The contested character of Ottomanism as an ideology that preoccupied friends and foes has been one of the most debated aspects of the late Ottoman period. Especially, after 1908, with the restoration of the constitution, the re-emergence of the Ottomanist project, was greeted with enthusiasm domestically and abroad. Yet, it soon became clear that, for a large part of the Muslim bureaucratic an military elite, Ottomanism was envisaged as a dynamic process of creating a new nation, dominated by and large by the Turkish element, while for most of the other ethno-religious groups, it entailed a necessary compromise, a solidarity based on political unity which would definitely not affect the cultural and ethnic specificities of the diverse populations. Whatever the case, during these volatile years, members of almost every ethno-religious community, journalists, scholars or professionals engaged whole-heartedly in the political struggle that seemed to be opening new avenues for cooperation among the elites at least of these communities and sincere adhered to safeguarding the integrity of the Empire. Interestingly enough, many of these individuals, who had already emerged as prominent figures within their particular communities, were going to play an important role in the post-Ottoman period in new contexts dominated by their respective national aspirations. The purpose of this paper will be to discuss and reflect on such individuals that derive from among the non-Muslim communities, Greek-Orthodox, Jewish, Armenian and Sûryani. My approach engages the use of biography, a way of narrating the past that has recently re-emerged and has agreeably contributed in highlighting not only the role of individuals in the making of history, as the traditional use of biography had it, but, by turning the table around, by introducing subjectivity and tracing the way that broader developments are experienced by still rather prominent individuals.