Assad Rizk (1931–2020) was a Lebanese physician and politician. He taught at the

Saint Joseph University Saint Joseph University of Beirut (; French: ''Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth'', commonly known as USJ) is a private Catholic research university in Beirut, Lebanon, founded in 1875 by French Jesuit missionaries and subsidized by the Go ...

for thirty years and also, held various cabinet portfolios. He was the founder of the Lebanese American University Medical Center-Rizk Hospital.

Early life and education

Rizk was born in Beirut on 23 July 1931. He hailed from a Greek Catholic family. His father, Toufic, was a surgeon. Rizk obtained a degree in medicine from the Saint Joseph University in the late 1950s and completed his medical training at a urology clinic in Paris.

Career

Following his return to Lebanon Rizk taught courses on

urology Urology (from Ancient Greek, Greek wikt:οὖρον, οὖρον ''ouron'' "urine" and ''wiktionary:-logia, -logia'' "study of"), also known as genitourinary surgery, is the branch of medicine that focuses on surgical and medical diseases of t ...

at the Saint Joseph University from the mid-1960s. He retired from his teaching post in the mid-1990s. Then he was named as an emeritus professor. He established the Rizk Hospital which was later named as Lebanese American University Medical Center-Rizk Hospital.

Cabinet posts

Rizk was named as minister of social affairs and labour and minister education on 9 December 1976 to the

cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...

led by

Salim Hoss Salim Ahmad al-Huss ('';'' 20 December 1929 – 25 August 2024), also spelled Selim El-Hoss, was a Lebanese politician who served as the prime minister of Lebanon and a longtime Member of Parliament representing his hometown, Beirut. He was kno ...

. Rizk was also appointed minister of oil and industry on 20 December 1978 in a cabinet reshuffle. He succeeded Selim Hoss in the post who had been serving as minister of petroleum and minister of industry since 9 December 1976. Rizk's term in all offices ended on 16 July 1979 when a new cabinet was formed by Selim Hoss. Rizk was named as the minister of industry and petroleum in 1992 and served in the

led by

Rafic Hariri Rafic Bahaa El Deen al-Hariri (; 1 November 1944 – 14 February 2005) was a Lebanese businessman and politician who served as Prime Minister of Lebanon, prime minister of Lebanon from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2000 to 2004. Hariri headed fi ...

until 1995. Rizk served as the minister of justice in 2005. The same year he also acted as an interim minister of culture and interim minister of education and higher education.

Personal life and death

Rizk married Colette Le Breton in 1959. They had three sons: Toufic, Fady and Sami. Rizk died on 11 December 2020.

Awards

Rizk was awarded the Knight rank of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

. He was also recipient of the

Order of Merit of the Italian Republic The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic () is the most senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of Italy, President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi. The highest-ranking honour of the Republi ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rizk, Assad 20th-century Lebanese physicians Lebanese urologists 1931 births 2020 deaths Education ministers of Lebanon People of the Lebanese Civil War Knights of the Legion of Honour Lebanese Eastern Catholics Labour ministers of Lebanon Academic staff of Saint Joseph University Industry ministers of Lebanon Politicians from Beirut Saint Joseph University alumni Justice ministers of Lebanon Recipients of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic