Dr. Francis (Frank) Maria (1913-2001)

By Andrew I. Killgore

Thirty-five years ago an unheralded young American named Anderson from the state of Georgia in the American South took part in a weight-lifting contest in Moscow. Russians, Bulgarians and perhaps an Iranian or two were expected, as usual, to take the top prizes.

But not in 1966. The unknown Anderson was so astonishingly strong that he won all the heavyweight contests, breaking several world records. So extraordinary was he that the Russians, in awe of his power, dubbed him “a phenomenon of nature.”

Our friend Dr. Francis (Frank) Maria, who died June 25 at his home in Warner, New Hampshire at the age of 88, was himself a phenomenon: a man who suddenly and unexpectedly comes on stage, speaking out in a strong and prideful voice for Arabs, Arab Americans and for justice in the Middle East, when circumstances in the United States had long ago cried out for that to be done.

There seemed little reason to believe that the young first-generation American, born to Syrian immigrants John Maria and Mary (Saba) Maria, had been “marked” to speak out. Despite his successful career as a teacher, coach, businessman and management consultant, however, Frank saw that he needed something else. That something was to write and speak out early and over a long lifetime for Arab Americans and for peace with justice in the Middle East.

A native of Lowell, Massachusetts, Frank Maria earned bachelor and master degrees, with honors, from Boston University. He later was awarded the university’s Distinguished Alumni Award, and received an honorary doctorate from the University of New Hampshire. After college he became a high school teacher and basketball coach in Massachusetts public schools.

After serving for three years in the air arm of the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, he returned to Massachusetts to become director of industrial relations and personnel for Merrimack Manufacturing Company. There Frank found his natural talent in working with people and bringing them together. From Merrimack he went on to establish his own management consulting firm of Frank Maria and Associates.

One of the highlights of Frank Maria’s life was a 1950 overseas convention of Arab Americans from around the country who visited their ancestors’ homelands in Lebanon and Syria. Frank was president of their organization at the time and received much praise for the success of his “people- to-people” program.

For nearly half a century he pushed for a just peace in the Middle East. He did so from his seat on the General Board of the National Council of Churches and on the NCC’s Middle East Committee. In 1985 he attended the U.N. Special General Assembly on the Subject of Palestine in Geneva, Switzerland.

A tireless writer and lecturer for 50 years, Frank Maria’s efforts did not go unrecognized. He was presented with the Peace and Justice Award by the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, a Lifetime Achievement Award by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and the Distinguished Service Award by the National Association of Arab Americans. In 1960 he served on the U.S. delegation to UNESCO in Paris, working chiefly with representatives of Arabic-speaking countries of Africa and Asia.

Maria was once an aide to Massachusetts Governor John A. Volpe. He was deputy commissioner of insurance for the Massachusetts Industrial Accident Board.

Frank Maria never married. At a memorial service for him his longtime friend, Martha-Jane Ekstrand, quoted Frank on his high school years: “During this time, I assisted my father in the grocery store and in the maintenance of a tenement block, but the Depression found me working at various other spare-time jobs (newsboy, farmhand, millhand, camp counselor) in order to remain in school and yet alleviate the burden at home.”

As Ms. Ekstrand noted, Frank was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Yet he became very well off by investing carefully and holding on to his investments. He established and helped finance small church and university groups. Among these is the Yale/Maria Lecture in Middle East Studies at the University of New Hampshire. Co-named for Prof. William Yale, the seventh annual lecture of this prestigious series will be sponsored by the university this year.

Frank Maria also gave generously to the Pillsbury Free Library, the Boston University School of Management and to New England College in Henniker, New Hampshire, which recently named the Frank Maria Center for International Politics and Ethics in his honor. He contributed very generously to the American Educational Trust, which publishes this magazine.

In fond memory of Frank Maria and with gratitude to Ms. Martha-Jane Ekstrand for her helpful remembrances about this man who cared enough to make a difference in the world, and who will be missed.

Andrew I. Killgore is the publisher of the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs.