General Emile Lahoud, the popular army commander,
was elected president of Lebanon on October 15, 1998. General Lahoud was sworn in on
November 24, 1998, to succeed President Elias Hrawi, who served for nine years.
According to the Los Angeles Times, dated October 16, 1998, "Lahoud, a 62-year old
Christian who began his military career in the Lebanese navy under British and U.S.
trainers, has long been a prominent figure in Lebanon (Los Angeles Times).
General Emile Lahoud is half
Armenian from his maternal lineage and is the descendent of Armenians from Turkey.
The purpose of this article is to provide a genealogical overview of the relationship
between the Lahoud family, including General Emil Lahoud, and the Poochigian family.
This article is based on a compilation of various publications, news sources, and a
personal interviews with George Poochigian, Jr. and Queenie Poochigian, the cousins of
General Emile Lahoud. The photos shown in this article are from the Photo Gallery of the
Lebanese Armed Forces. Just click on any picture to link to the source of the
photos, the Lebanese Armed Forces web site.
Takouhi
Kalebjian & Minas Sagerian
The newly-elected President
of Lebanon, General Emile Lahoud, is the great-grandson of Takouhi Kalebjian and Minas
Sagerian from Adabazar (Adabazari), Turkey. Adabazar is located about 50 miles (80
kilometers) outside Istanbul (Constinople) on the Black Sea (See Poochigians on Tour). Sadly, both
Minas and Takouhi were massacred during the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman-ruled
Turkey during World War I. (Poochigian
Interview)
Rebecca & Dikranouhi
Sagerian
In Adabazar, Minas and
Takouhi gave birth to one son, Vaughn, and three daughters: Anahid, Rebecca, born about
1894, and Dikranouhi, born May 15, 1904. Vaughn and Anahid died during the
Massacres. Rebecca and Dikranouhi escaped the Massacres when they fled with
Rebecca's husband, Ohaness, and their small daughter, Adrene, to Syria. When the Allied Powers took control, they returned to Adabazar for a short
while. (Poochigian
Interview)
Rebecca and Dikranouhi were
separated when Rebecca, along with her husband, Ohaness, and daughter, Adrene, relocated
in Syria, and Dikranouhi migrated to America (Poochigian Interview). In April, 1921, Dikranouhi entered the United States at Boston,
Massachusetts (U.S.A. Petition for
Citizenship) and travelled to
Fresno, California, to live with her uncle, Miran Kalebjian, who was working on the
Koligian's farm (Poochigian
Interview).
Dikranouhi Sagerian & Kevork Poochigian
In Fresno, Dikranouhi met
Kevork "George" Poochigian, and they were married on November 4, 1922.
Dikranouhi and Kevork had three children, John, born November 4, 1923, Queenie, born
September 14, 1925, and George Poochigian, Jr., born February 1, 1934 (U.S.A. Petition for Citizenship).
After more than fifty years,
Rebecca and Dikranouhi were reunited for the first time when Rebecca and her daughter,
Adrene visited the Poochigian family in Los Angeles in 1972. (Poochigian Interview)
Dikranouhi, who passed away
April 2, 1996, and Kevork "George," who passed away on February 12, 1981, were
survived by five grandchildren including Dr. John George Poochigian, Jr., and Mark Poochigian.
Adrene
Karabadjakian & Jamil Lahoud
 Rebecca Sagerian
Karabadjakian's only daughter, Adrene Karabadjakian (Bajakian), met Jamil Lahoud in Syria
and they married in the early 1930's. From Syria, they went to Lebanon. Jamil
Lahoud was promoted to the rank of General in 1959. After he retired from the
military, he was elected to the Lebanese Parliament from the district of Northern Metn in
1960 and 1964. In 1966, General Jamil Lahoud was appointed as Minister of Labor and
Social Affairs in the cabinet of the late Abdullah El Yaffi during the mandate of
President Charles Helou. (Lebanese
Armed Forces, Biography 1)
 General Jamil Lahoud and Adrene Karabadjakian had two sons: Nasri
(Michel) Jamil Lahoud, born November 11, 1934, and Emile Jamil Lahoud, born January 12,
1936. Both sons, Nasri and Emile are from the town of Baabdat in the province of
Metn in Lebanon. While Nasri followed his primary studies at St. Joseph and Sagesse
College, Emile received his elementary studies in Hikmeh School. Both Nasri and
Emile completed their Secondary Studies at Brummana High School. Nasri finished his
University Studies at the American University of Beirut and the Faculty of Law at St.
