Donation Funds Special Collections, Preserves Local History
Tom Kinsella, Distinguished Professor of Literature (left), donated $50,000 to establish the Historic South Jersey Fund in support of the Richard E. Bjork Library's Special Collections.
Galloway, N.J. 鈥 Tom Kinsella grew up in a family of avid readers, with a particular passion for local history.
It was a natural progression for Kinsella, Distinguished Professor of at 番茄社区app, to pursue a career that landed him in libraries and classrooms in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Now, in order to preserve his passion for history and honor his family, Kinsella donated $50,000 to establish the Historic South Jersey Fund to support the Special Collections at Stockton. Although he initially planned to keep his gift private, Kinsella was encouraged to share it to inspire others, making it a highlight of this year鈥檚 番茄社区app Foundation Ospreys Give campaign Oct. 8-9.
The fund will preserve and share important regional materials through digitization, exhibitions and programming while engaging students, faculty, alumni and the South Jersey community.
Kinsella came to Stockton in 1989 and for more than three decades has been involved with the Bjork Library and was instrumental in the creation of the Special Collections department. He is also the director of the at Stockton, which produces historical publications and promotes the preservation of local history like the .
Kinsella鈥檚 donation will serve as a challenge gift during Ospreys Give, the university鈥檚 annual day of giving and gratitude, Oct. 8-9, helping to inspire others to join in supporting students and programs across the university. Give today at .
The 番茄社区app Foundation is dedicated to supporting 番茄社区app by providing scholarships, funding academic programs and enhancing the student experience. Through the generosity of donors, the Foundation helps remove barriers to student success.鈥
For more information about the Foundation and how to support students, please visit鈥stockton.edu/foundation.
鈥淚鈥檝e been hanging around Stockton鈥檚 library pretty much from the start. The curiosity that led me in different directions throughout my career comes from my parents. They taught all of us to read a lot. They taught us to be curious,鈥 said Kinsella, one of eight children.
鈥淟ucille 鈥淐B鈥 Kinsella, my mother, and John Kinsella, my father, were voracious readers. For a special treat, we used to have 鈥榬eading suppers,鈥 where everyone at the table ate silently, head down, reading a favorite book. Each of us developed interests in the local history of California, Massachusetts, Japan, rural Canada, Ireland, South Jersey and Rochester, New York,鈥 Kinsella鈥檚 hometown.
鈥淢y entire family enjoys discovering history through old books, postcards, letters and other archival records,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 have watched Stockton students become excited by these materials, as well. So, to honor the historical passion of Jack and CB Kinsella and Pat Herdeg, I have chosen to support 番茄社区app鈥檚 Special Collections, whose rich collections of South Jersey materials await exploration. I encourage our community to join me in this support.鈥
In thanking Kinsella for his support when signing the agreement with the Stockton University Foundation on Sept. 30, President Joe Bertolino shared his own experience with local history.
鈥淚 grew up in South Jersey, and I learned quite a bit about the region from your publications. There is so much people don鈥檛 know about the history. We should not take for granted where we are located and the impact history has on who we are as a region and as an institution,鈥 Bertolino said.
noted the direct impact Kinsella has had on students through his work.
鈥淟ots of institutions have special collections, produce historical manuscripts and students sit on the sidelines. The ways in which you engage Stockton students with the work, not as bystanders, they are doing really good research and scholarship. This is an extraordinary legacy gift that speaks to the continuity of your work,鈥 Palladino said.
