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of my wife (after 50 years, less 3 1/2 months, of happy marriage),
that I boarded a Pan-Am polar flight for Amman, Jordan. There I
met Messrs. Raymond F. McNair and Charles F. Hunting from our
campus in England. Our negotiation was with Mr. Adlay Muhtadi,
officer in charge of communications for the Jordanian Government.
We drove to the station just outside Jerusalem and back. The
contract was signed.
But on the Sunday morning in June, 1967, when I was enroute
from the campus in England to London airport, to go to Jerusalem
and put on the first broadcast in person, the 6-day war with Israel
had started. Six days later, Jerusalem and that station were in
Israeli hands!
Shortly after that, Mr. Muhtadi came to see me at the
campus in England. He wanted me to take a time, at half the price,
on Radio Amman, the cost of which would go to the Jordanian
refugees from the war. I did.
Mr. Muhtadi became acquainted in this manner, and on
succeeding visits, with Ambassador College, and our Extension
Program of Education worldwide -- getting Christ's Gospel to the
world. He came to believe wholeheartedly in the Message and what
we were doing. About a year ago, he joined our organization,
moving his family to Bricket Wood, England.
In his enthusiasm, he brought other high ranking men of the
Arab world to the British campus. They caught his enthusiasm for
the Message, and its importance to the Arab people. One high
ranking man visited the campuses at Pasadena and Texas with Mr.
Muhtadi. The Egyptian Ambassador to London was our guest at
Bricket Wood.
Among the Arab leaders to become interested, and imbibe Mr.
Muhtadi's enthusiasm and interest in getting this Message to the
Arab people was Dr. Lucien Dahdah, chairman of two or more very
large corporations in Lebanon and the Middle East.
These men communicated with their friends, government
leaders in Arab countries. They briefed them on the unique
worldwide educational program of Ambassador College. As a result,
President Franjieh of Lebanon extended the invitation for me to
come to Lebanon. He and other Lebanese leaders wanted to get to
know me personally, and also some of our top personnel.
On this occasion, Dr. Dahdah had come to Bricket Wood for
the opening of the new school year, and to accompany me on the
visit to Lebanon. In our plane, besides the crew of five, our
party included Dr. Dahdah, Mr. and Mrs. Muhtadi, Mr. and Mrs.
Charles F. Hunting (one of our Vice Presidents, in charge of
Financial Affairs for Britain, Europe and the Middle East), Mr. and
Mrs. Stanley E. Rader (he is our General Counsel), and my daughter,
Mrs. Beverly Gott.
We were welcomed at Beirut airport in VIP manner. Our
meeting with the President and First Lady was on Friday at the
summer Presidential Palace, high in the mountains, and a two hour