The Marian B. and Jacob K. Javits Foundation recently gave $1 million to Stony Brook University Libraries, creating its largest-ever endowment. This endowment was established to help preserve, promote and make accessible the Senator Jacob K. Javits Collection at Stony Brook.
Additional funding for the Jacob K. Javits Collection Engagement Fund will be matched by the New York State endowment match program and the Simons Infinity Investment Match Challenge, tripling the impact of this endowment gift. This project also received institutional support to begin programming as the endowment builds.
“We thought a high-caliber New York State academic institution, which already had a long and deep familiarity with our father’s papers, would be the perfect venue to maintain and disseminate his ideas and achievements,” said Senator Javits’ son, Joshua Javits.
“By making the collection more accessible, we hope the practical ideas and concepts that he worked on his whole life will inspire people and the future of policymaking,” said Carla Javits, Senator Javits’ daughter.
Senator Javits played a critical role in shaping national policies on civil rights, social justice, the arts and environmental protection during his more than three decades of service as an elected official from New York. He also had a long-standing relationship with former Stony Brook University President John H. Marburger III and spent time at the university, meeting with faculty and students and giving lectures on campus.
The collection was received in 1981, when Senator Javits contributed his life’s papers, highlighting resources over the senator’s 34-year career. The collection features almost 2 million items, containing speeches, bills and campaign literature, audio and film recordings, photographs, artifacts and memorabilia, cartoons and correspondence.
“This collection serves as a powerful educational resource,” said Kristen Nyitray, director of Special Collections and University Archives. “It is not only an archive of the past, but a source for informed citizenship and critical thinking about the present and future.”
“We are profoundly grateful for the generous endowment received to maintain the Sen. Jacob K. Javits Collection. As we navigate these challenging times, it’s more important than ever to ensure access to such invaluable resources,” said SBU Libraries Dean Karim Boughida. “By facilitating enhanced access to the collection, we honor Sen. Javits’ legacy and reaffirm our commitment to serving as a hub of knowledge and collaboration for all.”
Information about the collection can be accessed on the SBU Libraries Special Collections website.
