Notable Nassifs

Composer & singer — a father of Lebanese folk music

Born in Mashghara in the Bekaa Valley and trained in music at the American University of Beirut, Zaki Nassif helped invent the modern Lebanese school of song, weaving village dabkeh rhythms into refined orchestral writing. He composed roughly 1,100 works, sung by Fairuz among others, and his wartime anthem “Raje‘ Yit‘ammar Loubnan” (“Lebanon Will Be Rebuilt”) became a national touchstone of hope. AUB’s Zaki Nassif Program for Music preserves his legacy.

Sources: Wikipedia; AUB Zaki Nassif Program; Al Jazeera obituary — details

Facial plastic surgeon & television personality

A Lebanese-American otolaryngologist and facial plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, Paul Nassif is internationally known as a specialist in rhinoplasty — above all revision rhinoplasty, repairing nose surgeries gone wrong. Since 2014 he has co-hosted the E! series Botched with Dr. Terry Dubrow, and he earlier appeared on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

Sources: Wikipedia; nassifmd.com — details

Diplomat & agricultural industry leader

Born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to a family that emigrated from Lebanon, Tom Nassif rose from agricultural labor attorney to the Reagan White House — serving as Deputy Chief of Protocol and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State — before his appointment as U.S. Ambassador to Morocco (1985–1988). He later led Western Growers, the powerful association of fresh-produce farmers, as president and CEO from 2002 until his retirement in 2020.

Sources: ATFL; U.S. Congress witness bio; Western Growers — details

Entrepreneur — founder of Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day

From Minneapolis, Monica Nassif built two of America’s best-known household brands: the upscale Caldrea line (2000) and Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day (2002), the garden-fresh cleaning brand named for her Iowa homemaker mother, Thelma Meyer. A pioneer of plant-based cleaning products, she sold the companies to S.C. Johnson in 2008 and has since told the story in her book I Bottled My Mother.

Sources: Star Tribune; U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Twin Cities Business — details

Journalist & economic commentator

Born in Poços de Caldas to a family of Lebanese and Italian descent, Luís Nassif became one of Brazil’s most influential economic journalists — a longtime columnist for Folha de S.Paulo, a participant in the project that created the Datafolha polling institute, and founder of the independent Jornal GGN. He is also a mandolin player and scholar of choro music. His sister, Maria Inês Nassif, is likewise a prominent journalist.

Sources: Wikipedia; Portal dos Jornalistas — details

Chemist, religious sister & university president

A School Sister of Notre Dame with a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the Catholic University of America, Rosemarie Nassif led two universities — the College of Notre Dame of Maryland (1992–1996) and Holy Names University in Oakland (1999–2010) — and later directed the Center for Catholic Education at Loyola Marymount University, shaping Catholic education policy nationwide.

Sources: Wikipedia; Angelus News; LMU — details

Professional card player — Hall of Famer

Widely regarded as one of the greatest Magic: The Gathering players ever, Paris-born Gabriel Nassif won Pro Tour titles in Atlanta (2005) and Kyoto (2009), was named 2004 Player of the Year, and was inducted into the game’s Hall of Fame in 2010. Celebrated for his self-built decks, he has since competed in professional poker as well.

Sources: Wikipedia; magic.gg Hall of Fame — details

Geologist, university president & Islamic leader (Nasseef spelling)

Born in Jeddah, Abdullah Omar Nasseef earned his doctorate in geology at the University of Leeds and rose to the presidency of King Abdulaziz University in 1980. He served as Secretary-General of the Muslim World League (1983–1993), sat as a vice-president of Saudi Arabia’s Consultative Assembly, and received the King Faisal International Prize for Service to Islam in 1991.

Sources: Wikipedia; Arab News obituary — details