Impact Stories

Ken and Marjorie Sauer arrived in Beirut in 1957. Although still a PhD student at Harvard, Ken had been offered – and accepted – a position as a chemistry instructor. Ken was attracted to Lebanon after seeing a slideshow by a recent visitor who was also the father of an AUB student. The beauty of the land and city, as well as the wide variety of people coming to Beirut for higher education, appealed to him as a window to a fascinating part of the world.

Marjorie was drawn to the Middle East, following in the footsteps of her parents and grandparents, who had spent many years there, primarily in Persia. She came to Beirut with connections that led to a job teaching at the American Community School. Both Ken and Marjorie found the social life stimulating and rewarding, with the faculty and mentors full of generosity and hospitality. There were many occasions for evening social gatherings, for travel, for meeting people from different countries and backgrounds, and for cultural activities including singing and performing plays and operas. Both Ken and Marjorie were members of the cast for a performance of “Amahl and the Night Visitors.” They later got married in Beirut with many AUB faculty and staff present. Ken was promoted to assistant professor at AUB in 1958, the same year he earned a PhD in physical chemistry at Harvard College.

The Sauer family left Lebanon in 1960 for the UC Berkeley College of Chemistry where Ken spent three years as a post-doctoral research fellow. He went on to spend the next 41 years at UC Berkeley as an assistant professor (1963-66), associate professor (1966-72) and professor (1972-2001) of chemistry. He retired in 2001 but continues to be active in research and service as professor emeritus.

Although they spent only three years on the AUB campus a long time ago, Ken and Marjorie still feel a strong attachment to AUB. Ken kept his connection to the Department of Chemistry as an external advisor. The Sauers have also been consistent donors to the university for many years. “We were struck by the diversity and pluralism of AUB and Beirut,” remembers Ken. “It is something we love and continue to admire – and want to support.” They stayed in contact with AUB colleagues such as Calvin Schwabe, who spent ten years at AUB (1956-66) as a professor of parasitology and epidemiology, and Richard Zobel, who was an assistant professor of chemistry at AUB in 1957-59, as well as former AUB graduate students including Mary Kasparian, who had a long career at the Department of Chemistry (1958-2006).

The Sauers’ most recent and especially generous gifts were to support the AUB Community Vaccination Drive, which AUB launched in spring 2021 to vaccinate members of the AUB community and their families; students, faculty, and staff at other universities and schools; and people living in communities where the need is especially great. The vaccination drive and the Sauer donation enabled the university to vaccinate students, faculty, and staff during the summer so that the university could open as scheduled in early September. AUB, which as of September 25, 2021, had administered 42,717 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, expects to administer a total of 90,000 doses (to vaccinate 45,000 individuals) during the vaccination drive.

“All of us at AUB are deeply grateful to Professor and Mrs. Sauer for their philanthropic support for the AUB Community Vaccination Drive,” said VP for Advancement and Business Development Imad Baalbaki. “It is so important to our university and to the health of our country, which is struggling so much these days, that we increase the vaccination rate. We are making progress, but we have a long way to go.”