The Valenti Family Endowment in Italian Studies was established by Samuel and Kathleen Valenti of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Sam is chair and chief executive officer of Valenti Capital and executive chair of TriMas Corporation. At Notre Dame, Sam is on the Hesburgh Libraries Advisory Council. Katie is chair of the Valenti Foundation. The couple has two children, Samuel IV and Nicole Denvir (’98).

Established in 1996, the Valenti Family Endowment supports the study of Italian art, architecture, culture, history, and the Vatican through collection development and services for the Hesburgh Libraries. It has helped fund the purchase of the more than 1,000 titles recently added to the Italian Language and Literature collection. This includes volumes on the topics of historical language development, poetry, linguistics, and new fiction.

Rare book acquisitions pertaining to the authors Dante Alighieri and Pier Paolo Pasolini have also been added, and this fund also offers the means to address deficiencies in Italian art history, particularly as it is embodied in the religious works of art and architecture patronized by the Catholic Church.

From learning the grammar constructs of the language to reading critiques on Dante, it is essential that students are provided with the necessary means to research, whether through a rare manuscript, a visiting scholar, or a new textbook. It is critical that the Libraries maintain and continue to enhance the Italian Language and Literature collection, and the Valenti Endowment makes this possible.