Ayoub family rooted in Lebanese heritage

By SANDRA TUMBERLINSON
San Benito Historical Society

April brought seemingly unrelated events together, leading stories to all sorts of San Benito connections which impacted the citizens of this little community in many ways, and to other folks across the miles.

By April, Spring Baseball was in full swing, commercials appeared on TV reminding everyone the significance of Arab American contributions to the world, and “Uncle Sam” Ayoub’s grandson was married. But the local connection doesn’t end there. All of these apparently unrelated events revealed a surprising story about the history of San Benito.

Ernie Banks once said about Baseball, “Spring training means flowers, people coming outdoors, sunshine, optimism and baseball.” That almost sounds like the rationale for the U.S. Government’s designation of April being National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM), “because it marked the beginning of the Spring season; symbolizing hope, growth, color, and new beginnings—which were perfect for celebrating the Arab American Community and its heritage.”

And what San Benito native of Lebanese ancestry worked in the Major and Minor Baseball Leagues all his life? Mr. Sam Ayoub, last surviving child of the original Ayoub who immigrated to San Benito from Syria at the turn of the century, and committed his life to the All-American game of baseball.

According to Virginia Ayoub Burroughs, Emil Ayoub was born in Tripoli, Syria (now Lebanon) in 1889. Because the Turkish Muslims were persecuting Christians, he immigrated to the United States in 1901 with his family, his father George and his mother Marianna, a sister-Fautine, and three brothers, Willie, James and Fred.

When Emil was 26 or 27, he met and married Mary Alkek of Victoria.

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