Hasan Nouri
Hasan Nouri
Hasan Nouri, in his humanitarian and professional accomplishments, truly exemplifies the spirit of this medal as originally expressed by President Hoover. An American citizen of Afghan origin, Nouri received his education in both countries and in The Netherlands: he earned degrees in civil engineering from Kabul University, 1966; Georgia Institute of Technology, 1968; and Delft Technological University, 1969. In 1984, in collaboration with Dr. Robert Simon of the UCLA Medical Center, he cofounded the International Medical Corps, whose purpose was to provide medical care for Soviet Union war victims in Afghanistan. Their efforts, backed by funding from the U. S. Congress, within one year resulted in 50 medical clinics with the capability of treating 35,000 persons. Many lives were saved; in fact, without them many more people would have died during the war. Eventually, the clinics became prototypes, initiated by Nouri, for similar facilities in other underdeveloped countries such as Nicaragua, Cambodia, Somalia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
On revisiting Afghanistan, Nouri found that some four million citizens (about one-quarter of the population there) had been relocated to camps in Pakistan. Among that number were 500,000 children who were orphans of war. Nouri and his wife Lisa believed those children needed help if they were ever to become self-sufficient adults who could help rebuild their country without having to struggle for their very existence. As a result, Mr. and Mrs. Nouri established International Orphan Care, which was funded by the couple and by contributions from the organization's board of directors. In December of 1992 at the beginning of the civil war in Afghanistan, Mr. and Mrs. Nouri had the courage to go in Jalalabad, Afghanistan and open the school of International Orphan Care. Since that time its work has continued, encompassing vocational training, primary schooling (with two meals a day) and pediatric clinics in Jalalabad, Kabul and in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
With more than two decades of professional engineering experience in his own practice, he has been engaged in such areas as water resources, wetlands restoration, flood control, drainage and transportation and as an expert witness. A Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, he has received several of that organization's awards for his technical accomplishments. In May 1996, he testified before the House of Representatives Committee on International Relations relative to his humanitarian activities as chairman of International Orphan Care. In his testimonies, facilitated by Congressman Edward Royce (Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee), Nouri promoted peace in Afghanistan, his country of birth, which was in a civil war and homeland for terrorists like Al Qaeda. A FULL ARTICLE on this appears in the Huffington Post.
Among those recommending him for the Hoover Medal is William J. Carroll, a past president of both ASCE and the World Federation of Engineering Organizations, and himself the recipient of the 54th Hoover Medal. Says Carroll: "Hasan Nouri, in supplying food and medical supplies, and training workers, has most importantly demonstrated his concern for the world's less fortunate citizens. He is most deservedly a worthy recipient of the Hoover Medal."
Nouri facilitated the 1998 Hoover Medal for President James Earl Carter, Jr. Prior to the tragedy of September 11, 2001 and during the civil war in Afghanistan, Nouri was in contact with President Carter in the promotion of peace in that country and the abolishment of Al Qaeda. Both President Carter and Nouri attended Georgia Tech.
In recognition of his outstanding humanitarian efforts, Hasan Nouri now joins the illustrious list of Hoover Medalists.