The Journey
Childhood and Youth
Fouad Abdallah Chehab was born on 19 March 1902, in Ghazir (Kesrwan, Lebanon), to a Christian Maronite family. He was the eldest son of Emir Abdallah Chehab and Sheikha Badiaa Hbeich. His family was of noble ancestry – His great-grandfather is no other than the eldest brother of the Great Emir Bachir II, ruler of Mount Lebanon from 1788 to 1840. But in 1907, …
Early Military Career
In December 1921, Fouad Chehab joined the French Military School in Damascus. His noble title of Emir helped him be selected, according to an old tradition that the French perpetuated for army officers. On 20 July 1923, he graduated from the Military School as a Lieutenant.
In 1926, he married Rose …
Army Command
From 1946 to 1958, Chehab dedicated himself to building the Army based on high values of discipline, efficient organization, ethics and national loyalty. He gradually reorganized and reinforced the various troops (Infantry, Artillery) and departments (Headquarters, Administration, Engineering, Communication and Intelligence), based on modern principles, and later …
Presidency
As the 1958 crisis deepened and the Chamoun mandate neared its end, Chehab was chosen as the consensus presidential candidate to succeed Chamoun in a salvatory mission to bring back unity and peace to the country that was facing a threatening predicament. He was widely trusted by the Muslims for his impartiality and now accepted by both …
Last Years
In 1964, Chehab, whose continuing presence at the head of the country was seen by many as the best option for stability and future reforms, categorically refused to allow the Constitution to be amended to permit him to run for a second presidential term. He backed the candidacy of Charles Helou, a diplomatic figure, who was elected as President. Chehab later became …
Death
Highlights
Lecture to students at LAU, Beirut
October 21, 2025 – A lecture was offered to students of LAU, Beirut by H.E. Nassif Hitti under the topic “Lebanon’s Foreign Policy in a Shifting Geopolitical Landscape”, in the presence of H.E. Adel Hamiyeh, President of the Fouad Chehab Foundation.
President Joseph Aoun receives the Fouad Chehab Foundation
October 16, 2025 – The President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, received a delegation from the Fouad Chehab Foundation headed by Mr. Adel Hamiyeh, at the Presidential Palace in Baabda. President Aoun praised the significant impact that President Chehab left on the Lebanese state. He called on the Foundation to pursue its mission of educating young people about the reforms and school of thought of the late President.
Awards Ceremony for Essay Competition on President Chehab’s Legacy.
Sep 23, 2025 – This Citizenship and Nation Building Awards Ceremony took place at the Asfari Institute, AUB, as part of a collaboration between the Foundation and the Good Governance and Citizenship Observatory (GGCO) at AUB.
Awards Ceremony for Essay Competition on President Chehab's Legacy.
- Sep 23, 2025 – This Citizenship and Nation Building Awards Ceremony took place at the Asfari Institute, AUB, as part of a collaboration between the Foundation and the Good Governance and Citizenship Observatory (GGCO) at AUB.
Protocol of Cooperation with ESA Business School
September 10, 2025 – A protocol of cooperation was signed between the Fouad Chehab Foundation, chaired by H.E. Adel Hamiyeh, and ESA Business School, represented by its Director General M. Maxence Duault.
President Joseph Aoun receives the Fouad Chehab Foundation
- October 16, 2025 - President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, received a delegation from the Fouad Chehab Foundation, headed by Mr. Adel Hamieh. The President welcomed the delegation, emphasizing the significant impact President Chehab left on the Lebanese state. He called on the Foundation to continue its journey of educating young people about the reforms and school of thought of the late president.
Fouad Chehab
Foundation
Mission and Objectives
The main objective of the foundation is, as stated in the founding statutes: “To carry out intellectual and social activities to revive the values and the principles that President Chehab believed in and worked for.”
