Maju Varghese is an Indian-American lawyer who made headlines after being appointed as Deputy Assistant to President Biden and Director of the White House Military Office.
Wiki/Biography
Maju Varghese was born on Tuesday, February 21, 1978 (43 years old in 2021) in New York. He attended Memorial Junior and Senior High School in Elmont, New York. Maju studied for a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (1995-1999) and later obtained a Juris Doctor degree from the Morris A. Dean School of Law at Hofstra University in New York (2002-2005).
appearance
Height (approx.): 6′
Hair color: Black
Eye color: Black
Family, caste and religion
Maju Varghese comes from a Christian Malayali family.
Parents and siblings
He is born to Mathew Varghese and Saroja Varghese. His parents immigrated to the United States in the early 70s with their six-year-old daughter. His father Mathew worked two jobs, as a taxi driver and a security guard. Before coming to the United States, Saroja served as a nurse in the Indian Army. She continued to work as a nurse at Columbia University Presbyterian Hospital and Long Island Jewish Hospital in the United States. Maju’s elder sister Manju Mathew is also a medical professional. In an interview, Maju revealed that his father died of Parkinson’s disease in 2013.
Maju Varghese’s parents
Maju Varghese’s sister and brother-in-law
Relationships, Wife and Children
Maju is married to Julie Crowell Varghese. She is the chief administrative officer of the Atlantic Council. They have one son, Evan Varghese.
Maju Varghese with his wife and son
address
Maju Varghese lives in Washington, DC with his entire family.
Profession
Democratic career
After completing his studies, Maju managed the presidential campaign of Al Gore, the 45th Vice President of the United States in 2000. Prior to working with Joe Biden, Mr. Varghese served in the White House during President Barack Obama’s term as a Special Assistant to the President. He was responsible for coordinating the day-to-day operations of the White House such as managing the White House budget, personnel, facilities, travel and major events. He was also responsible for high-level visits such as Obama’s visit to India for the Republic Day celebrations (2015), the Normandy Landings celebrations in France (2014), and the NATO Summit in Wales (2014). Speaking about his experience working with Mr. Obama in a media interaction, he said:
“President Obama is a remarkable man who has a way of connecting with ordinary people, which is a remarkable thing. We saw how warmly he was welcomed in India.”
Maju Varghese and President Obama
In 2019, Maju joined Joe Biden’s political campaign as a senior advisor and chief operating officer. After assuming the presidency, Biden appointed him as the executive director of the four-member Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC). Maju was responsible for organizing the presidential swearing-in ceremony. In a media interaction, Maju said,
I am honored to lead the team planning the inauguration events for President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris, while remaining committed to protecting the health and safety of Americans and demonstrating the strength and resilience of our Nation.”
Maju Varghese and President Biden
In March 2021, Mr. Varghese was officially appointed Director of the White House Military Office. The Director of the White House Military Office is responsible for coordinating military support for White House activities and presidential operations, including operations aboard Air Force One.
“Varghese is the son of immigrants from Kerala, India, who was born in New York City and raised in Elmont, New York.” Indeed, and proudly so. It’s official. An honor. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/pH9MTsKgrh
— Maju Varghese (@moojv77) March 9, 2021
As a lawyer
In addition to his political campaigns, Mr. Vargas has also been practicing law. He joined the law firm Wade Clark Mulcahy LLP in 2016 and worked there as an associate before resigning in 2010. In 2017, he was named a senior counsel at the law firm Dentons.
Facts/Trivia
- In 2019, Maju took to Twitter to share his backstory and the hardships his family went through after immigrating to the United States.
Mom was a nurse in India, working long hours. Dad drove a taxi in New York, then worked long hours as a security guard in a hospital. Although our dad had passed away from illness before us, our mom crossed the threshold, walked into the Oval Office, and met with the boss. @Barack Obama 2017, always grateful 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/5t0qwhrQHS
— Maju Varghese (@moojv77) August 14, 2019
- In an interview with The Week magazine, Mr. Varghese said,
I saw an Indian taxi driver when I was leaving Washington not long ago. When we were stopped at a red light, he was eating his dinner out of a Tupperware container, and it reminded me of my father.”
- He said he met his wife, Julie, in 2000 while working for Al Gore’s presidential campaign.
- With the election of Donald Trump as the US President, Mr. Varghese reportedly resigned from the White House because he could not accept President Trump’s ideology. During this period, he served as the chief operating officer of the Washington-based nonprofit organization “The Hub Project”.
- Mr Varghese is the first Indian-origin director of WHMO.
- His favorite sports include basketball and baseball.
Maju Varghese plays basketball with his son
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education