Noor Al-Hussein is an American-born Jordanian philanthropist and activist who was Queen of Jordan as the fourth wife of King Hussein from their marriage in 1978 until his death in 1999. Noor is the longest-standing member of the Board of Commissioners of the International Commission on Missing Persons. Queen Noor's throne came with a myriad of challenges, multiplied by her status as a foreigner with an extremely liberal background. She immediately took on the responsibilities of managing the royal household, as well as bringing up three small children from Hussein's former marriage to Alia. She was also in constant need of bodyguards because King Hussein had survived more than 25 assassination attempts. The queen enthusiastically embraced and excelled in her official duties, concentrating on the improvement of Jordan's educational system. Addressing the issue of Jordan's most talented youth leaving to study abroad, Queen Noor helped to establish the Jubilee School, a three-year coeducational high school for gifted students. She also devoted energy and funds to preserving and celebrating Jordan's cultural heritage, helping to establish the Jerash Festival of Culture and Arts, an annual event featuring dance, poetry and music, which attracted thousands of tourists. In addition, she formed the Arab Children's Congress, and annual program for Arab children of all nationalities that emphasizes their common heritage. Queen Noor also set out to address the issue of women's rights. Although she advocated increased educational and employment opportunities for women, founding the Women and Development Project, she remained sensitive to the interests of those reluctant to work outside the home for religious reasons. She told The New York Times, "I believe in expanding the options open to women, at the same time not telling them that they are not fulfilling themselves if they don't have a job." In 1985, she collected all of her development initiatives under the umbrella of the Noor Al Hussein Foundation (NHF). She also served on several international boards devoted to the promotion of peace, positive educational and cultural development, and preservation of wildlife and natural resources.

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