The Mary E. Kenny Library Collection in Medieval Studies was established in 1999, by Patrick W. and Ann Foxen Kenny, in honor of Pat’s mother, Mary. Pat (’64) is the retired president and chief executive officer of the International Insurance Society. He serves on the Hesburgh Libraries Advisory Council. Married in 1966, Pat and Ann, have two daughters, Maura (’95) and Cassandra.

The Kenny Library Collection has contributed greatly to the quality of medieval studies at Notre Dame and to the distinction of the program. The endowment assists in the acquisition of resources in all formats, from books to paper and electronic journals to electronic databases. The Medieval Institute Library, part of the Hesburgh Libraries system, is internationally prominent and absolutely unparalleled in North America. It continues to meet the research needs of the Medieval British Literature Initiative with purchases relating to Old and Middle English, Old Norse, and medieval British studies in general. In addition to keeping current with contemporary scholarly publishing, the Medieval Institute Library recently acquired fifteen rare books published from the 1600s to the 1900s, as well as a beautifully illustrated fourteenth-century manuscript.

Ann and Pat have also established the Foxen Family Endowed Collection for the Humanities.