Newswise — Florida Atlantic University Libraries has received a major collection of books, original documents and papers valued at an estimated $3.8 million from Marvin and Sybil Weiner of Boca Raton. Before it was gifted to FAU, this collection was the largest of its kind in private hands. It has been ranked as one of the top 10 such collections in the United States.
The "Marvin and Sybil Weiner Spirit of America Collection of Colonial Imprints" contains more than 13,000 printed items of the American Revolutionary era and other imprints, mostly British and French with publication dates that span six centuries. The collection's core is comprised of first and later editions of books, manuscripts and pamphlets printed in America before 1865. In addition, it includes essays by such classical European philosophers as Spinoza, Rousseau and Hobbes.
"This most generous gift from our friends Marvin and Sybil Weiner tells the story of our country's early days," said FAU President Frank T. Brogan '81. "The documents that comprise the collection remind us of the struggle our forefathers endured for the sake of independence. The many people who will use this resource will come away with a deeper understanding and appreciation of human rights and the privilege of self-rule."
Finding professional success in the hotel industry and as an investor, Marvin Weiner, formerly from Philadelphia and a class of 1938 alumnus of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, has been a serious and well-respected collector of primary historical sources for more than 65 years. The Weiner Collection presents, in print, an extensive history of Colonial America. At the same time, it reveals Weiner's deep respect for those writers and philosophers who inspired, with their words, a movement that led to America's quest and fight for independence.
"As a child, our father was enamored with the story of the Jewish exodus from slavery in Egypt " a story retold to him each year during the holiday of Passover," said Dr. Howard Weiner, on behalf of his brother Herbert Weiner and his sister Esther Weiner Granade. "He was later captivated by the words and the lives of the founding fathers of the American Revolution, who, like the Jewish slaves in Egypt, sought liberty, freedom and self-determination. His passion for this era and its leaders guided him well as he collected American Revolutionary imprints. He has been particularly inspired by Benjamin Franklin, whose 300th birthday is celebrated this year. An individualist who is exemplary of the Spirit of America, Ben Franklin was a self-made man. Our father said, 'Franklin would have loved FAU for its forward-thinking faculty and confluence of students and lifelong learners.' The entire Weiner family is pleased that this collection will touch the lives of many and we are eager to entrust FAU with the social responsibility that comes with such a gift."
The Weiner Collection will be housed on the third floor of the S. E. Wimberly Library on the Boca Raton campus. A special suite will be constructed to provide secure space for the entire collection and will include exhibition, work and research areas. A staff of professional librarians, rare book professionals and rare book restoration experts will attend to the collection and maintain proper environmental and archival conditions.
Events, exhibits and publications will serve as a means of promoting the collection's historical and scholarly value. School and academic-based, community-wide, and broader-based national and international programs will target people of all ages, nationalities and backgrounds. The "Marvin and Sybil Weiner Spirit of America Lecture Series" will present two speakers each year who will address some aspect of early American history.
"The acquisition of this major resource will make it possible to study the history of our country, using original books, pamphlets and other materials that were published as the events of the 18th century were actually happening," said Dr. William Miller. "With this collection, FAU now becomes the major destination in the Southeastern United States for the study of the American Colonial period through its history, literature, printing and other related areas. We are indeed fortunate that Mr. Weiner will assume the role of 'Curator Emeritus' and will thus be able to share with FAU staff the invaluable knowledge and experience that he has gained in the course of assembling his collection."
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