A Brief History of Our Institution
Our university is a higher learning institution owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church. In 1939, the SDA Church recognized the need for a center of higher education in the Middle East and thus founded the Adventist College of Beirut in Mouseitbeh.
To facilitate the growth of the expanding institution, the college was relocated in 1946 to its present location in Sabtieh, Sad El-Bouchrieh, east of Beirut. In the same year, it was also renamed Middle East College and the cornerstone of the building--now called North Hall--was laid by His Excellency Sheikh Bechara El-Khoury, the then President of the Republic of Lebanon.
On June 28, 2001, Middle East College was formally and legally renamed Middle East University (MEU). This significant development further validated the role of MEU as an important center of higher education for the people of Lebanon and the Middle East.
Presidential History
- George A. Keough (1939-1944, 1961-1965)
- Gilbert M. Krick (1944-1946, 1950-1951)
- Frederick E. J. Harder (1946-1950)
- Thomas S. Geraty (1951-1955, 1957-1959)
- Cecil L. Gemmell (Interim President 1955-1957)
- Robert C. Darnell (Interim President 1959-1960)
- E. L. Gammon (1960-1961)
- Kenneth L. Vine (1965-1971)
- Ole C. Bjerkan (1971-1974)
- Ralph L. Koorenny (1974-1978)
- Joseph Estephan (1978-1980)
- Donald O. Eichner (1980-1984)
- Edmond A. Haddad (1984-1990)
- Manoug Nazirian (1990-1993)
- Juanito Villagomez (1993-1997)
- Svein L. Myklebust (1997-2008)
- Milan Bajic (Interim President 2008-2009)
- Leif Hongisto, PhD (2009-present)
