The Khalaf Al Habtoor Archives at Illinois College will be dedicated in Schewe Library on Monday, October 13, 2014 at 5 pm in coordination with Dr. Al Habtoor’s visit to the campus.
Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, who is Chairman of the Al Habtoor Group - a diversified conglomerate in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) - is being honored for his ongoing support of Illinois College which includes a donation to create state-of-the-art archives to house historical artifacts of the college. Al Habtoor is the lead donor for the Preserve+Share+Produce initiative to renovate the archival space, fund an endowment for an archivist’s salary, and provide research funding for Illinois College faculty, and outside scholars to conduct research in the archives.
Al Habtoor said, "I am pleased to be honored by Illinois College, and to play a part in preserving its history for future generations to come."
Al Habtoor’s donation, which comes through his Foundation, the Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor Foundation, is funding the relocation of the archives from its former location on the third floor of Schewe Library to the first floor. It will include the purchase of compact shelving, a book scanner, furnishings, and a portion of the necessary funding will go towards an archivist/curator position.
“I am enormously grateful for Dr. Al Habtoor’s deep commitment and loyalty to Illinois College,” President Barbara Farley said. “This is a wonderful gift for IC and a testament to the college’s remarkable place in history. We look forward to welcoming Dr. Al Habtoor. Having him on campus will give us the opportunity to celebrate this investment in the future of Illinois College.
The Preserve+Share+Produce initiative will also be funded in part by a $200,000 NEH Challenge Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The majority of Al Habtoor’s gift is counted as matching funding for this challenge grant.
According to Farley, “Dr. Al Habtoor is being joined in the project by other donors who support this important enhancement of our archival facilities. Their gifts, too, are counted toward the matching requirements of the NEH Challenge Grant. We will continue to seek additional donors for the Preserve+Share+Produce initiative until our matching goal has been achieved.”
Al Habtoor was introduced to Illinois College by former Congressman Paul Findley, a 1943 graduate. Al Habtoor received an honorary doctorate from Illinois College in 2010.
Al Habtoor has supported the creation of several projects and programs at Illinois College. He supported the renovation of Whipple Hall that houses the Khalaf Al Habtoor Leadership Center and the Paul Findley Congressional Museum, and supports the Khalaf Al Habtoor Leadership Program at Illinois College that includes the Al Habtoor Lecture Series. He also started an essay writing competition in 2011 for IC students on the topic “Bridging the West and the Middle East.”