The School of Information (iSchool) at the University of Texas in Austin has received a cash gift to the tune of $1.2 million. This is touted as the single largest donation in the history of the school.
The estate of longtime librarian Mary Boyvey made the donation. The gift represents half of the estate of Boyvey, who passed away May 12 at the age of 91, said the officials in a press release.
The generous gift is the largest single donation in the school's 65-year history and will allow the iSchool to enhance its research and education programs to leverage the power and benefits of information to affect individuals and society across all professional domains, stated the university.
Boyvey, well-known as "Micki," among her friends, has a long and cordial relationship with the Austin University. She received a master's degree from the University of Chicago in library science, and she received her doctorate from the College of Education at the University of Texas , Austin.
Boyvey worked as a school librarian in several districts before joining the Texas Education Agency as program director in 1966. Active in many professional organizations, she was president of the Texas Library Association and a board member of the American Library Association.
"During the '60s and '70s, technology and automation were changing the field of library studies," said long-time friend and fellow librarian Virginia Phillips.
"We moved from using index cards to having to automate every library, to now having everything, including periodicals, accessible online," she added.
The funds were given as an unrestricted gift to the school, allowing Andrew Dillon, dean of the School of Information, flexibility to invest the funds in areas that are critical to the school's future.
"The information field has evolved rapidly over the last decade to impact every area of human activity, and the need for professionals who can manage, mine and design information products and services has never been greater," said Dillon.
"Micki's unrestricted gift ensures our continued ability to provide the nation's best research and education environment for information studies," concluded Dillon.
