Waheeb Salim Zarick

(Mar. 9, 1895-June 28, 1938). Waheeb Salim Zarick was an Indianapolis doctor, medical educator, and Arab American community leader. He established his medical practice, while also teaching anatomy at the Indiana University School of Dentistry, during a time when there were few Arab American physicians in the United States. As a civic leader, Zarick helped new and established Arab immigrants in Indianapolis develop organizational networks that fostered both the retention of homeland traditions and a deepening involvement with local and regional philanthropy and politics. 

Zarick was born in Tripoli, Syria (today Tripoli, Lebanon, not to be confused with the Libyan city of the same name). He and his parents left their home country in 1899, settling in 1902 in Frankfort, Indiana, where he attended local public schools. Zarick attended the University of Michigan followed by the Indiana University School of Medicine, from which he earned an MD degree in 1927. 

In medical school, Zarick was active in student organizations. This included membership in Tau Kappa Alpha and the Debate Team, and roles as secretary of the Skeleton Club and president of the Cosmopolitan Club (a club for domestic and immigrant students) and the French Circle. 

Upon graduation, Zarick became active in the Indianapolis medical community as a practitioner, public health advocate, and educator. He treated patients in his own practice, served as a staff physician for the Indianapolis Public School system, and taught the second-semester general anatomy course for dental students as a non-tenure-track assistant professor at Indiana University’s School of Dentistry. 

In the civic realm, Zarick was deeply involved in Syrian-Lebanese social life. He was a member of St. George Orthodox Syrian Church and a leader of the Syrian-American Brotherhood, one of seven Indianapolis Syrian clubs. In 1936, the seven clubs hosted the inaugural meeting of the Midwest Federation of Syrian American Clubs, which brought approximately 500 members of Syrian American clubs from 11 midwestern states to Indianapolis. Convening at the Brotherhood headquarters at East Riverside Drive and Pruitt Street along Riverside Park, delegates heard a welcome address from Mayor John W. Kern, and they later elected Zarick as the first president of their regional organization. In this role, Zarick oversaw the federation’s growth, which included the establishment of a newspaper, The Syrian Ark, and the development of an extensive network of community service and philanthropic endeavors.  

As a hobby, Zarick also performed regularly as a magician. This included appearances across Indiana, at venues such as the Scottish Rite Cathedral and the Columbia Club. He served in a volunteer role as president of the Indiana Society of Magicians. 

Waheeb Zarick died of a coronary occlusion at the age of 43, leaving behind a wife and son. Though his early death cut short his career as a medical professional and community leader, Zarick’s contributions had created new paths for Syrian and Lebanese immigrants to participate more fully in Indianapolis’s public life. He is buried at Crown Hill Cemetery.

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