Memory of Dr. Assaad Rizk". laumcrh.com. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Who's Who in Lebanon (19th ed.). Beirut: Publitec Publications. 2007. pp. 288–289. doi:10.1515/9783110945904.476. ISBN 978-3-598-07734-0.
  3. ^ a b c John Paxton, ed. (2016). The Statesman's Year-Book 1979-80. London; Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 779. ISBN 978-0-230-27108-1.
  4. ^ a b c d e f George Khalil Najjar (11 December 2020). "LAU Mourns Dr. Assaad Rizk". Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  5. ^ "Chronology May 16, 1979-August 15, 1979". The Middle East Journal. 33 (4): 488–489. 1979. JSTOR 4325920.
  6. ^ Ward Vloeberghs (2015). Architecture, Power and Religion in Lebanon. Rafiq Hariri and the politics of sacred space in Beirut. Vol. 114. Leiden; Boston: Brill. pp. 381–382. doi:10.1163/9789004307056_010. ISBN 9789004307056.