Name Cyrus Ansary | ||
Cyrus A. Ansary (born 1934) is an American lawyer and philanthropist.
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Early life and education
Ansary, an Iranian American, was born in Tehran, Iran and is the brother of Hushang Ansary. He visited the Mt. Vernon, New York in 1950 while attending Alborz High School. 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. He served in the US Marines.
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 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 and Wilcox.
Ansary serves as chairman emeritus of The 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.
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 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.
Personal life
Ansary is brother to Hushang Ansary and uncle to Nina Ansary.