Education Champion, Philanthropist Ebeid Dead At 77

DEARBORN, MI — The Arab American community has lost a giant. Russell J. Ebeid, a philanthropist and enormously successful businessman, died Sunday. He was 77 years old.

A Lebanese American, Ebeid was a champion of education. The Dearborn Press and Guide reported that he supported students at Kettering University, Lourdes University and at Wayne State University. He also served as director of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.

“Mr. Ebeid was a visionary and true role model of what a change agent looks like,” ACCESS Deputy Executive Director and CFO Maha Freij said in a news release. “I’m so honored that I had the opportunity to learn from him. He was a proud Arab American, and a man of true conviction and impeccable character. He fully believed that empowering people is not about giving them a handout, but rather, a hand up. Our world has, undoubtedly, suffered a true loss.”

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While his parents had very little in the way of education, the encouraged their son to achieve academically. He earned a bachelor’s degree in 1962 in electrical engineering and then went onto to obtain a master’s degree from Wayne State in 1968, the Press and Guide reported.

Professionally, he started his career with General Motors before moving to Guardian Glass. He stayed there and rose through the ranks to become a director with the company before retiring in 2011. Ebeid stayed busy with philanthropic pursuits after retirement until his death.

In 2008, he was the recipient of ACCESS’ 2008 ‘Making an Impact’ Award and was a member of the Arab American National Museum’s (AANM) National Advisory Board, according to the organization’s news release.

Among his awards, Ebeid was honored with the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, was named the National Arab American Businessman of the Year in 2003 and entered the Halls of Fame at Wayne State University and the National Commission for Cooperative Education, according to ACCESS. In 2010, he was recognized as the Trader of the Year for his work in promoting international trade.

As a philanthropist, Ebeid was a longstanding supporter of ACCESS, namely its two national institutions: the Arab American National Museum (AANM) and the Center for Arab American Philanthropy (CAAP). In 2014, the AANM unveiled the Russell J. Ebeid Library & Resource Center, in recognition of Ebeid’s longtime support of the AANM and ACCESS and his role as a visionary community leader and philanthropist.

Photo courtesy of ACCESS