Mitch Daniels
Birth Name: Mitchell Elias Daniels, Jr.
Place of Birth: Monongahela, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Date of Birth: April 7, 1949
Ethnicity:
*father – Syrian/Lebanese
*mother – English, as well as Irish, Scottish, and Welsh
Mitch Daniels is an American academic administrator, businessperson, author, and politician. He has been President of the Purdue University System, since January 14, 2013. A Republican, he was Director of the Office of Management and Budget, from January 20, 2001 to June 6, 2003, and Governor of Indiana, from January 10, 2005 to January 14, 2013.
Mitch is the son of Dorothy Mae (Wilkes) and Mitchell Elias Daniels. His father’s parents were Syrian-Lebanese immigrants, of the Antiochian Greek Orthodox church. His mother was of English, as well as Irish, Scottish, and Welsh, ancestry, entirely descended from recent immigrants. Mitch is of the Presbyterian faith.
Mitch is married to Cheri Daniels, with whom he has four children.
Mitch’s paternal grandfather was named Elias Essa Daniels (the son of Assa/Essa Daniel). Elias was born in Khiletiah, near Homs, Syria, or in Beirut or Beirut Vilayet.
Mitch’s paternal grandmother was named Afifi/Hannah/Effy/Effie John/Johns.
Mitch’s maternal grandfather was Russell W. Wilkes (the son of George W. Wilkes and Sarah Phebe Bytheway). Russell was born in Pennsylvania, to English parents. Sarah was born in Ettingshall, Shropshire, the daughter of Edward Bytheway and Jane Causer/Humphreys.
Mitch’s maternal grandmother was named Bessie Riley/Reilley (the daughter of William Riley and Hannah). Bessie was born in Pennsylvania. William was the son of Thomas Riley, who was Scottish, and of Elizabeth, who was born in Pennsylvania or Scotland, to Welsh parents. Hannah was English.
Sources: https://arabindianapolis.com
Genealogy of Mitch Daniels – http://www.wargs.com
Marriage record of Mitch’s parents – https://www.familysearch.org
Passport application record of Mitch’s paternal grandfather, Elias Essa Daniels – https://www.familysearch.org
Marriage Act of Mitch Daniels parents Mitchell Elias Daniels and Dorothy Mae Wilkes from 1948 where it says Mitch Daniels parents were Elias Daniels and Effy John Daniels https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VFQW-138
Elias Essa Daniels (born 1884), son of Assa/Essa Daniel, says he came to America from Beirut in 1905 when he applied for a passport in 1920. In his application he says he plans to visit Beirut only to visit relatives https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKDF-6XXM.
According to his family history in this article https://arabindianapolis.com/mitch-daniels-syrian-roots/ Elias returned to his home country in 1921 to find a bride (Effy John) who was likely from Beirut since that is where he says he is going in 1921 in his passport application.
I could not find a source that says his father migrated from Qalatiyah like this source says https://arabindianapolis.com/mitch-daniels-syrian-roots/ which is just in the border of north Lebanon where his father built a hospital near the Krak de Chavaliers castle.
In either case I think his ancestry is not Syrian per se as in today Syria since Qalatiyah was part of the Tripoli Eyalet for more than 400 years https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripoli_Eyalet later part the Beirut Vilayet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beirut_Vilayet before 1917.
The area around Qalatiyah never belonged to the Syria Vilayet (which included Damascus and Homs for more than 400 years) until it was included into what is today Syria so my call is that Mitch Daniels “Syrian” ancestry is more like Lebanese ancestry.
I think its fair to say that Mitch Daniels is more likely of “Syrian-Lebanese” descent since his grandmother Effy John seems to have come from Beirut.