FREDERIC HERTER

HERTER--Frederic Pratt,

passed away peacefully at his home in New York City on November 7 at the age of 94. Herter joined the American University of Beirut as a trustee in 1977. He served as Chairman of the Board of trustees from 1985 to 1987, and President of the University from 1987 to 1993. Through the challenging times of the civil war, he fought to keep the University's doors open and its students safe, even while Americans were barred from travelling to Lebanon. From the President's office in New York City, he fostered a vision of AUB as a world class university and medical center, and a beacon of moderation and understanding in the Middle East. A highly respected surgeon and teacher, Herter received his undergraduate degree from Harvard College, his M.D. from Harvard Medical School, and did post-graduate training in surgery at the Presbyterian Hospital, where he faithfully spent his medical career for nearly half a century. He was a pioneering surgeon and role model to generations of medical students, residents and faculty members while serving as the Auchincloss Professor of Surgery at Columbia University; Acting Chairman of Department of Surgery at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, Acting Director of Surgery at Presbyterian Hospital, Director of Surgery at Francis Delafield Hospital; a trustee of Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital, Jackson Laboratories, and American Near East Refugee Aid; a regent of Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York; a member of the board of governors of the Middle East Institute, Washington; a member of the board of advisers of the Hariri Foundation USA; and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. The scion of a distinguished New York family, Herter embodied the best qualities of leadership: inquisitiveness, determination, sensitivity, sense of purpose, and compassion. His legacy is a resolute belief in the ability of individuals and societies to work together for the benefit of humankind, which elevated everyone in his presence, and left the world a better place. He is survived by his beloved wife, Solange; sister, Adele Seronde; son, Eric; daughters, Caroline and Brooke; stepson, Marc; stepdaughters, Mary, Veronique and Jacqueline; and many grandchildren. Philip S. Khoury, PhD, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Fadlo R. Khuri, M.D., President, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon