Iona University to Receive $1 Million Gift for the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies
Gift from Sid Lapidus will support and promote the study of early American history
New Rochelle, N.Y. – Renowned book collector Sid Lapidus will donate $1 million to Iona University’s Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS), establishing the Lapidus Initiative for Early American Inquiry to preserve and advance the study of early American history and the humanities.
The gift will allow the ITPS to preserve a collection of Paine-related memorabilia and artifacts, as well as expand scholarly and student opportunities around the study of the American Revolution. A Founding Father of the United States, Paine was a philosopher, political theorist and revolutionary whose writing also influenced the French Revolution.
“This generous gift allows the ITPS to further inspire students to understand Paine’s work and apply it to their own paths forward, whether that be in politics, academia or government administration,” said Tricia Mulligan, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs. “Sid’s past support for world-class historical research institutions puts Iona in a new league of American Revolution studies. Sid has been a supporter and friend to the ITPS over the years. On behalf of Iona, I want to thank him for his commitment and generosity.”
Established in 2011, the ITPS is an interdisciplinary organization that supports the study of early American history by promoting scholarship and learning in traditional and new media formats. This includes undergraduate course offerings as well as its archival fellowship program, international events, exhibits and digital humanities projects.
From an early age, Mr. Lapidus was intrigued by Paine, whose most famous published work is Common Sense. Paine’s cottage sits near New Rochelle High School, which Mr. Lapidus attended while a resident of New Rochelle.
A longtime trustee of the New-York Historical Society, Mr. Lapidus has collected significant troves of historical materials. A previous donation he made to Iona included a library of literature on Thomas Paine and the influence of his thought on the Age of Revolutions.
Other gifts to research institutions include:
- Rare Revolution-era books and publications to Princeton University for the Sid Lapidus ’59 Collection on Liberty and the American Revolution.
- Rare Jewish history books to the Center for Jewish History.
- The endowment of the Lapidus Center for the Historical Analysis of Transatlantic Slavery at the Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture.
“Mr. Lapidus is very interested in using Paine as a gateway figure into understanding the bigger, enduring stakes of the origins of American democracy, from civic value and knowledge production to what it means to be an informed citizen,” said ITPS director Nora Slonimsky, Ph.D.
Slonimsky noted that Paine was a radical in his time for wanting to fundamentally transform the way government functioned, a sentiment that flows through today’s electorate as a presidential election approaches.
“This is why Paine, in some respects, is very appealing to people across the political spectrum, even though their views seem so polar,” said Slonimsky. “He resonates with those who want to break away from the past, or want to see seismic shifts. Paine was arguing for what he saw as a pretty seismic shift.”
Sid Lapidus's donation will establish the Lapidus Initiative for Early American Inquiry to preserve and advance the study of early American history and the humanities.
From left: Seamus Carey, Ph.D., president of Iona University, Sid Lapidus and Tricia Mulligan, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs.
Established in 2011, the ITPS is an interdisciplinary organization that supports the study of early American history by promoting scholarship and learning in traditional and new media formats.
From left: ITPS director Nora Slonimsky, Ph.D. and Sid Lapidus
This gift will allow the ITPS to preserve a collection of Paine-related memorabilia and artifacts, as well as expand scholarly and student opportunities around the study of the American Revolution.
Thomas Paine was a radical in his time for wanting to fundamentally transform the way government functioned.
"Common Sense" by Thomas Paine.
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Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of more than 50,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona is widely recognized in prestigious rankings, including The Princeton Review’s 2025 national list of “The Best 390 Colleges” and The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse’s “2024 Best Colleges in America,” which ranked Iona at #66 in the nation overall and #8 in the nation among Catholic schools. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just six percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review recognized Iona’s on-campus MBA program as a “Best Business School for 2023.” Iona also offers a fully online MBA program for even greater flexibility. In July 2021, Iona announced the establishment of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, which is now principally located on Iona’s Bronxville campus in collaboration with NewYork-Presbyterian. Connecting to its Irish heritage, the University also recently announced it is expanding abroad with a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.