Bucaram, Abdala    President of Ecuador

Born in 1952 in the rough coastal city of Guayaquil, Ecuador, Abdala Bucaram Ortiz is the son of Lebanese immigrants.

He grew up playing soccer in the streets of Guayaquil and later went on to become a successful athlete and earn a degree in physical education.

Not content with being a gym teacher however, he earned a degree in law and soon began his political career. He eventually became the mayor of Guayaquil.

Ecuadorians, frustrated by the persistence of poverty made their voices heard when candidate Abdala Bucaram Ortiz was elected as the President of Ecuador in July 1996.

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DeBakey, Dr. Michael   Pioneer of Modern Medicine - Open-Heart Surgery

A world- renowed medical pioneer, Dr. Michael Ellis DeBakey has helped raise the standard of health care for all mankind. in open-heart surgery to his recent pioneering work in the field of telemedicine, is a catalog of many of the greatest accomplishments in the history of medicine.

Today he serves as Chancellor Emeritus of Baylor College of Medicine , is active on staff at The Methodist Hospital of Houston, and is internationally recognized as the most famous heart surgeon in the world and a living legend.

Michael Ellis DeBakey is internationally recognized as a pioneer of modern medicine. An ingenious medical inventor and innovator, a gifted and dedicated teacher, a premier surgeon, and an international medical statesman, Dr. DeBakey is relentlessly pursuing new avenues in which modern technology can be applied to the practice of healing and saving lives.

He is currently working with NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) to develop a self-contained, miniaturized artificial heart. His DeBakey-Raytheon-ITS telemedicine system uses satellites to electronically link remote sites of the world to the famed Texas Medical center for medical training and treatment.

At age 88, DeBakey is a senior attending surgeon at The Methodist Hospital, the largest hospital in the Texas Medical Center. He is also chancellor emeritus of Baylor College of Medicine, a center for leading medical education and research.

Born in Louisiana, DeBakey received his Bachelor's and medical degrees from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. He completed his internship at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, and residency in surgery at the University of Strasbourg, France and at the University of Heidelberg, Germany.

While in medical school and actively engaged in medical research, DeBakey invented the roller pump, later to become a major component of the heart-lung machine used in open-heart surgery. He is also credited with inventing and perfecting other medical devices, techniques, and procedures that have saved countless lives and led to health hearts for millions throughout the world.

DeBakey volunteered for military service during World War II, and was subsequently named director of the Surgical Consultants' Division of the U.S. Surgeon General's office. His work in that office led to the development of mobile army surgical hospital (MASH units). He later helped establish the specialized medical and surgical center system for treating military personnel returning from war, subsequently the Veteran's Administration Medical Center System.

Over the years, DeBakey has earned an impressive reputation as an international medical statesman. He has served as an advisor to nearly every United States president for the past 50 years, as well as to heads of state throughout the world. DeBakey's efforts helped establish the National Library of Medicine, which is now the world's largest and most prestigious repository of medical archives. More recently, his 1996 trip to Russia to consult on the surgery of Russian president Boris Yeltsin was reported by every major news medial outlet around the world. This prolific surgeon and humanitarian has performed more than 60,000 cardiovascular procedures and has trained thousands of surgeons who practice around the world.

This prolific surgeon and humanitarian has performed more than 60,000 cardiovascular procedures and has trained thousands of surgeons who practice around the world. In 1976, his students founded the Michael E. DeBakey International Surgical Society. His name is affixed to a number of organizations, centers for learning, and projects devoted to medical education and health education for the general public.

DeBakey has received numerous honorary degrees from prestigious colleges and universities, as well as innumerable awards from educational institutions, professional and civic organizations, and governments worldwide. In 1969, he received the highest honor a United States citizen can receive - the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan awarded the National Medal of Science to DeBakey.

In 1978, a 300-lb bronze bust of DeBakey, commissioned by King Leopold and Princess Liliane of Belgium, was unveiled. At the unveiling, the Princess said, "He has provided national and international leadership in fighting cardiovascular disease, and this bust will be a symbol of hope and encouragement to all who come here. The bust stands in the lobby of The Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas. But, always nearby is Dr. DeBakey himself, also a symbol of hope and encouragement, and a true living legend.

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DelNore, Victor   United States Commander of the Nagasaki Military Government

The son of Lebanese parents who emigrated to the United States when he was only two years old, Victor Delnore cherished democracy and the ideals associated with it.

Helped lead Nagasaki back from atomic destruction to economic recovery and democratic self-rule in the vital post-war years of 1946 to 1949.

Born in Kingston, Jamaica on June 27, 1914, the fifth child of Melhem and Nozly Abd el Nour (later Delnore), who had come to the island around the turn of the century. Melhem had chosen Jamaica because it was within the British empire and meant that the family did not need passports to travel there. In May 1916 the Delnores moved to the United States because German submarine activity in the Caribbean had created a food shortage in Jamaica. Entering at Ellis Island in New York, the family later settled at Worcester, Massachusetts. In 1932, just prior to Victor's eighteenth birthday, Melhem became a naturalized citizen of the United States, thus allowing Victor citizenship as well.

As a tank unit commander in Europe, Delnore sometimes found himself at odds with the tactics of General George Patton. Delnore ignored Patton's orders to shoot up towns as he went through Europe, because of the likelihood of deaths to women and children. At the end of the war, he also helped return captured Italians back to their homes from Austria so they could reunite with their families.

In August 1940 Victor was called up to active duty in the Army. The following month Catherine Abd al Maseh, his longtime girlfriend from across the street in Worcester, came to join him and they were married on September 10.

Took command of the Nagasaki Military Government Team, and most Japanese respected Delnore. Prior to his departure in April 1949, he received a number of farewell tributes, and the street below his house at Atago-machi was renamed Delnore Road.

The Delnores left Nagasaki for the United States on April 2, 1949. A second daughter, Cathy, was born to Catherine and Victor in 1951. Victor completed his college degree after years of taking night classes, and later received a Masters degree from the University of Maryland. After retiring from the service in October 1969, he and his family settled down in Boylston, Massachusetts. From 1969 to 1984 Victor taught Government and History at Middlesex Community College in Bedford, twice earning "Teacher of the Year" awards. From 1984 to the present he has performed volunteer work at the Worcester V.A. clinic in the daytime, while teaching evenings at Assumption College in nearby Worcester.

More DelNore in this book

Farah, Roger   CEO Venator Group (ex-Woolworth Corp) including its the 2,848- store athletic shoes Foot Locker division

Born in New York City in 1953, and holder of B.S. in Economics - 1975 University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School, Rogr Farah is widely recognized as one of the most savvy and accomplished retailers in the United States.

Has a rich career in retailing, including positions as Senior Vice President of Saks Fifth Avenue, Chriman and CEO of Rich's Corp, Chairman and CEO of Federated Merchandizing, President and CEO of MACY's, and lastly, President, Chairman, and CEO of Woolworth Corp, whcih he transformed into the Venator Corp, which currently plans to to acquire the Sports Authority sportsware retailer. His base pay is $ 1.5 million, $ 780,000 bonus, and has received 800,000 stock options and 20,000 shares in restricted stock.

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