Abraham M. George is an Indian American businessman, academic, and philanthropist. He began his career as an artillery officer in the Indian Army, stationed at the Sela Pass in the North-East Frontier Agency along the Sino-Indian border. After being honorably discharged from military service as a captain,[1] George moved to the United States and pursued careers in finance and entrepreneurship. He obtained an M.B.A. in economics in 1973 and a Ph.D. in international banking in 1975, both from the Stern School of Business at New York University.[2]
In 1995, George returned to India and launched several initiatives addressing issues of discrimination and economic inequality. These include Shanti Bhavan,[3] a residential school for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, and the Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media, a postgraduate journalism institution in Bangalore. He also established the Baldev Medical & Community Center, which provides healthcare services to 15 villages across Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The George Foundation conducted a landmark study on the impact of leaded gasoline in India, which contributed to the nationwide phase-out of leaded petrol in April 2000.[4]
George is the author of five books: three on international finance, and two on social work in India. He has served on the boards of Human Rights Watch and the International Center for Journalists, and has received the Hind Rattan Award.[5][6]
Early life
George was born in Trivandrum, India, the second of four children of Mathew and Aleyamma George.[citation needed]
At age fourteen, he was admitted to the National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla. He graduated as a second lieutenant in the 34th Medium Artillery Regiment. His first posting in 1966 was to the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA), bordering China. After being injured in a dynamite explosion at Sela Pass, he was reassigned to the Indo-Pakistan border, where he rose to the rank of captain.[1]
Education and career
After military service, George joined his mother in Alabama during the era of segregationist Governor George Wallace. He later described the cultural transition as overwhelming: "I felt I had gone to another world, not simply another country."[2]
George earned his MBA and Ph.D. in international finance from NYU's Stern School of Business.[2] He became a US citizen and joined Chemical Bank (now part of JPMorgan Chase) as an officer.[2]
In 1976, he founded Multinational Computer Models Inc. (MCM), which developed financial systems for global corporations. MCM later partnered with Credit Suisse First Boston, where George served as chief consultant and managing director. In 1998, MCM was sold to SunGard Data Systems, and George served as its vice-chairman for two years.[2]
He returned to India in 1995 and established The George Foundation, which launched projects in education, health, women's empowerment, and rural development. One of its first initiatives was a nationwide study on lead poisoning, which found that 51% of children in Indian cities had elevated blood lead levels. This research played a role in India's 2000 ban on leaded petrol.[4]
↑ Epatko, Larisa (28 July 2017). "At a school for poor children in India, price of attendance is paying it forward". PBS. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
1 2 3 Nichani, Vikram (15 June 2006). "Blood lead levels in children after phase-out of leaded gasoline in Bombay, India". PubMed. Vol. 363, no. 1–3. pp. 95–106. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2005.06.033. PMID 16181659.
1 2 "GOPIO News Special Bulletin". January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
↑ Friedman, Thomas (2006). The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. pp. 630–634. ISBN 0-374-29279-5.
↑ Hale, Mike (28 July 2017). "Review: 'Daughters of Destiny' on Netflix Explores Caste Struggles in India". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
↑ "The Alumni Magazine of NYU Stern". Fall–Winter 2007. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
