The Beginning
Malouf Abraham, Jr., M.D. was born in 1939 in Canadian, Texas in the same room where his father and mother had been born. It was called the "Fish Pond Room." After Canadian High School, he graduated from Trinity University and Southwestern Medical School at Parkland Hospital.
Therese Browne was the youngest of ten in an Irish Catholic family in Mount Airy, North Carolina. Her R.N. degree was from the Sister of Mercy.
In 1963, Therese started praying a Novena to St. Jude, the patron saint of "hopeless cases", praying to find a good husband. While Therese was doing her prayers, The Duke Foundation assigned Malouf to her hopsital.
Where to now?
Although the Abrahams own homes in NYC, Amarillo, and Sarasota, Canadian will always be their home. They are completely renovating "Hill Crest", another one of Canadian's grand old mansions. "We'll just get our clothes and walk down the street a couple blocks leaving the rest behind," they say smiling.
Mind Body Spirit
A series of television spots Dr. Abraham did for PBS in 2005 concerning values and family life.
The Start of Something Special
On day one when Malouf saw Therese in her starched white nurse's uniform looking like "Miss North Carolina," he pressed her against the refrigerator and kissed her. "No one was more surprised than I," says Malouf. Three weeks later they were engaged but they had to wait six months to get married in the Roman Catholic Church.
Bouquet to Leah
Although their collection has been gathered from the four corners of the planet, Malouf & Therese would like to give special recognition to Leah Kleman of New York City, who finds the un-findable. What a ride it has been! Thanks, dear friend.Malouf was a young doctor in the Stategic Air Command during the Vietnam War and received a great deal of recognition for his work with allergies. He later returned to Canadian and built his clinic on the grounds of the old Abraham Homeplace.
Though Therese served on many regional boards and was mayor of Canadian for ten years, her main job was being a home worker and mother to Eddie, Salem, and Jason.
The Abraham's art collection started when they bought Norman Rockwell's "First Day of School" in May 1972. Then in 1977, the Old Baptist Church was going to be torn down. The Abrahams bought it for a mere $15,000 and started transforming it into "The Citadel." Eight surrounding properties have been purchased to create the present-day complex.
Community Involvement
The Abrahams strongly believe that each of us should strive to leave the world better than we found it and that "to whom much is given, much is expected." Malouf (Dr. Abraham) and Therese have always pushed for beauty and improving "quality of life."
The Abrahams have been passionate about historic preservation, beautification, and tree planting. They have given away over 3,000 trees and were awarded by The Urban Forestry Commission for their tree planting. They were chosen to have one of the two test plots in Texas for the new Liberty Elm.
The magnificent Abraham Art Center, located on the campus of Wayland Baptist University, is a beautiful expression of the Abraham family's desire to increase the cultural heritage of the Panhandle/South Plains area. Dr. Abraham saw the project through from start to finish, overseeing every detail of its creation. The result is one of the finest art galleries in the Southwest. Not only have the Abrahams built the gallery, they have loaned pieces from their personal collection to Wayland.
Patron of the Arts
In 1993 a decision was made to bulldoze Canadian's 72 year old elementary school. Dr. Abraham pleaded, "If we tear down our landmarks, we will destroy the unique charm of our little town."
Having studied architecture in Europe, he drew plans to save the front entry and one corner of the school, adding raised planting beds and bronze sculptures. Hundreds of ex-students supported the project with donations.
Recognizing the Abraham's efforts, Govenor George W. Bush of Texas appointed Dr. Abraham as one of the Arts Commissioners for the State of Texas.
