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As a popular math teacher for 23 years at IC, Mr. Farid
Mujais earned a fond place in the hearts of his students.
Before joining IC in 1957, Mr. Mujais had already had a
lengthy and varied career. He started off in Baghdad, Iraq,
and taught in the public school “Baghdad Al Rasmiyyah” for
7 years. He then moved to Tripoli, where he was an instruc-
tor for two years with the British army at Garrison Engineer-
ing, leaving in 1945 to join the American University, which
had opened a branch in Damascus, Syria. Twelve years
later, Mr. Mujais joined IC.
In 1945, Mr. Farid Mujais married Najla Jurdak, and they
were blessed with two boys: Wadih ’67, and Samir ’67.
Both IC graduates and later engineering students at A.U.B,
Mr. Mujais’ boys were never taught by their father during
their years at IC. However, they would enjoy hearing their
friends’ stories concerning the manner in which their father
managed his classrooms: Mr. Mujais was a strict teacher
who enjoyed “drop quizzes” and frightening his students
with the “circle without a center.” “I remember his students
would mention that there would always be a problem
towards the end of the exam which the students dubbed the
outer limit,” Dr. Samir Mujais ’67
says, explaining that “the name
was meant to indicate a problem
which usually only a select few
would have a chance to solve.
This was simply to differentiate
between the different abilities of
students and reward those who
went the extra mile.” Even though
Mr. Mujais never taught his boys
mathematics in class, he would
make sure that their homework
was done on time, and would
always offer help when needed.
Mr. Mujais’ memory of his stu-
dents is still very clear, and he
recalls a humorous incident that
occurred during his tenure at IC.
One of the students in the high
school section scored a recurrent
40 on the math quizzes, and so
on each of his
exam papers Mr. Mujais would find a note reading: “Sorry
Sir, I did not prepare!” or “Sorry Sir, I had no time!” Mr.
Mujais understood the difficulties some students experi-
enced with his subject. “I never failed students, because I
think that not everyone is disposed with a mathematical
intellect,” he points out. However, after many printed
“sorry” comments and many 40’s, Mr. Mujais replied:
“Sorry, no brains!” Mr. Mujais had a good sense of humor
and his students often appreciated his jokes.
Other than being a full-time math teacher at IC, Mr. Mujais
participated in diverse activities both inside and outside the
school. At IC, he was an active member of the Carnival
Committee and was responsible for the creation of some of
its games. Outside the school, he was a member of the writ-
ing team entrusted with assembling the Baccalaureate
exams, and was also responsible for the translation of sever-
al books from French to English.
Today, and after the loss of his wife, Mr. Mujais lives with
his elder son Wadih ’67 on Hamra Street, in Beirut. He is
retired and in good health. His other son, Dr. Samir Mujais
’67, got married and is teaching mechanical engineering in
Las Vegas, Nevada. Mr. Mujais will always have a center in
the circle of the IC family.
Mr. Farid Mujais:
Memorable Math Teacher
7
Mr. Farid Mujais today.
Mr. Farid Mujais in 1978.
Circled above are the sons of Mr. Mujais, Wadih ’67 (brown) and Samir ’67 (yellow) in 2nd C back in 1962.
Mr. Farid Mujais standing outside
Rockefeller Hall, in 1967.