Cyrus A. Ansary (born 1934) is an American lawyer and philanthropist.

Early life and education

Ansary, an

Iranian American Iranian Americans are United States citizens or nationals who are of Iranian ancestry or who hold Iranian citizenship. Iranian Americans are among the most highly educated people in the United States. They have historically excelled in busin ...

, was born in

Tehran, Iran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most pop ...

and is the brother of

Hushang Ansary Hushang Ansary ( fa, هوشنگ انصاری, born 1927) is an Iranian-American former diplomat, businessman, and philanthropist. He served for eighteen years in the Iranian government prior to the Iranian Revolution including as Minister of Econo ...

. He visited Mt. Vernon, New York in 1950 while attending

Alborz High School Mandegar Alborz High School ( fa, دبیرستان ماندگار البرز) is a college-preparatory high school located in the heart of Tehran, Iran. It is one of the first modern high schools in Asia and the Middle East, named after the Alborz ...

. Ansary later earned a BS in Economics from American University, a law degree from Columbia and a Certificate in French Civilization from the

University of Paris , image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of Arms , latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis , motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin) , mottoeng = Here and a ...

. He served in the U.S. Marines."Executive Profile: Cyrus A. Ansary"
''

Bloomberg Businessweek ''Bloomberg Businessweek'', previously known as ''BusinessWeek'', is an American weekly business magazine published fifty times a year. Since 2009, the magazine is owned by New York City-based Bloomberg L.P. The magazine debuted in New York City ...

''. Retrieved 2014-04-04.

Career

Ansary is president of Investment Services International Co. and the founder and current chairman of Fort Knox National Company. He practiced law in the firm of Ansary, Kirkpatrick & Rosse and was chairman of the board of

JPMorgan JPMorgan Chase & Co. is an American multinational investment bank and financial services holding company headquartered in New York City and incorporated in Delaware. As of 2022, JPMorgan Chase is the largest bank in the United States, the w ...

Value Opportunities Fund, Inc. He was affiliated with Washington Mutual Investors Fund, Inc. from 1983 and served on the boards of First American Bank of Maryland, Krupp GmbH,

Deutsche Babcock Deutsche Babcock AG (full name: ''Deutsche Babcock & Wilcox Dampfkessel Werke Aktien-Gesellschaft'') was a German manufacturing company based in Oberhausen in the Ruhr District, the center of the German economy. The company was established in 18 ...

and Wilcox. Ansary serves as chairman emeritus of American University and was board chair from 1981 to 1989. He is a member of the Woodrow Wilson Council for Scholars and the Life Guard Society of

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is on ...

Awards in Ansary name

Since 1990, the Cyrus Ansary Medal has been awarded annually and is one of the highest volunteer awards given by American University. Recipients include alums, "trustees, volunteers, and community leaders who set high standards for achievement and serve as role models to American University's students and alumni". Recent recipients include J. Willard Marriott Jr., Alan L. Meltzer, Kermit A. Washington"Cryus Ansary Award"
''american.edu''. Web page lists twelve award recipients for period 1990-2009 inclusive; not an award every year. Retrieved 2015-02-02. and Hani M. S. Farsi. In March 2014, Mount Vernon awarded its first Cyrus A. Ansary Prize for Courage and Character to former president George H. W. Bush. The prize was established in 2012 by Cyrus A. and Janet H. Ansary and, in 2014, came with $75,000 in unrestricted and Mt. Vernon-related monies."Former U.S. President Honored with Ansary Prize"
, Mt. Vernon web page. Retrieved 2012-06-01.

Books

* Ansary, Cyrus A. ''George Washington, Dealmaker-in-Chief: The Story of How the Father of Our Country Unleashed the Entrepreneurial Spirit in America''. Washington, DC: Cyrus A. Ansary, 2019. . * Ansary, Cyrus A. '' Odyssey of High Hopes: An Immigrant’s Tale Of Sacrifice, Courage, and Love''. Bethesda, MD: Lambert Publications LLC, 2022. .

Personal life

Ansary is brother to

and uncle to Nina Ansary.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ansary, Cyrus A. American University alumni Columbia Law School alumni American lawyers Living people Iranian emigrants to the United States 20th-century American businesspeople University of Paris alumni People from Tehran Iranian expatriates in France United States Marines 1934 births