Nahim Abraham

Nahim Abraham (February 15, 1885 – January 10, 1965) was a Lebanese-American merchant and philanthropist who took a leading role in the 20th century development of Canadian, the county seat of Hemphill County in the Texas Panhandle near the Oklahoma border.

Early years in Texas

Born Nahim Malouf in the village of Kafarakab, Lebanon, Abraham made three trips to the United States before finally deciding to relocate to a new homeland. He lived briefly in Utah and considered settling in Brazil before he moved to Amarillo, Texas, with his wife, the former Alia Abdullah Bulos (1883-1979), the daughter of a physician, and their two older sons, Naceeb L. Abraham (1907-2000), who operated an office supply business in Amarillo,^[1] and Tom Abraham, who later purchased his father's mercantile business. The Maloufs took the name "Abraham" while being processed at Ellis Island in New York City. In the summer of 1913, the Abrahams made their permanent home in Canadian, Texas, where they had two more sons, Malouf Abraham, Sr., and Edward Abraham (1917-1961). Malouf, Sr., was nicknamed "Oofie" by classmates. His given name is the original family surname. In 1913, Abraham established the "Fair Store", a department store known regionally for its quality dry goods merchandise.^[2][3][4]

At the time The Fair Store was established, the cattle business was booming with hundreds of drovers in need of supplies. Eventually, the Abrahams moved beyond retailing to real estate and cattle. When ranching began to decline, Malouf, Sr., began to trade oil and natural gas leases.^[5] Nahim retired, and the Fair Store was acquired in 1949 by Tom and his wife, Helen.^[6]

Community builder

Abraham was an elder in the First Presbyterian Church of Canadian, and his son, Tom, worked to establish the existing sanctuary of the church.^[7] In 1950, Abraham purchased the Moody Hotel in Canadian, which had been founded in 1903 by the rancher and banker Robert Moody. After his son Edward died in 1961 at the age of forty-four, Abraham and his other sons endowed the Edward Abraham Memorial Home, a still-standing nursing facility in Canadian named in Edward's honor.^[2]

Abraham died of a heart attack early in 1965, about five weeks before he would have turned eighty. His surviving sons became prominent local businessmen. Malouf, an oilman known as "Oofie", served as mayor of Canadian from 1953 to 1957 and was a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives^[2] from 1967 to 1971; his political career concluded with an unsuccessful race in 1970 for the Texas State Senate against Democrat Max Sherman for the seat vacated by Grady Hazlewood.^[8][9]

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