Syrian American - Notable People and Contributions

Notable People and Contributions

Sometimes some confusion occurs between Greater Syria and the modern Syria when determining the place of origin of the earliest Syrian Americans. However, the following list comprises notable Americans who are originally people of modern Syrian heritage.

• Paula Abdul (born June 19, 1962), is a television personality, jewelry designer, multi-platinum Grammy-winning singer, and Emmy Award-winning choreographer. According to Abdul, she has sold over 53 million records to date. Abdul found renewed fame as a judge on the highly rated television series American Idol.
• F. Murray Abraham (born October 24, 1939), is an actor who won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Antonio Salieri in the 1984 film Amadeus. His career after Amadeus inspired the name of the phenomenon dubbed "F. Murray Abraham syndrome", attributed to actors who, after winning an Oscar, have difficulty obtaining comparable success and recognition despite having recognizable talent.
• Moustapha Akkad (July 1, 1930 – November 11, 2005), was a film director and producer originally from Aleppo; Akkad is best known for producing the series of Halloween films, and for directing the Lion of the Desert and Mohammad, Messenger of God films.
• Malek Jandali (born December 25, 1972), is an award-winning composer and pianist originally from Homs; Jandali is best known for arranging the oldest music notation in the world of Ugarit in his album Echoes from Ugarit.
• Tige Andrews (March 19, 1920 – January 27, 2007), was an Emmy-nominated character actor who was best known for his role as "Captain Adam Greer" on the television series The Mod Squad.
• Paul Anka (born July 30, 1941), is a singer and song writer. Anka rose to fame after many successful 1950s songs, earning him the status of a teen idol. (Some sources, such as The Canadian Encyclopedia and Time magazine, suggest that Anka is of Syrian descent, while other sources, including Anka's official website, suggest that he is of Lebanese descent.)
• Michael Ansara (born April 15, 1922), is a stage, screen and voice actor.
• Rosemary Barkett (born 1939), was the first woman to serve on the Florida Supreme Court, and the first woman Chief Justice of that court. She currently serves as a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
• Mitch Daniels (born April 7, 1949), is the current Governor of the U.S. state of Indiana.
• Hala Gorani (born March 1, 1970), is a news anchor and correspondent for CNN International.
• Dan Hedaya (born July 24, 1940), is a prolific character actor notable for his many Italian American film roles.
• Robert M. Isaac (born January 27, 1928), is the former Republican Mayor of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Elected in 1979, he was the first elected Mayor of the history of Colorado Springs, serving through 1997.
• Alan Jabbour (born 1942), is a folklorist and a musician.
• Steve Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011), was the co-founder and former CEO of Apple, the largest Disney shareholder, and a member of Disney's Board of Directors. Jobs is considered a leading figure in both the computer and entertainment industries.
• Mohja Kahf (born 1967), poet and author
• Peter Lupus (born June 17, 1932), is a bodybuilder and actor, known primarily for "Mission: Impossible".
• Kurtis Mantronik (born September 4, 1965), is a hip-hop, electro funk, and dance music artist, DJ, remixer, and producer. Mantronik was the leader of the old-school band Mantronix.
• Jack Marshall (born 1936), is an author and poet.
• Louay M. Safi (born September 15, 1955), is a scholar and Human Rights activist, and a vocal critic of the Far Right. Author of numerous books and articles, Safi is active in the debate on nuclear race, social and political development, and Islam-West issues. He is the chairman of the Syrian American Congress.
• Jerry Seinfeld (born April 29, 1954), is a comedian, actor, and writer, best known for playing a semi-fictional version of himself in the long-running sitcom Seinfeld, which he co-created and executively produced.
• Teri Hatcher (born December 8, 1964), is an actress known for her television roles as Susan Mayer on the ABC comedy-drama series Desperate Housewives, and Lois Lane on Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Hatcher is Syrian from her mother's side.
• Yasser Seirawan (born March 24, 1960), is a chess grandmaster and 4-time US-champion. Seirawan is the 69th best chess player in the world and the 2nd in the United States.
• Mona Simpson (born June 14, 1957), is a novelist and essayist; Simpson is also a sister of Steve Jobs.
• Kelly Slater (born February 11, 1972), is a successful professional surfer and an 11 time world champion.
• Wafa Sultan (born 1958), is a well-known secular activist and vocal critic of Islam. In 2006, Sultan was chosen by Time Magazine to be on the Time 100 list of the 100 most influential people in 2006.
• Vic Tayback (January 6, 1930 – May 25, 1990), was an actor who won two Golden Globe Awards for his role in the television series Alice.
• Fawwaz Ulaby, is the R. Jamieson and Betty Williams Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Michigan, and the former vice president for research.
• M.Safwan Badr, is a Professor of Internal Medicine and Chief of Pulmonary/Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the Wayne State University, and the president elect of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).