Helen Badawi
Did you know that one of the Assyrian Cultural Foundation’s board members is the daughter of Malik Loco Shlimon Badawi, the last chief of the Assyrian tribe of Tkhuma? Malik Loco Badawi’s daughter, Helen Badawi, has been volunteering as a board member for ACF since 2015. One of Ms. Badawi’s major tasks at ACF is overseeing its Ashurbanipal Library. For over 30 years, Ms. Badawi worked at the University of Illinois in Chicago’s science library, making her the perfect candidate for this position.
Helen Badawi was born in Syria to Malik Loco Badawi and his wife, Nimo. However, Malik Loco soon moved his family to Lebanon and raised his children there. Ms. Badawi eventually attended the Lebanese American University in Beirut, where she first received an Associate of Applied Science degree, and then a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science.
In 1976, Ms. Badawi decided to move to the United States to join her family, who had already moved there. She first became interested in libraries when she started working as a student assistant at the Lebanese American University’s library. Shortly after beginning her job there, she was promoted to full-time employment as an assistant to the head librarian. Therefore, once she moved to the United States, she specifically desired to find employment in a library, and successfully did so when she found a position with the University of Illinois in Chicago.
With her extensive knowledge of Assyrian history and love for libraries, ACF is thankful to have Ms. Badawi on its Board.
By Esther Lang
Bibliography
Badawi, Malik Loko Shlimon d’bit. Assyrian Struggle for National Survival in the 20th and 21st Centuries. Chicago: Younan ML Badawi, 2021.
Solomon, Solomon (Sawa). The Indestructible Assyrians: A Photo History of Modern Assyrians. Morrisville, NC: Lulu Press, 2010.