Myrna Emile Bustani ( ar, ميرنا إميل البستاني) (born 20 December 1937) is a Lebanese businesswoman, philanthropist, socialite and former parliamentarian. Daughter of Emile Bustani, she was the first woman to serve in the Lebanese parliament (1963-1964) after she took charge of representing her father's parliament seat upon his death in 1963.Bustani is president of the Al Bustan International Music Festival
''aub.edu.lb'' Retrieved 21 July 2017 Bustani is a big contributor towards cultural events in Lebanon and a

patron of the arts Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...

. She is a chairperson of the Al Bustan International Festival in Lebanon.

Biography

Early life

Myrna Bustani was born in

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

on December 20, 1937 to Emile and Laura Bustani. Her parents courted at the Grand Hotel in Beit Mery during the 1930s prior to their marriage. Emille would years later buy the same building in auction, that would later be transformed into the Al Bustan hotel. Her father Emile Bustani headed the leading engineering and contracting firm in the Arab world and was a prominent Lebanese statesman. Bustani's mother Laura, was an accomplished choir singer and pianist and instilled in Myrna a passion for classical compositions. Laura Bustani would take her two children to see concerts frequently in Beirut during their youth.Against All Odds
''bespoke-magazine.com'' Retrieved 21 July 2017

Education

Myrna Bustani attended Collège Protestant Français and in addition for 10 years received formal piano lessons from in

. Bustani attended a finishing school in London and completed her training there in 1954. She studied at the

University of Lyon The University of Lyon (french: Université de Lyon), located in Lyon and Saint-Étienne, France, is a center for higher education and research comprising 11 members and 24 associated institutions. The three main universities in this center are: C ...

in France, where she graduated in 1958 with a

BSc A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University ...

degree in Psychology. Aside from her native

Lebanese Arabic Lebanese Arabic ( ar, عَرَبِيّ لُبْنَانِيّ ; autonym: ), or simply Lebanese ( ar, لُبْنَانِيّ ; autonym: ), is a variety of North Levantine Arabic, indigenous to and spoken primarily in Lebanon, with significant ...

, Bustani is also fluent in French and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

Career

Politics

In 1963, her father Emile Bustani died in an airplane crash. He was considered to be one of the most influential businessmen and philanthropists in the Middle East and a leading figure in the politics of the region at the time. He had been a member of the Lebanese parliament since 1951 Upon his death, Myrna Bustani had been elected to succeed him and thus became the first woman to serve in the Lebanese parliament.

Business

After her father's death, Myrna Bustani not only inherited his parliament seat but also his business positions at various companies and other responsibilities. Including project plans.

Al Bustan Hotel

Prior to his death Emile Bustani had purchased the former hotel where he and his wife use to go dancing before they married during the 1930s. He had bought the building with the intention to developing it. In order for redevelopment to happen they needed to demolish the old hotel. Construction for the new hotel started in 1962. Emile died before its completion. However, his wife and daughter continued the development of the project. By 1967, the hotel was officially completed and ready for its grand opening. Myrna's mother chose the name "Al Bustan" (The Garden) – it was the first hotel of the time to take an Arabic name, when Beirut’s hotels all took European names. The Al Bustan would become an important Lebanese landmark.

Philanthropy

In 1985, she established the Emile Bustani Middle East Seminar at her father's American alma mater,

MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...

, to honour his memory and pursue his devotion to higher education and peace in the region. Bustani has been a member of the AUB Board of Trustees since 1979.

Patron of the Arts

In 2007, according to an interview she did for ''Bespoke Magazine'' (online publication), she described her greatest calling is the struggle to revitalize and educate her sceptical countrymen about symphonies and sonatas, despite rampant economic instability, political assassinations and general unrest. In 1993, she setup the Al Bustan Festival, since it was launched the festival has welcomed hundreds of local and international musicians and performers.Al-Bustan fest is back and bigger than ever
albawaba.com'' Retrieved 21 July 2017

Awards

*''Order of the Cedar'', (officer),

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...

Myrna Bustani profile at Lebanese American university
''lau.edu.lb'' Retrieved 21 July 2017 *''Merite Culturel'', Ministry of Arts of The Polish Republic *''Golden Insignia'' of the

Republic of Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine States of Austria, states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, th ...

*''Commander of the Isabel la Catholique'',

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bustani, Myrna 1937 births Living people Lebanese socialites Businesspeople from Beirut Lebanese philanthropists Lebanese Maronites Lebanese women in politics Lebanese women in business Recipients of the Order of Isabella the Catholic Members of the Parliament of Lebanon Politicians from Beirut