Joseph and Thelma Knuckley Zaytoun Papers circa 1910s-2008

The materials in this collection are in English.

Ellis Zaytoun was born in Hammana, Lebanon on May 30, 1890. He immigrated to the United States in 1906 along with two of his brothers and by 1910 had moved to New Bern, North Carolina. Ellis began work as a peddler and dry goods clerk. In 1911, Ellis submitted an application for naturalization and was naturalized in 1916. During this time, Ellis established himself as an integral member of the New Bern community. In 1913, he volunteered for the local fire department and in 1916 he served as a member of the Syrian Brotherhood Society of New Bern, an early humanitarian group dedicated to providing aid to Lebanese, Syrians, and Armenians. In 1914, Ellis married Isabel DeKash, a fellow Lebanese immigrant from Hamana, Lebanon. Isabel and Ellis had six children who survived to adulthood: Evelyn Gladys Zaytoun Farris (1915-2012), Vivian Grace Zaytoun Salem (1917-1995), Constance Teresa Zaytoun Lamar (1919-1971), Joseph Ellis Zaytoun (1920-2021), Agnes Zaytoun Murman (1923-1935), and Henry Zaytoun. In 1917, Ellis expanded his fruit stand into a permanent grocery. In 1930, he owned a restaurant and by 1950 he had opened the Zaytoun News Agency. In 1940, Ellis was employed at John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company, and in 1957 he founded Zaytoun and Associates with his eldest son, Joseph.

Joseph Zaytoun studied economics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1942, and began his service after his college graduation in 1943. Joseph, who had worked for the UNC student newspaper, the Daily Tarheel, helped his mother and sisters run the Zaytoun News Agency. He later served as president of the family insurance company. He co-founded the Capital National Bank in 1973, which merged with BB&T to become one of the largest banks in the Carolinas. Ellis and Isabel's youngest son, Henry Zaytoun, also became a successful businessman. Henry studied at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry. After serving in the United States Navy, Zaytoun began practicing dentistry in Rocky Mount. In 1958, he pursued a Master of Science in Orthodontics from the UNC-CH School of Dentistry; in 1959, he and his family moved to Raleigh, where he established Zaytoun Orthodontics with his wife Martha.

In 1946, Joseph Zaytoun married Thelma Knuckley, the daughter of Lebanese immigrants from South Carolina. Thelma volunteered at Rex Healthcare for decades and advocated for childrens health. Between 1977 and 1985, she was a member of the Governor's Advocacy Committee on Children and Youth. Following this, she was a member of the North Carolina Child Advocacy Institute. In the 1990s, Governor Jim Hunt appointed Thelma to the North Carolina Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service. Joseph Zaytoun established the Thelma Knuckley Zaytoun Scholarship for nursing education as a gift for their 45th wedding anniversary. Joseph served a four-year term on the North Carolina State Board of Elections beginning in 1961 under Governor Terry Sanford. Joseph also served on the Cary Chamber of Commerce and the Cary Cultural Arts Commission. He was an instrumental part of the Tryon Palace Commission, which preserved and established Tryon Palace in New Bern from 1977 to 1985, and the Wake County Historic Preservation Commission. In 1999, Joseph was awarded the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Award from Pope John Paul II.

Joseph and Thelma had four children: Stephen Zaytoun, Mary Zaytoun Benton, Robert Zaytoun, and Albert Zaytoun. Stephen Zaytoun joined the family business, extending Ellis Zaytoun’s insurance business into a third generation.

The Joseph and Thelma Knuckley Zaytoun Papers consists of photographs, letters, documents, and articles relating to three generations of the Zaytoun family in New Bern, North Carolina.

This collection is arranged in the order it was received.

The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.

[Identification of item], Joseph and Thelma Knuckley Zaytoun Papers, KC 0030, Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies Archive, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC

Kahdy and Wehbie Family Papers 1890s-2010s, KC 0026

Amelia and Joseph Salem Papers circa 1919-2009, KC 0048

Zaytoun and Murman Family Photographs circa 1890s-2001, KC 0058

Gift of Joseph and Stephen Zaytoun, 2015 (Accession No. 2015.010).

Processed by Khayrallah Program staff. Finding aid content contributed by Claire A. Kempa and updated by Allison Hall, 2023 November. Finding aid created by Allison Hall, 2023 November.