Joseph University. Following his father's steps, Emile joined the Military
Academy on October 1, 1956, as a marine cadet officer for one year. Emile then
attended Dartmouth Naval College in the United Kingdom (Lebanese Armed Forces, Biography 1-2, Military Court, Biography 1
and The Daily Star, Biography).
Nasri Lahoud & Najat Daou
 Judge Nasri Jamil Lahoud is the Lebanese
government's commissioner at the Military Court in Beirut, Lebanon. Nasri Lahoud married Najat Daou in 1972, and they have three sons: Fst Lt Jamil, Nasri
and Emad. (Military Court,
Biography 1)
During his academic life,
Nasri Lahoud was elected president of the national union of students in Lebanon; president
of the Lebanese federation of university sport; first auditor of the international
federation of university sport; member of the Preasidium in the international union of
students; champion of the Lebanese universities in athletics in swimming and diving, and
member of the national university teams of football, basketball and volleyball. (Military Court, Biography 1)
During Nasri Lahoud's
Lebanese diplomatic career, he was appointed, in 1959, as Director of the Protocol
Department, Chief of the Political Arab and Consular sections at the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, Charge d'Affairs at the Lebanese Embassy in Morocco. In 1963, he was
nominated as Magistrate, and he occupied the positions of President of the First Instance
Penal Court of Beirut, Examining Military Judge, President of the Exceptional Penal Court
of Beirut, and First Examining Military Judge of Lebanon and the Lebanese Government's
Commissioner at the Military Courts (General Military Prosecutor of Lebanon). (Military Court, Biography 1)
According to Nasri Jamil
Lahoud's biography, he gives special attention and concern in fighting criminality, drug
traffic, terrorism, traffic road bloody accidents, health welfare dangers and the
situation of the jails in Lebanon.
(Military Court, Biography 1-2)
Emile Lahoud & Andre
Amadonian
 General Emile Lahoud, who was elected as the eleventh president of the
Lebanese republic in 1998, married Andre Amadonian (Amadoni) in 1967. Emile and
Andre are the parents of three children: Karine, Emile and Ralph. According to General Lahoud's biography, he
is an accomplished athlete and enjoys sports, specifically swimming and diving. (Lebanese Armed Forces, Biography 2)
 Karine
married Elias Michel El-Murr in 1992 (Lebanese
Armed Forces, Biography 2),
and is the daughter-in-law of Deputy Prime Minister, and Interior Minister Michel
Murr. Michel Murr, born 1932, was elected to the Lebanese Parliament from the Mount
Lebanon region of Metn in 1968-1992-1996 (Lebanese Parliament).
General Emile Lahoud's
Military Career
After graduating from the
Academy in 1959, General Emile Lahoud, then a lieutenant, served at the naval base near
the port of Beirut, as a navy engineer and commander for the landing ship Tyre. The
ship had been left behind as a gift to Lebanon by the U.S. Navy when it disembarked on
July 16, 1958. (The Daily
Star, Biography).
In 1970, a year after being
promoted to the rank of lieutenant, Lahoud was appointed head of the transportation
section of the army's fourth division. Lahoud served with army commander General
Jean Njeim, who issued an order transferring Lahoud from the transportation branch to the
army command. (The Daily Star,
Biography).
In 1989, President Elias
Hrawi named Lahoud army commander. General Lahoud's nine-year term has been exceeded
only by president Fouad Chehab's 13 consecutive years as army commander. (The Daily Star, Biography).
References
The Daily Star, Lebanese
News. "Biography of General Lahoud," October 19, 1998. http://www.dailystar.com.lb
Lebanese Armed Forces,
Biography of General Emile Lahoud. http://www.leb_army.gov.lb/biography.html
http://www.leb_army.gov.lb
Lebanese Armed Forces, Photo
Gallery of General Emile Lahoud, Family Photos.
http://www.leb_army.gov.lb/gallery.html
http://www.leb_army.gov.lb
Lebanese Parliament, Republic
of Lebanon, in cooperation with the Center for Legislative Development, State University
of New York at Albany. H. E. Michel Murr. October 10, 1998
http://www.lp.gov.lb/english/murr.htm
http://www.lp.gov.lb/english.html
Los Angeles Times. The
Times Mirror Company, October 16, 1998, page A11.
Military Court, Beirut,
Lebanon. Biography of Magistrate President Nasri Lahoud. http://www.libancom.com.lb/clients/na-lahoud/president.html
Poochigian, George, Jr.,
Personal Interview, October, 1998
Poochigian, Queenie, Personal
Interview, December, 1998
United States of America
Petition for Citizenship No. 45439, Kevork Bedros Poochigian, Los Angeles, California,
March 25, 1935.
Last Updated 07/18/99 |
Family Relationships
