Mamdouha El-Sayed Bobst, born in 1925 in Tripoli, Lebanon, was a dedicated philanthropist known for her commitment to education, healthcare, and social justice. She earned a Bachelor’s in Arabic from the American University of Beirut, a post-graduate diploma from the University of Birmingham, and a Master’s in Public Health Education from UC Berkeley.El-Sayed Bobst began her career as a public health consultant with the World Health Organization, where she pioneered Libya’s first school of nursing and established a national public health system.

Later, she served UNICEF and the United Nations, appointed as a UN General Assembly delegate by Lebanese Prime Minister Rashid Karami. In 1961, she married Elmer Homes Bobst, with whom she founded The Elmer and Mamdouha Bobst Foundation in 1968.

Her philanthropy included transformative contributions and roles at institutions such as the American University of Beirut, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York University, the Royal Society of Medicine, the Kennedy Center, and the World Rehabilitation Fund. She was also active in cancer control and animal welfare causes. El-Sayed Bobst’s accolades include NYU’s Presidential and Gallatin Medals, the United Nations Women’s Hospitality Committee’s Humanitarian Award, the Lebanese Order of Cedars, and an honorary doctorate from Hahnemann Medical College. She passed away in September 2015, leaving a legacy of compassion and progress.